John Sims is a typical man in every way possible. He’s from Tucson, Arizona, and decided it was time to take the plunge and buy a house. Like all new homeowners, John was enamored with his home. Though something was a little odd, he learned that quickly when he heard rumors about the backyard. Those rumors didn’t seem like they could possibly be true, but one day John decided to take a look for himself. What he discovered in his backyard is something that until this very day shocks not only him but those in his community. Now the world is learning about the secrets that an ordinary house and an unassuming backyard have to tell.
Everyone Thought John Was Crazy
Admit it; you’d think John was crazy too. How many people have a bunker in their backyard? Do space aliens visit him at night also? John doesn’t look like someone who would tell tall tales about things as far out as having a bunker. John looks like the type of guy you see at the grocery store and would be very polite. He has the appearance of being a quite mild-mannered person who wouldn’t make up such a story. Even with all that said, it’s still hard to believe that John could have a bunker in his backyard. That’s just crazy!
People Knew of John’s Secret for Several Years
John kept the story about the bunker in his backyard a secret for the most part. He told several of his closest friends, but nothing came of it. John was too busy to dig up his backyard, and it also sounded kind of foolish. Who digs up a perfectly good backyard to find a bunker? That’s the type of thing you read about in stories of the criminally insane. John didn’t act on the rumors and allowed whatever it was in his backyard to sit there. After all, if something was beneath his yard, it’s been there for quite a while without causing any problems.
The Rumors Began to Eat Him Up Alive
John couldn’t handle the fact that there could be something in his backyard that he knew nothing about. How could he live his day-to-day life knowing that something could be back there? What if it were nothing? How would people react if John dug up his backyard only to find dirt? It sounds pretty crazy to the average person to dig up an entire backyard on a hunch that something could be buried underneath it. How many years can a man live in a house before he wants to know what secrets may lurk inside it? John couldn’t take it any longer, and he began to devise a plan to see if anything was in his backyard.
A Man’s Imagination Gets the Best of Him
How many years can a man go on thinking that there’s something in his backyard? It got to the point that John couldn’t think about anything else anymore. What if there was something in his backyard that no one knows about? It takes quite a bit of willpower to forget about something as unique as a bunker in your backyard. Would you be able to pretend all was well if you knew there was potentially a hidden chamber below your yard? The chances are slim that you’d be able to sleep at night without tossing and turning as you wonder what’s underneath your grass covered yard.
John Knew There Had to Be Something Underneath That Grass
A person’s imagination has a way of getting the best of them. How can a person go on knowing they could have something as amazing as a bomb shelter underneath their yard? You can’t tell by looking at the grass, but John certainly knew something was up. He could tell that something was off, and it didn’t sit right with him. John is one of those homeowners who want to know his house like it’s the back of his hand. It makes sense to him to dig up the backyard, even though at this point, it’s anyone’s guess as to what’s in there. The yard looks beautiful, and most people would’ve left it alone. John isn’t most people, and that’s why he was more than willing to get to work digging up his valuable land.
The Arizona Summers Are Unforgiving
Arizona is super-hot during the summertime. It’s hard to imagine that anyone would want to dig up their backyard while the summer sun baked them to a crisp. John seemed far less concerned about the summer weather than he did about what’s going on underneath his yard. John wasn’t too successful in the early stages of his exploration. He kept his hopes high but was realistic at the same time. John had a gut feeling that something was underneath his yard, and that’s what kept him going in the summer heat and during the times of doubt. Nothing could’ve stopped John from seeing if there was anything underneath his feet all these years in his backyard.
Four Holes Leads to Nothing
John dug up four holes in his backyard, only to come up empty. None of the four holes yielded anything that would make John believe a bunker in his backyard. Oddly, John wasn’t satisfied with the results. There was a lingering feeling in his gut that something was below his feet. The four empty holes hit him like a ton of bricks, but it wasn’t going to stop him from seeking out the truth. By this time, quite a few people had to think that John was crazy. He already dug up four holes in his backyard, and nothing at all was found. How much further would his desire to get to the bottom of rumor once and for all take him? A few bad results can’t shake a man on a quest.
