Man Digging In His Backyard Makes The Last Discovery He Ever Expected To Find

John Sims relocated to Tucson, Arizona in an attempt to lead a more sedate existence. It never occurred to him that it would turn into one of his life’s most memorable experiences. It all began when he was informed about a concerning rumor by the previous owner of his new house.

There was a rumor that there was something buried on the land. John began excavating in the backyard because he could not get the thought out of his head. He shuddered at what he found. Without a doubt, he did not sign up for this.

The home with the enigmatic backyard

John Sims was keen to acquire a house in midtown Tucson, Arizona, after learning about a friend’s sale. He knew he would be in good hands because the owner was one of his friends. However, after completing the paperwork, his acquaintance informed him of a property rumor.

The town’s elders say they think something intriguing was hidden away someplace in it. John might be able to unravel the puzzle, but his companion never was. In the end, John would find something that would make people throughout the state of Arizona very excited.

His curiosity overcame him.

John found himself recalling what his friend had said as he began to arrange his stuff in his new home. He was interested as much as curious. He soon became committed to discovering the mysteries around his new home.

John dug and proceeded to explore his property. After excavating the backyard in four separate locations, John was unable to find anything. Whatever it is, it must be beneath the bricks if he was unable to discover it beneath the grass.

X indicates the location

When John obtained access to local records, he discovered the documentation of his home’s construction. It revealed that an odd building named Whitaker Pools had been constructed in 1961. With confirmation now in hand that something was indeed buried on the land, John was even more driven to unravel the mystery.

He employed metal detector-wielding advisors to assist him in pinpointing the location. After arriving with the necessary equipment, a team searched John’s backyard. The metal detectors soon started to sound. John put a large X in the chalk at the locations of the two metal detector triggers.

striking a chord

Following the consultants’ dismissal, John eagerly picked up a shovel and began excavating. His shovel quickly made contact with something metallic. At last, he discovered something three feet beneath the grass. John chose to take a moment to reflect after making progress.

Could this have been a septic tank? What would happen if he managed to break or damage a pipe? He needed to be very careful. But the more precisely he dug, the more he felt that this was something different. He was going to unravel the riddle of his own backyard.

Getting the hatch open

Later on, John discovered what appeared to be a hatch’s opening. After bending over to remove some dirt, he pryed open the metal lid. John took care to avoid breathing in too much as there was a chance he would be exposed to harmful gas fumes or mold spores.

To allow any air from below to escape and allow fresh air to enter the building, John kept the lid open for almost a day. Additionally, he was aware that before entering the little area, the air needed to be checked for mold.

It wasn’t secure.

The following morning, John looked through the hatch. He discovered a spiral staircase that led below. John wasn’t that stupid, though most would have been so pleased that they would have started walking down right away.

He was more aware. He needed someone nearby as the captain of the Rural/Metro Fire Department in case the lid dropped back in. Now that he was home alone, there was no way he could remove the lid from below by himself.

Establishing a team

John was aware of all the dangers because of his extensive training and experience in rescuing individuals from confined areas. It was evident to him that the staircase was unstable and that venturing into the shaft alone would involve too many hazards.

John made the decision to start a team. To get some assistance, he invited several pals around. When it was safe enough to investigate what was inside the shaft, some of them may serve as spotters while others could assist him in carrying out the excavation.

Putting together a plan

The following day, the crew got together and sat down to create a blueprint. They also spoke on the best course of action. They repaired and strengthened the concrete framework around the steps as one of their initial actions.

In order to prevent any harm while they worked, they erected Sonotube cardboard around the entryway. John and his group labored to fasten the rebar inside the hatch and pour down layers of concrete.

It was laborious.

John had to cover the hatch with a tarpaulin to keep the team and the hatch safe. The heat in Arizona was beginning to get to be too much. They conjectured about what might be down there as they took breaks to escape the heat.

