The Missile Plains

The Missile Plains PDF Author: Department Of The Interior
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781520778372
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
This is a comprehensive and unique history of the Minuteman ICBM program and related Cold War issues, focusing on missile silos in South Dakota. The history of the Cold War, focusing on the 1950s and 1960s, describes how nuclear systems developed, and the political climate and foreign policy decisions of Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy - and how these factors affected development of strategic missiles and nuclear armament systems. Chapter 2 provides a background on ICBM program beginnings and liquid-fuel ICBMs, placing the development of solid-fuel ICBMs into context. Chapter 3 discusses development and capabilities of both the Minuteman I and Minuteman II missile systems and provides an overview of the development of Minuteman III and the future generation of missile development. Section II -Life on the South Dakota Plains: Before, During, and After Minuteman presents the history of the Minuteman missile in South Dakota. Chapter 1 provides a brief overview of the prehistory and history of the region discussing Native American history, land speculation and settlement, and continued agricultural uses. This background describes the landscape and environment prior to the establishment of 150 Minuteman I and II LFs and fifteen LCFs throughout the state. Chapters 2 to 5 deals with the development, construction, and activities of the missile sites in South Dakota from the 1960s through the 1980s when the sites were still active, with an emphasis on LCF Delta-01 and LF Delta-09. A history of the Air Force highlighting the Strategic Air Command and Ellsworth Air Force Base in Chapter 2 provides the background for a discussion of the 44th Strategic Missile Wing, which commanded the Minuteman sites in South Dakota. Chapter 3 provides the history of the location, land purchase, and construction of the Minuteman sites in South Dakota. Section II continues with a discussion of the day-to-day activities of the personnel assigned to the missile sites, including the training, roles, and responsibilities of the missile combat crew, facility manager, security and maintenance personnel, and the cook. Section II concludes by addressing changes in the roles, responsibilities, and personnel at the sites during the Minuteman's tenure, including the introduction of female missileers and addressing racial issues among personnel at the sites and within the greater community. Section III -Peace Movement, Nuclear Disarmament, and the Future returns to the national and international arenas discussing the opposition to nuclear armament, the end of the Cold War, and the future for Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. Section I -The Cold War and National Armament * Chapter 1: The Cold War (1945-62) * Introduction * Origins of the Cold War * Eisenhower and Waging Peace * Sputnik * Kennedy Administration and the First Minuteman Deployment * Chapter 2: U.S. Strategic Missile and Armament Systems (1950s-60s) * Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Program Beginnings * Liquid-Fuel Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles: Atlas and Titan * Chapter 3: Minuteman and the Next Generation (1960s-present) * The Missile Gap and Minuteman * Development of Solid-Fuel Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles * Minuteman I * Minuteman II * Minuteman III and the Next Generation * Section II -Life on the South Dakota Plains: Before, During, and After Minuteman * Chapter 1: Life and Landscape Before Minuteman (to the 1960s) * South Dakota Plains Geological Formations * Native American Settlement * Early European Exploration and the Fur Trade * Euro-American Land Speculation, Settlement, and Immigration * Western Plains Settlement and Agricultural History * Chapter 2: U.S. Air Force, Strategic Air Command, and Ellsworth Air Force Base (1940s-90s) * Establishment * Strategic Air Command * Ellsworth Air Force Base * Chapter 3: Minuteman Missile Sites in South Dakota (1960s-80s) * Site Location * Land Purchase * Minuteman Missile Area Landowners