Proof Something Existed Is Found in Rare Documents
John hit paydirt when he discovered these rare documents from 1961. They prove that a company named Whitaker Pools put something in his back yard. It’s not clear from these documents as to what exactly is in his backyard. It would be far fetched to think that a company would go through all the hard work of creating such a sketch without following through. Though, it’s not uncommon for people to think they want something and back out at the very last minute. At the very least, John now had what he felt was substantial evidence to substantiate the rumors to some degree.
It Was Time to Get Some Help from Modern Technology
The documents gave John an idea where the bunker might be located. He couldn’t dig up the area without knowing for sure. A metal detector was the perfect tool to use because it would notify John if there were any metal under his backyard. This approach is much better because it gave John the ability to see underneath his lawn without digging it up. For the first time, he could tell for sure if there was something underneath his yard or if it was all a hoax. The metal detector couldn’t detect underneath the ground, but it could tell him if it were metal and the object’s length.
X Marks the Spot
After using the metal detector, John felt that he knew where the bunker could be located. X marked the area where he thought that the bunker was most likely located. John didn’t know anything was there, but the metal detector picked up something that could be large enough to be a bunker. Whatever it was, John knew that it wasn’t anything typical. Most backyards don’t have as much metal in them as what John discovered, and that let him know something incredible was under the ground. At least now, he could turn his attention to digging an area that most likely would yield some results.
It Didn’t Take as Much Digging as John Thought It Would
John was amazed to discover this after digging just a few inches into the dirt. The other holes that he made were as deep or deeper and found nothing at all. John knew that what he was seeing might not be a bunker, but a septic system. Imagine what John would’ve felt like if what he discovered after all these years was nothing more than an unused septic tank? Worse yet, all of his friends and family would’ve thought he was a raving lunatic for sure. There was no way to know for certain what the lid was covering without investigating it a little further. It takes a lot of nerve to open such a lid because what could’ve been underneath it might have been decades old sewage.
A Peek into What’s Inside
The moment of truth is here, and there’s something in the hole. At this point, John still isn’t sure that it’s a bunker, but he knows that it’s not a septic tank. There’s still quite a bit up in the air about what this shaft leads to. Certainly, it could be a bunker, but it could also be a million other things. Anyone who would make such a hole in their backyard is capable of doing almost anything. John knew not to get his hopes up, but finally, he could say for sure that there was something in his backyard. Those rumors might be true or not, but one thing is for sure, few people have anything like this behind their house.
Slow and Steady Was His Approach from Now on
Everywhere you turn in a situation like this, there’s danger. John had to keep a level head and make sure that nothing he did was too drastic. A single wrong move is all that it would take for him to find himself injured or even killed. No one had been down this shaft in over forty years, and its condition was anyone’s guess. No one knew how well the bunker was made or even if it was currently safe to occupy. John wanted to hurry as fast as he could to go into the hole and figure out what was in it, but he knew that wouldn’t be the safest way to explore what was in his backyard.
John Relied on His Experience as a Fire Department Captain
Safety is always a concern when you’re the captain of a fire department. John worked his way up the latter to become captain, and one of the reasons is because he has a keen eye for safety. It’s one thing to discover something as crazy as a bunker in your back yard; it’s something entirely different to fall to your demise into it. John paced himself and worked through the excitement to make sure that he was safe the entire time. As you can imagine, it would’ve been easy to go hog wild and slide down the hole. Someone as skilled as John in the art of safety knows that you can’t hurry a process like this and come out safe.
A Quick Look to See What’s Going on
John doesn’t go all the way in. He takes a look to see what’s going on. What you see here isn’t what you think it is. At first glance, you think that John is taking the plunge, but he isn’t. you’ll see that he’s only putting his foot on the metal thing. Sure, it’s dangerous, but John has to check to see what’s going on in there. No one can blame him for wanting to do the job right, even if it does mean putting himself at risk. John is the type of person who doesn’t go overboard and puts himself or others in danger unless necessary.
Help Is What John Needed Now
It became evident to John early on after discovering the hole that he would need some help. Unearthing this bunker was not a one-person job, and that’s when he decided to build a team. He needed capable and brave people to go down into the bunker and see what was there. Keep in mind that he wasn’t sure that the hole leads to a bunker. The hole could’ve lead to anywhere, or it could’ve even been a dead end. So, the only way he would get to the bottom of this was to find a few people who could lend him a helping hand to see where the hole led.
