A couple of days ago, I got an email from Rem, K6BBQ. He writes:
I am the national representative for the US Bunkers On The Air (USBOTA) program. I want to share with you what BOTA is and how ham radio is part of this.
Worldwide Bunkers On The Air (WWBOTA) consists of over 20 member countries and is an amateur radio awards scheme (like POTA and SOTA) focused on activating and hunting (chasing) bunkers. Some BOTA sites are also in POTA sites which some activators might find of interest.
The USBOTA program started earlier this year and needs hams to help it grow. The US bunker locations can be seen on this worldwide map.
From coastal fortifications and anti-aircraft emplacements to Cold War command centers, Nike missile sites and civil defense shelters they are silent witnesses to moments of national and international significance. WWBOTA exists to promote interest in them as part of our collective heritage and to connect the amateur radio community with these sites of history.
We invite you to join us — and to know a little about the bunker you visit, not just its reference number.
Sounds like fun to me, but unfortunately, just as there are summits near me in the flat Midwest, there are no bunkers near me, either. At least there are none currently. In a subsequent email, Rem mentioned that Civil Defense sites, such as fallout shelters, qualify as BOTA sites. He writes:
One other thing included is Civil Defense sites, including fallout shelters. These have been the greatest number of sites I’ve added. I don’t want to send hunters to a place without a fallout sign so I do ask for a photo that can be found from Google Street View or webpage.
There are some websites that claim to list shelter locations but these are only names of places (schools, city hall, fire station.). It’s too vague. Other sites will be more specific with a photo of the sign and building.
I see you live in Ann Arbor so I decided to check there. I found this. [This page mentions that many University of Michigan building may have fallout shelters….Dan] Unfortunately, what I found was too vague to be included. To have a site included, you need a description of the location and a photo.
To add a site, you need to make an account on the USBOTA site and then go to the submit a new location page.
I often go walking on campus. I just might scout around and see if I can find any that might still exist and are marked.
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