We visited the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site on the way to Badlands National Park. The Cold War may be a thing of the past, but for many years people lived in constant fear of nuclear attack. I even remember the yellow and black fallout shelter signs posted in buildings. Until the 1990s, the US and Soviet Union adopted a strategy of “Mutually Assured Destruction.” Simply put, a country wouldn’t launch a nuclear attack because they feared nuclear retaliation by the other side.
To prepare for a nuclear attack, the US government installed hundreds of Minuteman missiles throughout the Great Plains. Offering the shortest distance over the North Pole to the USSR, the Great Plains states also provided more rural land. The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site explores this period of history with three sites, the visitor center, Delta-01 launch control center, and Delta-09 missile silo.
Minuteman Visitor Center and Museum
Located a few miles from the northeastern entrance of Badlands National Park, the visitor center offers free admission, a museum, and a film. I recommend watching the 30-minute film, “Beneath the Plains” before your visit to get a good understanding of the time period.
Inside the museum, we learned that school kids went through “duck and cover” drills as required by the Civil Defense Administration beginning in the 1950s. Likewise, many people built basement shelters or bunkers and stocked them with drinking water and food supplies. Additionally, President Eisenhower implemented the interstate highway system to facilitate cross-country transportation for military and weapons.
The Minuteman Missile
Invented in 1962, the solid-fueled Minuteman missiles, which could be launched at a minute’s notice, replaced the less efficient liquid-fueled Titan missiles. At about the same time, the government selected Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota as a deployment field for 150 Minuteman missiles.
Since time was of the essence during a nuclear attack, the military had to be ready at a moment’s notice to launch the missiles. Each day, two Air Force officers pulled 24-hour shifts at the Launch Command Center (LCC). After descending 30 feet below the earth, they used special codes to enter through a blast door to relieve the previous shift. With two chairs, computer equipment, phone lines, and consoles in the LCC, the crew members waited, and waited, and waited. Fortunately, no command to launch the missiles ever occurred.
Had the launch command been issued, the two crewmen would have to unlock their assigned padlocked box to obtain launch keys. Then they would both have to enter codes and turn the keys simultaneously. Once verified by another crew at another LCC, ten missiles would launch from the command. The system prevented a single crew or a single crew team from launching a nuclear attack.
To see the Delta-01 Launch Command Center located four miles away, visitors must book reservations well in advance. The 45-minute guided tours, consisting of only six people, occur only a few days per week. Click here for a great description of the entire facility, as well as the missileers’ job responsibilities “inside the hole.”
Delta-09 Missile Silo
We did see the Delta-09 missile silo after our day at Badlands. Had we not had directions, we wouldn’t have known to turn into the nondescript fenced area with a small parking lot.
A gravel path led us to another fenced area with the missile silo. At the launch command, the metal and concrete top would slide open allowing the missile to shoot through the air. A glass window allowed us to look deep into the ground at the actual missile. Nearby, a hatch provided access for maintenance repairmen.
In conclusion, the Minuteman Missile Historic National Site proved more interesting than I anticipated. And seeing the silo helped me understand everything much better. For more information, click their website here.
Wall Drug Store
No trip to Badlands or the Minuteman Historic National Site would be complete without mentioning Wall Drug. Purchased in 1931, owners Ted and Dorothy Hustead saw little business during the Depression. Finally, in 1936, Dorothy came up with an idea to attract travelers on the nearby highway – offer free ice water. (Remember cars didn’t have air conditioning at the time.) After placing signs along the road, business picked up with grateful travelers who also purchased ice cream and other items.
Through expansions, the drug store fills an entire block in the town of Wall today. You can have a meal, eat ice cream, and purchase Wall Drug merchandise. An area in the back features historical photos from the area, framed clippings of family history, and a T-Rex that roars to life every ten minutes.
Do you need to make a visit to Wall Drug Store? If you have time for a stop, then make a visit. Otherwise, enjoy the billboards on the road and save your money from the tourist trap.