Preparation Was Key to Pulling This Off Safely
John didn’t cut any corners when it came to being prepared. He was fully aware that one wrong slip up and it could be lights out. There’s always a lure to want to get something like this done and over with as quickly as possible. No one wants to wait forever to find out what’s in their backyard. Hurring too fast could have devastating consequences, and John wasn’t ready to risk it. If anything, John was overly cautious and made sure that everything was perfect before proceeding further. The discovery in his backyard was so monumental that waiting a few extra days wasn’t going to make it any less exciting.
Repairing the Entrance Was a Must
The bunker entrance was unsafe, and the first thing they needed to do was to secure it. There’s no way a person could go down the hole without it collapsing on them. The answer was to pour concrete into the hole to reinforce the area around it. This is another reason why John knew he needed a team of people to get inside the bunker. He would have been able to pour the concrete and secure the entrance to the bunker by himself. It took a team effort to prepare someone for the journey down, and luckily John was able to find the right people to pull this off.
Securing the Entrance Required Plenty of Concrete
The amount of concrete required to secure the entrance to make sure it was safe to go down was quite a bit. As you can see here, they didn’t scrimp on the concrete. It’s safety measures like these that ensure everyone who participates is safe and sound throughout the exploratory process. As you can see, they took great measures to not only pour the concrete but to make sure that it was properly smoothed out. The attention to detail is because they wanted to make sure that the bunker looked good if it was ever going to be needed in a real-world situation.
The Arizona Heat Made Working on the Bunker Almost Impossible
Anyone who has ever been to Arizona knows that the heat is unbearable. A tent was put over the bunker entrance to prevent the sun from making it too hot inside. The temperatures get so hot that they can be life-threatening. No precaution is too severe when you’re trying to protect yourself and others from the devastating effect of the heat. Not only do you have to battle the temperatures in Arizona, but you also have to protect yourself and everything else from the sun. It sounds like an impossible task to most people, but those from this region know how to deal with the heat and the blistering sun.
Electrifying the Bunker Was a Priority
There are many options for anyone who wants to illuminate a dark space, such as a bunker. People could’ve used flashlights or even the flashlight on their smartphones. John is the kind of guy who puts safety first at all times, and that’s why he decided to power the bunker with electricity properly. He wanted to make sure that there was more than enough light and energy for whatever tasks they needed to do down there. Supplying electricity to the bunker added to the project’s cost, but John felt that it was well worth the effort. Who knows, maybe someday in the future, the electricity would come in handy if the bunker was ever needed.
No One Was in a Hurry
Everyone remembered how this project began. It started with four holes and hoped that something was under the ground. The crew wasn’t around in the early stages, but John made his best effort to convey to everyone how important it was to slow their roll and pace themselves. People have a way of becoming too excited when they know something amazing is right around the corner. Those people need someone like John to help them dial it in. he made sure that everyone was on target and didn’t allow anyone to veer too far in one direction or the other. The end goal never changed, even though many people had wished that John would speed things up a bit.
Everyone Wanted to Do the Best Job Possible
Anyone could rarely get a group of people together, so focused as these people were. John is a leader, and that’s why he rose to captain’s position at the fire department. He set the tone for the entire project, and that’s why it worked out the way it did. John was absolutely sure that without a doubt, if his team worked slowly and diligently, they would be able to get through it all without a problem. Sometimes the slow pace made it seem like the project would take forever, but John reassured everyone that eventually, the job would be completed. Anything worth doing is a task that is worth making sure you do it right.
The Steps Are Almost Nonexistent
What you’re looking at here are steps. Yes, those are steps. They don’t look like steps. John and the rest of the team knew right away that there was no way he could use these steps. How could he? It looks like the steps couldn’t hold the weight of even the smallest person on his team. Everyone was eager to go down the hole, but going down those steps was out of the question. It’s not worth the risk of someone getting hurt to hurl them down steps like these. Remember, it’s a straight drop down, and if one of the steps goes, the person will fall down. John and everyone else wasn’t sure how deep the hole was. They had an idea, but no one knew how sturdy the bottom of the bunker was. What if someone fell off a step and then fell even further because the flooring wasn’t safe?
