During the 1960s and 70s, as you may remember depending on how old you are, the U.S. and the USSR were locked in a Cold War that didn’t have a starting or an ending date. While I was an adult during this time, I really didn’t know much about all of this Cold War stuff, apart from the movies I watched. So this post and the next one were learning times for me!
Deterrence was a key part of the U.S. defense strategy during this time, which meant that our nuclear forces were maintained at a constant state of readiness. Minuteman missiles were readied on bases in the northern states. After the war was over, one such facility was turned into an historical site for us to see: the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile State Historic Site about 45 minutes northeast of Jamestown.
first, some background info
About 60 feet below us is the steel-and-concrete Launch Control Center (which we’ll see). From 1966 to 1997, 2 Air Force “missiliers” were always stationed there waiting for a presidential order to launch the 10 nuclear-tipped Minuteman missiles they controlled. These missiles were actually about 7 to 15 miles away, and we’ll see one of the silos in the next post.
The Air Force personnel who supported this site’s mission consisted of security forces, a facility manager, and a chef. The security forces provided for the safety and security for this facility and the launch facilities the site supported. The facility manager was responsible for the management, control, and supervision of enlisted personnel, ensuring the most efficient site operation possible. The chef provided 4 meals a day to all personnel assigned to and visiting Oscar-Zero.
In 1991, the U.S. and the Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and agreed to eliminate some nuclear weapons. This facility with its underground control center, and the topside of the November-33 launch facility (next post) were preserved for historical interpretation.
the Cold War
Beginning shortly after the end of WWII in 1945, the conflict lasted almost half a century, finally drawing to a close with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Periods of international crisis and military escalation filled these years as both sides tried to gain an advantage. Although direct military confrontation between the 2 nations never happened, many times we were brought to the brink of war.
The power plays of the 2 nations meant development of greater number of nuclear weapons and weapons that had increasingly destructive power. The first nuclear weapons were dropped by aircraft. By the late 1950s, both nations began building intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of hitting targets from thousands of miles away. By 1970, both nations could destroy each other in a matter of 30 minutes or less, leading to an uneasy standoff.
legacy of the Cold War
At the same time as the buildup, international efforts were underway to limit the development and spread of nuclear weapons. In the early 1960s, both nations had agreed to limit their weapons testing, and in 1968 the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was signed.
In 1982, President Ronald Reagan proposed a new treaty that would have dramatically reduced the number if ICBMs that each side could have—START. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev signed this treaty.
North Dakota and the Cold War
Of the many factors that led the Air Force to place nuclear missiles in North Dakota, many were tied to the state’s size and population:
- Vast open spaces were required to build missile fields approximately the size of New Jersey, and the open plains eased construction.
- The state’s low population density reduced the number of civilian causalities in the event of an attack.
- Flying north over the Arctic Ocean, North Dakota was also geographically closer to the Soviet Union than many other states.
- The Air Force wanted to use existing support facilities of the Air Force where possible. Since a base was in the cities Grand Forks (east side of the state) and Minot (the middle of the state), these 2 cities experienced an economic boost.
At the peak of the missile deployment, Minuteman missiles were located near 6 different Air Force bases in Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
touring upside and down
common rooms topside
The first room where we entered the facility was the weight room for the Air Force personnel. Now it houses the gift shop and many of the signs we looked at.
The 2 missileers topically spent 24-hour alert shifts below ground, arriving on site for duty and leaving as soon as it was complete. The rest of the staff spent 3 days onsite, and off-hours could be very quiet and dull. By the 1980s, the Air Force converted the one-time garage to a rec room.
A small telephone booth was available for personal calls that were generally limited to 10 minutes. Since the phone booth didn’t have a door, calls couldn’t be all that personal.
Breakfasts were usually cooked to order, and cooks created special holiday meals. Sometimes farmers brought in farm fresh eggs. The cooks could deliver food to the missile crews serving underground, passing it through the open blast door.
sleeping areas
The site cook’s bedroom was the closest to the kitchen. At times he may have shared it with an apprentice. While not preparing meals, the cook might spend time studying recipes or working the kitchen, cleaning the room, and washing dishes.
Over the years, women started working as cooks at these sites. Both the men and the women worked alongside the facility manager, acted as a morale person, and took collections for new games or snacks on site. This room was also remodeled during the late 1980s. Previously all bedrooms had metal furniture and tile floors.
The security team had 2 alarm response team members and a senior flight security controller. Armed with M-16 rifles for most of the time the site was operating, these teams defended the control site and the 10 missile silos within the Oscar-Zero flight area. Security guards were trained to defend sites from protesters to full-fledged attacks on facilities. Teams often responded to false alarms caused by wildlife or unfavorable weather. They had to wait for alarms to be reset before coming back to Oscar-Zero. So cold during the winter!
When the facility manager was notified of guests coming, he or she started preparing the bedroom. Guests could order meals and use the entertainment options. This room could also be used for roving security teams known as “strike” teams. Patrolling in Peacekeeper armored vehicles, these teams roamed the missile field to provide extra security to missile flight areas like this one.
The facility manager was the top-ranking non-commissioned officer at a site. His or her task was to maintain the facility, requiring a “jack-of-all-trades” approach. Some tasks included grounds-keeping, snow removal, mechanical repair, site administration, and acting as a site guide.
security
let’s go downstairs
Now we’re ready to go downstairs to see the equipment and control rooms.
entrance to equipment room
entrance to control room
But . . . in an emergency, there was a way to open the doors from the outside in case the airmen inside needed help and couldn’t open the door.
No, both officers didn’t have to sit at their stations all 24 hours. They could take turns getting something to eat, exercising by an open area close to the sleeping berth, running large circles in their work area, and sleeping if necessary. Later on officers were allowed to study for advanced degrees while on duty when everything was quiet.
info outside
On December 7, 1966, work was complete, and the 321st Strategic Missile Wing was fully operational with its 150 launch facilities (like what we’ll see in the next post) and 15 launch control facilities like this one.