The Missile Plains

The Missile Plains PDF Author: Department Of The Interior
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781520778372
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
This is a comprehensive and unique history of the Minuteman ICBM program and related Cold War issues, focusing on missile silos in South Dakota. The history of the Cold War, focusing on the 1950s and 1960s, describes how nuclear systems developed, and the political climate and foreign policy decisions of Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy - and how these factors affected development of strategic missiles and nuclear armament systems. Chapter 2 provides a background on ICBM program beginnings and liquid-fuel ICBMs, placing the development of solid-fuel ICBMs into context. Chapter 3 discusses development and capabilities of both the Minuteman I and Minuteman II missile systems and provides an overview of the development of Minuteman III and the future generation of missile development. Section II -Life on the South Dakota Plains: Before, During, and After Minuteman presents the history of the Minuteman missile in South Dakota. Chapter 1 provides a brief overview of the prehistory and history of the region discussing Native American history, land speculation and settlement, and continued agricultural uses. This background describes the landscape and environment prior to the establishment of 150 Minuteman I and II LFs and fifteen LCFs throughout the state. Chapters 2 to 5 deals with the development, construction, and activities of the missile sites in South Dakota from the 1960s through the 1980s when the sites were still active, with an emphasis on LCF Delta-01 and LF Delta-09. A history of the Air Force highlighting the Strategic Air Command and Ellsworth Air Force Base in Chapter 2 provides the background for a discussion of the 44th Strategic Missile Wing, which commanded the Minuteman sites in South Dakota. Chapter 3 provides the history of the location, land purchase, and construction of the Minuteman sites in South Dakota. Section II continues with a discussion of the day-to-day activities of the personnel assigned to the missile sites, including the training, roles, and responsibilities of the missile combat crew, facility manager, security and maintenance personnel, and the cook. Section II concludes by addressing changes in the roles, responsibilities, and personnel at the sites during the Minuteman's tenure, including the introduction of female missileers and addressing racial issues among personnel at the sites and within the greater community. Section III -Peace Movement, Nuclear Disarmament, and the Future returns to the national and international arenas discussing the opposition to nuclear armament, the end of the Cold War, and the future for Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. Section I -The Cold War and National Armament * Chapter 1: The Cold War (1945-62) * Introduction * Origins of the Cold War * Eisenhower and Waging Peace * Sputnik * Kennedy Administration and the First Minuteman Deployment * Chapter 2: U.S. Strategic Missile and Armament Systems (1950s-60s) * Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Program Beginnings * Liquid-Fuel Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles: Atlas and Titan * Chapter 3: Minuteman and the Next Generation (1960s-present) * The Missile Gap and Minuteman * Development of Solid-Fuel Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles * Minuteman I * Minuteman II * Minuteman III and the Next Generation * Section II -Life on the South Dakota Plains: Before, During, and After Minuteman * Chapter 1: Life and Landscape Before Minuteman (to the 1960s) * South Dakota Plains Geological Formations * Native American Settlement * Early European Exploration and the Fur Trade * Euro-American Land Speculation, Settlement, and Immigration * Western Plains Settlement and Agricultural History * Chapter 2: U.S. Air Force, Strategic Air Command, and Ellsworth Air Force Base (1940s-90s) * Establishment * Strategic Air Command * Ellsworth Air Force Base * Chapter 3: Minuteman Missile Sites in South Dakota (1960s-80s) * Site Location * Land Purchase * Minuteman Missile Area Landowners

The Missile Next Door

The Missile Next Door PDF Author: Gretchen Heefner
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674067460
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
In the 1960s the Air Force buried 1,000 ICBMs in pastures across the Great Plains to keep U.S. nuclear strategy out of view. As rural civilians of all political stripes found themselves living in the Soviet crosshairs, a proud Plains individualism gave way to an economic dependence on the military-industrial complex that still persists today.

The Missile Plains

The Missile Plains PDF Author: Christina Slattery
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781468044010
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
The purpose of this study is to bring to light the history and context of Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. To achieve this goal, a number of individuals and organizations have generously shared their knowledge and resources. Our special thanks extend to the staff of the National Park Service, including project manager Ron Cockrell, Minuteman Missile National Historic Site Historian Sue Lamie, Badlands National Park Superintendent William R. Supernaugh, contract manager Ron Eilefson, Mary McVeigh and Dan Savage of the Denver Service Center, Historic American Engineering Record staff, and additional National Park Service staff that reviewed and commented on the study. We would also like to thank individuals at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota who offered support and provided access to research materials, including Tim Pavek, Environmental Engineer with the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron; Cheryl Cordray, Rich Kauk, and Dan Rexroad in the Real Estate division of the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron; and Staff Sergeant Dennis Wilkinson of the Ellsworth Air Force Base the 28th Bomb Wing History Office. We are especially grateful to the individuals who took the time to be interviewed thereby providing valuable insight on many topics of this study. Our thanks go to: Jay Davis, Ted Hustead, John LaForge, Wendy McNiel, Gene Williams, and Tom Wilson. Our appreciation is extended to several individuals and organizations that offered their support and resources, including Charles Simpson of the Association of Air Force Missileers; Ron Alley of the South Dakota Air and Space Museum; Michael L. Faust of Peter Kiewit and Sons' Inc. in Omaha, Nebraska, for sharing historic construction images and company newsletters; Bonnie Urfer and the Nukewatch organization for providing information and sharing photographs; and the staff of the South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office. In addition our thanks go to the staffs of the various repositories with whom we consulted during the course of research for this project: Dr. Frederick Shaw and Joseph Caver and the staff of the Air Force Historical Research Agency at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama; the Air University Library at Maxwell Air Force Base; Bill Burr and the staff of the National Security Archive in Washington, D.C.; the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston; the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kansas; the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, Missouri; the National Archives and Records Administration; the Boeing Archives; and the South Dakota State Historical Society State Archives.