Trusting Stairs Like These Would Be a Big Mistake
Some people would hurry and try their best to do whatever it took to get inside the bunker. It took a level head for John and everyone else to pace themselves. It wouldn’t be long until they could eventually see what was down at the bottom of the shaft. It was a hole that they so desperately wanted to get to the bottom of, but there’s no way these stairs would’ve held them. Whoever built the bunker didn’t think about the toll that time would take on the stairs. The person who made the bunker probably never considered that someone almost sixty years later would discover it and attempt to go inside.
A Closeup Look at the Unsafe Stairs
This is what the stairs look like close-up. You can see that they are unsafe. The stairs look like they would fall apart if you were to step on them. It’s a good thing that no one risked it and decided to take a chance on trying to go down these stairs. John might be a fireman, but he’s not a paramedic. If someone fell down these stairs, they would’ve needed a whole lot more help than what John could give. It didn’t take much convincing to get people to stay away from the stairs since one look at them is all that’s needed to make sure anyone knows not to step on them.
John Used a Ladder to Go Down the Hole
The only safe way down was to use a ladder. The stairs were out of the question, and everyone knew it. John decided that he would take the risk and go down the hole first. Choosing to use a ladder makes sense because John uses them all the time in his profession as a firefighter. After climbing down the ladder, this is what he was greeted to. A bunch of rubble is what awaited him, and it had to take him by surprise. Where did all that debris come from? He’s about to find out and what he sees is as shocking as it is gratifying.
Getting Rid of the Rubble Was No Easy Task
Removing the rubble wasn’t an easy task because the bunker is below the surface. John and his crew had to remove the debris using buckets and other items. The bunker’s location made it challenging to get rid of all this stuff, but John and everyone else was dedicated to getting the job done. Bucket by bucket, they got rid of it all so they could proceed further into the bunker. They knew that this was the tip of the iceberg, and they needed to do something to inch their way closer to the inside of the bunker. Safety is always a concern when you have so many jagged edges that could easily cut a person.
The First Look at the Bomb Shelter
The shelter has cement walls and a ceiling made out of fiberglass. This is the first time anyone has laid eyes on the bunker in who knows how long. After looking around, it’s clear that no one has been in the bunker for a very long time. There are no signs of anyone recently being in the shelter, and that what makes people believe that it has been empty probably since it was built. After all, it is a bunker for emergencies and not a place where you go and hang out. Turning a fall-out shelter into a man cave would probably be a great way to get away from the wife and kids.
John Is Ready to Explore His Bunker
This is the moment that John has been waiting for. He can’t believe his eyes. All of this time, he knew that something was underground. All those rumors were true and what he sees now proves it all. There’s a feeling of excitement, but also a slightly uneasy feeling about all this. The bunker was designed in case something terrible happened. You can’t help but think about the fear a person experienced when they were having this shelter being built. The person felt so strongly that something terrible was about to happen that they had a secret place built underneath their yard to protect themselves.
It Doesn’t Look Anything Like What John Expected
What were John and the rest of his team expecting when they finally made it to the shelter? No one ever knows what to expect when they stumble upon something like this. It’s safe to say that John was expecting something a little different. The bunker was, well, a little drab. It didn’t look like a place ready for someone to jump into it at a moment’s notice. You expect to see more signs of possible life. You’d think there would be a ton of supplies stockpiled in case something terrible did happen. John wasn’t convinced that such a stash didn’t exist; he just hadn’t seen it yet.
The Bunker Is in Bad Need of Repairs
It shouldn’t be surprising to anyone that a shelter that hasn’t been touched in well over 50 years would require a little TLC. The fiberglass ceiling is falling off, and it’s not all that pretty. No one expected that if a bunker existed, it would look pristine like the day it was made. Given how old the bunker is and the fact that no one had done anything to it in so long, it seems to look pretty good. The bunker itself was made to last, and it has done so over the years. The company that built this bunker did a fantastic job, and the fact that it still exists to this very day is a testament to their handiwork.
A Little TLC Will Go a Long Way
It’s not going to be easy, but John is the type of person who’s dedicated to what he’s doing. You can see here that the bunker needs all kinds of repairs. The repairs required aren’t only cosmetic since they will require quite a bit of elbow grease to get the job done. John’s goal is to turn the bunker into something habitable. The benefit of having such a bunker is that you’re always prepared, but even better, you have something cool to share with your friends and neighbors. Who wouldn’t want to hang out with someone who has their very own bomb shelter?
