Ancon Hill~Panama

While stationed there in the mid 80's, I kept hearing rumors that there was a secret CIA installation inside the mountain. The few people who would talk about it reffered to it as "The Tunnel". Anybody have any info regarding this? A close friend of mine who was an MP, during this time/location frame, is now deceased and under suspcious circumstances~it just makes me wonder if some of his stories were true. Any help would be highly appreciated.

I was a MP there in the middle 70s and I still don't talk about what I heard and saw. Once on Quarry Heights which was a U.S. Militay post at the time you could drive to the entrance and after that many security checks you could take the long walk inside all on camera.

reply to post by CelticMist


Hi CelticMist,

It appears the rumours where at least partially correct. The Quarry Hill Tunnel was a JOC and still an intelligence post today, although it is now operated by Panama.

See Quarry Hill Tunnel

One of the most unique military facilities in the previous Canal Zone was the Joint Operations Tunnel located at Quarry Heights. In March 1940, Lieutenant General Daniel Van Voorhis, Commanding General of the Panama Canal Department, directed the construction of a bombproof shelter at Quarry Heights based on the necessity for use in case of emergency and vital to the security of important data. The Joint Command Post facility, completed by January 1942, was constructed under 200 feet of native porphyry rock, with the entrance cut into the solid rock face of the old Ancon Quarry, and was built of reinforced concrete at a cost of $400,000. The structure featured a 269-foot by 52-foot main building and a 302-foot by 7½ -foot tunnel. The facility had since been used as a secure intelligence, communications, and joint operations command post center for the unified command through 1997.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Robbie

I was stationed there at Quarry Heights from 1975-1978..I worked for the SSO (Special Security Office). We collected/disseminated Top Secret Crypto info and briefed the CINC Southern Command, COS (Chief of Station CIA) & the American Ambassador. Our offices were at the very end of the 'tunnel'. There were MP's at the entrance of the tunnel but we (SSO) controlled all security for the area. There was a com center on the left half way down the tunnel, the watch command on the right plus a briefing room and at the very end of the tunnel was the SSO..It contained 'another watch officer' which monitored all activity around the Heights with an NCO on duty. Across the hall from that was the SSO..it consisted of a LTC, Maj. and chief NCO, plus four NCO's that ran the Top Secret Crypto Special intelligence ComCenter. I was on of those NCO's...continuing back into the tunnel were a series of stairs with landings at intervals which led to the top of Ancon Hill. The opening was an old WWII gun emplacement. At the first landing we had stored incendiaries to destroy all our equipment and code word keying material in case of attack. I lived right above the tunnel in NCO housing. That was all that was in the tunnel....

I always wondered what was there. I kinda figured they had some SCIF/operations center-type thing going in there. I was over at Galeta Island '83-84. I spent some time at Gorgas Hospital there on the Pacific side when i broke my leg playing flag football. I was also at JIATF-South at Howard AFB from 96-99 when it closed.;

Fun times!

Ahh Flag Football...Quarry Heights were the Champs and the company level...Played wide out/backup qb and safety....We were misfits..half of us were J2 and the other half was ASA....combined we went 8-2 regular season and 3-1 and won the championship...our center was a LTC and our quarterback was a Maj. who was a small college All American....those were the days.....