The Missile Plains : Frontline of America's Cold War

The Missile Plains : Frontline of America's Cold War PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781520778372
Category : Cold War
Languages : en
Pages : 209

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Book Description


Encyclopedia of American Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and Cold War Missile Weapons

Encyclopedia of American Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and Cold War Missile Weapons PDF Author: Department of Defense (DoD)
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781549666520
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 299

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Book Description
Eight official histories provide the complete story of America's ICBM forces in this compilation, divided into three parts because of its enormous size: Part 1: ICBM and Missile Summary (Space Primer) * On Alert: An Operational History of the United States Air Force Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Program, 1945-2011 * The Development of Ballistic Missiles in the United States Air Force 1945-1960 Part 2: Inside the Cold War - A Cold Warrior's Reflections (ICBM Excerpt) * The United States Air Force and the Culture of Innovation, 1945-1965 (ICBM Excerpt) * An Examination of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Development Within the United States from 1952 to 1965 * The Missile Plains: Frontline of America's Cold War Part 3: To Defend and Deter: The Legacy of the United States Cold War Missile Program. Part 1: ICBM and Missile Summary (Space Primer Excerpt) - concise historical overview of the ICBM program. On Alert: An Operational History of the United States Air Force Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Program, 1945-2011 - a fascinating look at a period in our nation's history that is too often overlooked. The vital role the ICBM played in keeping the peace in the Cold War era is increasingly less understood by our populace. The careful documentation of the past and present contribution of the ICBM force to global deterrence will ensure the lessons of this period are not forgotten. The Development of Ballistic Missiles in the United States Air Force 1945-1960 - Although the development of ballistic missiles is largely an administrative history, it is also the story of the herculean efforts of several key individuals. The effort could not have succeeded as it did without the fortuitous appearance on the scene of Trevor Gardner, Gen. Bernard A. Schriever, and Dr. John von Neumann. How these men conceptualized, promoted, and directed the program forms the basis of the story. Part 2: Inside the Cold War - A Cold Warrior's Reflections (ICBM Excerpt) - ICBM combat crew alert was yet another dimension of Cold Warrior dedication and performance. Though the concept of missiles was entirely new to SAC veterans, they adapted quickly to the ICBM weapon systems. Snark, Bomarc, Thor, Atlas, Titan, and Minuteman came into SAC operations as smoothly as new aircraft systems had come in over the years. The United States Air Force and the Culture of Innovation, 1945-1965 (ICBM Excerpt) - Missiles, and particularly ballistic missiles, were disruptive to the Air Force's culture, operations, and organization in several important ways. First, and most obvious, missiles had no pilots so they relegated humans simply to getting the missile somewhere within range of the target and then pushing a button. An Examination of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Development Within the United States from 1952 to 1965 - Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) development by the United States from 1952 through 1965 is marked by extreme urgency. The initial impetus for the development did not proceed within military channels; this paper explores possible reasons why the military channels were not the originator of the program. The Missile Plains: Frontline of America's Cold War - The story of the Minuteman missile program is a Cold War tale. Journalist Walter Lippmann's 1947 book, The Cold War, first used and popularized the term "cold war" to refer to the post-World War II confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union. Part 3: To Defend and Deter: The Legacy of the United States Cold War Missile Program - The so-called strategic missiles, which included intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and air-breathing strategic missiles (the predecessors of today's cruise missiles), were deterrent systems. In conjunction with the bombers of the Air Force's Strategic Air Command (SAC), the deterrent systems were intended to discourage an aggressor from attacking.