To locate the answers, there was much work ahead of us. In order to have adequate lighting within the shaft and to use power equipment when necessary, an electrical line had to be built. Additionally, a black pipe was put in to convey fresh air into the shaft.

figuring out how to get in

Their construction surrounding the structure was finally completed. Another obstacle was the spiral staircase, though. It was impossible to tell if the steps could support any weight because they were so rusted. Without going up the steps, they had to find another way inside.

John had to gently down the ladder that the team was using, being cautious not to cut himself on the rusty stairs. John was giddy with anticipation. He was going to be the one to crack the code first. The time he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

There was unfinished business.

John was relieved to learn they did not need to dig any further after reaching the bottom. However, there was still more to be done. The fiberglass covering the tunnel ceilings was deteriorating gradually. This implied that the building was still not safe.

When John thoroughly looked around, he was astounded to find that the building was largely intact despite almost fifty years of abandonment. Though it was empty at the time, it was later discovered to be John’s nuclear bomb bunker in his backyard!

Beginning during the Cold War

Everything became sense at once. When there was a threat of all-out nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the shelter was constructed. At that time, Whitaker Pools expanded their business to include bomb shelters.

In actuality, bomb shelters were present on a number of properties in the Tucson region. It was the most a responsible family man could do in those days to ensure his loved ones’ safety in the event of a nuclear war.

The past of Tucson

It turns out that bombs and Tucson have a long history together. With eighteen ballistic missiles that could transcend continents and wipe out an area of 900 square miles, Tucson was once known as the “rocket town.”

The government maintained the missile silos top secret, and nearly all of the missiles had been rendered inoperable by the end of the Cold War. In the early 1980s, the majority of nuclear shelters were either locked or destroyed.

gaining popularity

John soon gained popularity on Reddit after sharing his discovery from his backyard. Within hours, hundreds of people had commented on the post. TV programs and local newspapers began contacting to arrange interviews regarding it.

Even foreign publications like the Daily Mail carried the story. Japan has also heard of John’s story. Definitely a significant discovery. Residents in Tucson also began to worry if they had one in their backyard.

What comes next?

John was able to establish connections with local residents who had fallout shelters thanks to the attention he received. He had the opportunity to inquire about their cleaning process and obtain suggestions from them on its future use.

John intends to create a Cold War museum, but the majority of individuals converted theirs into man caves or wine cellars. John began gathering artifacts such as Geiger counters, water supply barrels, HAM radios, and sanitation kits after doing extensive research on the Cold War era.

His reflections on his discovery

In an interview, John said, “I was really hoping it was going to be a little microcosm… a time capsule full of radiation detectors, cots, and civil defense boxes and stuff like that.” Sadly, there was not even any furniture in the bomb bunker.

John also mentioned how much reading he had been doing on the Cold War. He thinks that the main reason Tucson people built bomb shelters in their backyards in the 1960s was likely the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Recommendations for citizens of Tucson

John advises residents of Tucson who are interested in finding out if their backyard contains a bomb shelter to search City of Tucson or Pima County data. The building permits will most likely contain the information.

When someone discovers a bomb shelter in the yard, John also cautions everyone against jumping in too soon. John went on to say that it’s usually not a good idea to jump into holes in the earth since anyone can get instantly incapacitated by the toxic air in a tunnel or a cave-in.

Requesting financial assistance

John is fully planning to renovate the bomb shelter. However, he lacked that amount of cash. To raise money to refurbish his 1960s bomb shelter, he created a GoFundMe page. He intended to renovate the entrance and do inside renovations as well.

Replacing the stairs to enable safe access was one of John’s top concerns. John was only able to accomplish so with the money he was able to gather, and he and the remodeling team may now enter and exit the building safely.

She was huge in the 1980s and her performances are etched in our hearts – the iconic actress is stunning at 67

Admirers all around the world wished they were the stunning Debra Winger when Naval Officer Zack Mayo snatched factory worker Paula into his arms and whisked her from her place of employment in a classic romantic tale.