The Bunker Is Tall Enough for John to Comfortably Stand
John is by no means a little guy. He can stand in the bunker without any problems at all. It’s hard to believe that the people who built this shelter make pools for a living. It has to make you wonder if the whole pool company thing was nothing more than a ploy. Perhaps they did make pools, but it’s clear that the company made shelters as well. It’s almost impossible to believe that this was their first shelter. The real interesting story might not be the bunker itself, but the pool company that perhaps was secretly building shelters for people.
The Chilling Reality of the Bunker
It’s terrifying to think that the reason why this bunker was built was because of nuclear war. The previous homeowner was so afraid of a nuclear war destroying everything they had this hidden shelter built. None of the neighbors or anyone around knew that the bunker existed. The person who had the bunker made had to be so terrified that he needed to have a way out if something awful happened. If the bunker had ever needed to be used, it’s safe to say that humanity as a whole was being threatened. Structures like this one is a reminder of how horrible history is, and it should be the hope of all people that it isn’t repeated.
Bunkers Aren’t as Uncommon as People May Believe
The threat of nuclear war was always a concern of everyone. Bunkers aren’t all that uncommon, and people had them built throughout Arizona? Why were they so common in Arizona? It just so happens that quite a bit of nuclear bombs was located in the region. The logic was probably that America’s enemies knew there were nuclear bombs there, and they would bomb them. Bomb shelters were common throughout the country, and those who had enough money to spare had their own. It makes sense because the constant threat of war meant nuclear weapons could be used at any moment.
John’s Ready for Whatever the Future May Bring
How prepared are you for the end of the world? If your name is John Sims, you’re very prepared. You’ve got a place to go if everything hits the fan. The hope is that these bunkers are nothing more than playthings of the people who can afford to have them. Though, in reality, there may be a need for one of them in the future. People back in the day made these bunkers because they were searching for a way to escape nuclear war, but the more likely scenario is, they go into their bunker to avoid being exposed to viruses and things that will make them sick.
A Can of Drinking Water Is More Than What It Seems
You never see canned water these days. The can is an artifact from a long lost era. However, the fact that it was needed in the first place is chilling. We all know that water is essential for life, and only the people who felt their lives were in danger would drink these cans of water. The water was meant to be saved for dire emergencies when people couldn’t get water from the faucet. Seeing a can of water such as this one might not conjure thoughts of despair for most, but it should. That water was meant to be a lifesaver during times that humanity was on its last leg.
The Threat Was Real and Everyone Knew It
There had been times when the threat of war was overblown around the world. The threat of nuclear war was never overblown, and it was constant. The world powers knew that at any moment, full blown atomic annihilation was a possibility. What kept the glue on society to make the war never happen in the first place? Luckily cooler heads always prevailed, and somehow, all sides could find a way to get through their conflicts, even if they were bloody at times. It would be an immense burden to carry on a person’s shoulders if they ever decided to cause such harm that it would result in nuclear Armageddon.
The Rockets Have Been Dismantled
The rockets have since been dismantled, and they are no longer a threat to humanity. That doesn’t mean all is safe because nuclear weapons still exist. The danger of rockets flying worldwide is far less of a reality today than it was fifty years ago. No one should have a feeling of ease because the dangers today are much different than they were. You can’t look at the world and feel an overwhelming sense of peace given what’s currently going on. With all of that said, at least the threat of nuclear annihilation is a thing of the past. People don’t need to build bunkers in their backyards for fear that someday nuclear bombs would rain upon their heads.
This Is the Layout of the Bunker
John hopes to some day soon restore the bunker, so it looks like it once did. It will take quite a bit of work to restore the bunker, but John is the type of guy who can do it. His team was able to find the shelter safely, and there’s no doubt that he’ll be able to get it looking like new. The bunker in John’s backyard is, at times, almost impossible to believe, but it’s true. All of these years, John has been itching to find out what’s in his backyard, and now he knows. How many other people are living with a bunker in their backyard without ever knowing about it? Who knows, there maybe be a bunker in your backyard.