Encyclopedia of American Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and Cold War Missile Weapons: Development and Operation of Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, Peacekeeper, Official Histories - Part 3 Of 3

Encyclopedia of American Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and Cold War Missile Weapons: Development and Operation of Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, Peacekeeper, Official Histories - Part 3 Of 3 PDF Author: Department of Defense (DoD)
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781549666582
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 569

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Book Description
Eight official histories provide the complete story of America's ICBM forces in this compilation, divided into three parts because of its enormous size:Part 1: ICBM and Missile Summary (Space Primer) * On Alert: An Operational History of the United States Air Force Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Program, 1945-2011 * The Development of Ballistic Missiles in the United States Air Force 1945-1960Part 2: Inside the Cold War - A Cold Warrior's Reflections (ICBM Excerpt) * The United States Air Force and the Culture of Innovation, 1945-1965 (ICBM Excerpt) * An Examination of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Development Within the United States from 1952 to 1965 * The Missile Plains: Frontline of America's Cold WarPart 3: To Defend and Deter: The Legacy of the United States Cold War Missile Program.Part 1:ICBM and Missile Summary (Space Primer Excerpt) - concise historical overview of the ICBM program.On Alert: An Operational History of the United States Air Force Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Program, 1945-2011 - a fascinating look at a period in our nation's history that is too often overlooked. The vital role the ICBM played in keeping the peace in the Cold War era is increasingly less understood by our populace. The careful documentation of the past and present contribution of the ICBM force to global deterrence will ensure the lessons of this period are not forgotten.The Development of Ballistic Missiles in the United States Air Force 1945-1960 - Although the development of ballistic missiles is largely an administrative history, it is also the story of the herculean efforts of several key individuals. The effort could not have succeeded as it did without the fortuitous appearance on the scene of Trevor Gardner, Gen. Bernard A. Schriever, and Dr. John von Neumann. How these men conceptualized, promoted, and directed the program forms the basis of the story.Part 2:Inside the Cold War - A Cold Warrior's Reflections (ICBM Excerpt) - ICBM combat crew alert was yet another dimension of Cold Warrior dedication and performance. Though the concept of missiles was entirely new to SAC veterans, they adapted quickly to the ICBM weapon systems. Snark, Bomarc, Thor, Atlas, Titan, and Minuteman came into SAC operations as smoothly as new aircraft systems had come in over the years.The United States Air Force and the Culture of Innovation, 1945-1965 (ICBM Excerpt) - Missiles, and particularly ballistic missiles, were disruptive to the Air Force's culture, operations, and organization in several important ways. First, and most obvious, missiles had no pilots so they relegated humans simply to getting the missile somewhere within range of the target and then pushing a button.An Examination of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Development Within the United States from 1952 to 1965 - Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) development by the United States from 1952 through 1965 is marked by extreme urgency. The initial impetus for the development did not proceed within military channels; this paper explores possible reasons why the military channels were not the originator of the program.The Missile Plains: Frontline of America's Cold War - The story of the Minuteman missile program is a Cold War tale. Journalist Walter Lippmann's 1947 book, The Cold War, first used and popularized the term "cold war" to refer to the post-World War II confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union.Part 3:To Defend and Deter: The Legacy of the United States Cold War Missile Program - The so-called strategic missiles, which included intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and air-breathing strategic missiles (the predecessors of today's cruise missiles), were deterrent systems. In conjunction with the bombers of the Air Force's Strategic Air Command (SAC), the deterrent systems were intended to discourage an aggressor from attacking.

Encyclopedia of American Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and Cold War Missile Weapons: Development and Operation of Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, Peacekeeper, Official Histories - Part 1 Of 3

Encyclopedia of American Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and Cold War Missile Weapons: Development and Operation of Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, Peacekeeper, Official Histories - Part 1 Of 3 PDF Author: Department of Defense (DoD)
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781549666407
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 624