The iconic moment from the romance drama An Officer and a Gentleman, in which Richard Gere portrayed the dashing hero in navy whites, Officer Zack Mayo, became the standard for romantic tales for daydreamers.

Acting beside some of the sexiest men in Hollywood made Debra Winger the envy of many.

Winger, who is 67 years old, is still stunning today. Winger has shared pictures of herself on Instagram throughout the last few years; initially, she had brown hair, but now it is a naturally wavy gray.

Winger played Drusilla, the younger sister of Lynda Carter’s Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, in the popular TV series Wonder Woman (1979). Her first major role came in the 1976 film Slumber Party ’57. Winger was requested to make more appearances, but she declined out of fear that the role would mold her into a certain mold.

The emerging star would have a lucrative early 1980s and had no regrets about that choice.

She was nominated for multiple Academy Awards and Golden Globes during the peak of her early career for her roles in three classic 1980s films.

She costarred with John Travolta in Urban Cowboy in 1980; at the time, he was making fans go crazy with his slick dance moves in Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Grease (1988); she also played Emma in Terms of Endearment (1983), where she played a dying young woman with an overbearing mother named Aurora, played by Shirley MacLaine, and as Paula in An Officer and a Gentleman (1982).

Despite her enormous success, Winger took a brief break from acting to focus on other projects. Over forty years after her ascent to fame, rumors about her departure persist.

The majority of these rumors center on Winger’s conflicts with her co-stars.

Despite the fact that Winger reportedly had enough of the attractive Gere on the set, fans couldn’t get enough of him.

As stated in a passage from co-star Louis Gossett Jr.’s book “An Actor and a Gentleman,” which ABC News published, “The onscreen chemistry between the two of them was terrific, but it was a different story once the camera was turned off.” They were too close to one another to have remained apart.

Additionally, according to Gossett, Winger didn’t think highly of Gere’s acting and once called him “a brick wall.” She also called Taylor Hackford, the film’s director, who she did not like, “animal.”

Not just the characters in the movie bothered her.

MacLaine was a gorgeous, quirky, and seasoned veteran who contrasted with Winger, who was a free spirit both in real life and in her part as Emma.

Their romance began with that first meeting.

In a People interview, MacLaine stated, “I was wearing all my leftover movie-star fur coats to see how my character would feel.” “Debra was there, wearing a miniskirt and combat boots.I exclaimed, “Oh my goodness.”

According to People, “In fact, the set turned into the origin of Hollywood’s most cherished rumors.” Winger desired first place. It was said that one slugged the other.

Subsequently, the two women faced off at the Oscars after receiving nominations for best actress.

“I deserve this,” MacLaine declared in her acceptance speech as she took the award home.

Despite the rumors, Winger maintains that she “pushed the pause button” on Hollywood for private, not for work-related, reasons.

“I didn’t care for the parts that were about to happen. That was something I had already done or experienced. I required a challenge. I totally embraced the challenge that my life presented to me, Winger said to People.

MacLaine was a gorgeous, quirky, and seasoned veteran who contrasted with Winger, who was a free spirit both in real life and in her part as Emma.

Their romance began with that first meeting.

According to People, “In fact, the set turned into the origin of Hollywood’s most cherished rumors.” Winger desired first place. It was said that one slugged the other.

Subsequently, the two women faced off at the Oscars after receiving nominations for best actress.

“I deserve this,” MacLaine declared in her acceptance speech as she took the award home.

Despite the rumors, Winger maintains that she “pushed the pause button” on Hollywood for private, not for work-related, reasons.

We can’t imagine a Hollywood without Debra Winger and we hope she soon gets to take home an Academy Award! What are your favorite Winger movies?

Acting alongside Hollywood’s hottest men, Debra Winger was the envy of many.

Today, Winger, 67, is as beautiful as ever. In the past few years, Winger has posted photos herself on Instagram, first with brown hair and now to a natural wavy gray.

Winger’s first starring role was in the 1976 film Slumber Party ‘57, which led to a part on the hit TV series Wonder Woman (1979), where she played Drusilla, the younger sister to Lynda Carter’s Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. Winger was asked to appear more often but concerned she’d be typecast by that role, she declined.

There were no regrets for that decision, the early ‘80s would be prosperous for the rising star.

At the height of her young career, she received numerous nods from the Academy and Golden Globes for performances in three iconic movies of the 1980’s.

In 1980, she starred in Urban Cowboy, with John Travolta, who at the time was driving fans wild with his smooth dance moves in Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Grease (1988); as Paula in An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) and in Terms of Endearment (1983), where she played Emma, a dying young woman with an over-bearing mother, Aurora, played by Shirley MacLaine.

Despite her huge success, Winger, carving hours from her acting schedule, took a mini Hollywood hiatus, and more than four decades after her rise to stardom, speculation of why she left is still circulating.

Most of these rumours revolve around the feuds that Winger had with her co-stars.

Though fans couldn’t get enough of the handsome Gere, it’s been widely reported that Winger had enough of him on the set.

According to an excerpt published on ABC News from the book, “An Actor and a Gentleman,” by co-star, Louis Gossett Jr., who played Sgt. Emil Foley: “The onscreen chemistry between the two of them was terrific, but it was a different story once the camera was turned off. They couldn’t have stayed farther apart from each other.”

Gossett also claims that Winger didn’t think much of Gere’s acting and wrote that she once described Gere as “a brick wall.” And, the film’s director, Taylor Hackford, whom she also did not like, she referred to as “animal.”

It wasn’t only people on that film that ruffled her feathers.

Winger, a free spirit in real life and in her role as Emma, also clashed with the prolific MacLaine, a glamorous, eccentric and seasoned veteran.

Their first meeting set the stage for their relationship.

“To see how my character would feel I was wearing all my leftover movie-star fur coats,” MacLaine said in an interview with People. “There was Debra dressed in combat boots and a miniskirt…I thought, ‘Oh my goodness.’”

People writes, “Indeed, the set became the source of Hollywood’s most relished rumors. Winger wanted top billing. One reportedly slugged the other.”

And then, the women were pitted against each other in the Oscars when they were both nominated for best actress.

MacLaine, taking the trophy home, said in her acceptance speech, “I deserve this!”

Rumors aside, Winger insists she “pushed the pause button” on Hollywood for personal reasons and not professional.

“The parts that were coming, I wasn’t interested in. I’d already done that or I’d already felt that. I needed to be challenged. My life challenged me more than the parts, so I dove into it fully,” Winger told People.

After starring in the 1995 romcom Forget Paris with Billy Crystal, Winger took a six-year break.

In that time, she moved to New York City and shifted her focus to actor Arliss Howard, whom she married in 1996. The pair have a son, Gideon Babe, who was born in 1997, and she is stepmother to Sam, Howard’s son from a previous marriage. She also has another biological child, Noah Hutton, whom she mothered while married to her first husband, Timothy Hutton (1986 to 1990).

She reappeared in the 2001 film Big Bad Love, that was directed and produced by her husband, who also co-starred alongside Winger and Rosanna Arquette, who’s next project was 2002 film Searching for Debra Winger. As director of the documentary, Arquette attempts to answer why Winger temporarily abandoned her career at peak performance.

Winger gained some momentum with roles in Rachel Getting Married (2008) with Anne Hathaway, the 2017 romcom The Lovers, and the crime-comedy, Kajillionaire (2020).

In 2021, she was in With/In, Volume two of the anthological drama film, in the segment Her Own, which is written and directed by her husband, who also co-stars.

“I don’t know what Hollywood is. I’m living under the freaking sign now, and I just stare at it and laugh. Los Angeles is a place, but the idea of Hollywood doesn’t really exist for me,” Winger said, adding, “…although there must be some in-crowds that I just don’t know about.”