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Book Description
Eight official histories provide the complete story of America's ICBM forces in this compilation, divided into three parts because of its enormous size:Part 1: ICBM and Missile Summary (Space Primer) * On Alert: An Operational History of the United States Air Force Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Program, 1945-2011 * The Development of Ballistic Missiles in the United States Air Force 1945-1960Part 2: Inside the Cold War - A Cold Warrior's Reflections (ICBM Excerpt) * The United States Air Force and the Culture of Innovation, 1945-1965 (ICBM Excerpt) * An Examination of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Development Within the United States from 1952 to 1965 * The Missile Plains: Frontline of America's Cold WarPart 3: To Defend and Deter: The Legacy of the United States Cold War Missile Program.Part 1:ICBM and Missile Summary (Space Primer Excerpt) - concise historical overview of the ICBM program.On Alert: An Operational History of the United States Air Force Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Program, 1945-2011 - a fascinating look at a period in our nation's history that is too often overlooked. The vital role the ICBM played in keeping the peace in the Cold War era is increasingly less understood by our populace. The careful documentation of the past and present contribution of the ICBM force to global deterrence will ensure the lessons of this period are not forgotten.The Development of Ballistic Missiles in the United States Air Force 1945-1960 - Although the development of ballistic missiles is largely an administrative history, it is also the story of the herculean efforts of several key individuals. The effort could not have succeeded as it did without the fortuitous appearance on the scene of Trevor Gardner, Gen. Bernard A. Schriever, and Dr. John von Neumann. How these men conceptualized, promoted, and directed the program forms the basis of the story.Part 2:Inside the Cold War - A Cold Warrior's Reflections (ICBM Excerpt) - ICBM combat crew alert was yet another dimension of Cold Warrior dedication and performance. Though the concept of missiles was entirely new to SAC veterans, they adapted quickly to the ICBM weapon systems. Snark, Bomarc, Thor, Atlas, Titan, and Minuteman came into SAC operations as smoothly as new aircraft systems had come in over the years.The United States Air Force and the Culture of Innovation, 1945-1965 (ICBM Excerpt) - Missiles, and particularly ballistic missiles, were disruptive to the Air Force's culture, operations, and organization in several important ways. First, and most obvious, missiles had no pilots so they relegated humans simply to getting the missile somewhere within range of the target and then pushing a button.An Examination of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Development Within the United States from 1952 to 1965 - Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) development by the United States from 1952 through 1965 is marked by extreme urgency. The initial impetus for the development did not proceed within military channels; this paper explores possible reasons why the military channels were not the originator of the program.The Missile Plains: Frontline of America's Cold War - The story of the Minuteman missile program is a Cold War tale. Journalist Walter Lippmann's 1947 book, The Cold War, first used and popularized the term "cold war" to refer to the post-World War II confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union.Part 3:To Defend and Deter: The Legacy of the United States Cold War Missile Program - The so-called strategic missiles, which included intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and air-breathing strategic missiles (the predecessors of today's cruise missiles), were deterrent systems. In conjunction with the bombers of the Air Force's Strategic Air Command (SAC), the deterrent systems were intended to discourage an aggressor from attacking.

Seize the High Ground

Seize the High Ground PDF Author: James A. Walker
Publisher: Government Printing Office
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 380

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Book Description
"[Seize the high ground is a] narrative history of the Army's aerospace experience from the 1950s to the present. The focus is on ballistic missile defense, from the early NIKE-HERCULES missile program through the SAFEGUARD acquisition site allowed by the 1972 ABM Treaty to the more advanced 'Star Wars' concepts studies toward the end of the century. [What is] covered is not only the technological response to the threat but the organizational and tactical development of the commands and units responsible for the defense mission"--CMH website.

Great Plains

Great Plains PDF Author: Ian Frazier
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 1466828889
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 320

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Book Description
National Bestseller Most travelers only fly over the Great Plains--but Ian Frazier, ever the intrepid and wide-eyed wanderer, is not your average traveler. A hilarious and fascinating look at the great middle of our nation. With his unique blend of intrepidity, tongue-in-cheek humor, and wide-eyed wonder, Ian Frazier takes us on a journey of more than 25,000 miles up and down and across the vast and myth-inspiring Great Plains. A travelogue, a work of scholarship, and a western adventure, Great Plains takes us from the site of Sitting Bull's cabin, to an abandoned house once terrorized by Bonnie and Clyde, to the scene of the murders chronicled in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. It is an expedition that reveals the heart of the American West.

Nuclear Heartland Revised Edition

Nuclear Heartland Revised Edition PDF Author: John LaForge
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780942046038
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
A visitor's guide to the death-dealing missiles that lurk under concrete slabs on the Great Plains, 450 intercontinental ballistic missiles with deadly thermonuclear payloads.