26 MARCH Momday Titan II Missile Museum

Today we visited the Titan II missile site which is now a Museum. This is the only Titan II missile left over from the Cold War. Please bear with me while i provide a little history so hopefully the Titan II makes some sense.
After WWII the Americans and the Russians did not trust each other and each assumed, with reason , that each would try to "wipe out" the other. The USA was sure that Russia was building a hydrogen Bomb and had the rocket Engineering knowledge and ability to deliver it anywhere in North American they chose. So the USA had to built a missile that could annilate any city in Russia by traveling 6000 miles with a Warhead. Hence the game of who had the "biggest and best toy" would win. Therefore the USA built 54 Titan II missiles and installed in several location around the USA.
You probably remember the Cuba Crisis, around July in 1962 ( I join the Air Force in 1962 )when the USA determined that Kurschev had installed missiles in Cuba and Kenndy gave him 48 hours to dismantle the Missle or USA would attack.
Finally, after years of a " Cold War" between Russia and the USA , they agreed,in 1987 that this was no way to fight a war so they both agreed to destroy all Missiles including the Titan II Missile sites which they did. However, the USA was allowed to keep this one for a Museum and of course it does not have a " War Head ". These Missile sites were built in 36 Months and took 5000 men working 24 hours. They were allowed to stand down for Christmas day the 1st year but not the 2 nd year. This was an obvious race to get them built first. The Titan II warhead was 10 Megatons or put another way was 100 times more destructive then the bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan.
All that to say, that we toured the Misslie site,including the Silo which hid the Rocket and the Command launch Centre. The missle was completely underground and would have been launched in situ ( meaning it was not raised above ground ). The Command Centre ( also underground )was only 50 feet away but it would not feel any vibrations when the rocket was fired. The construction was unbelievable. This was one of the best tours we have been on and the cost of 8.50 was cheap.

After the Titan II tour we drove to Campers World in Tucson to get a trailer Brake actuator that appiles the the electric brakes on the traler when I apply the truck brakes. The one we had was getting too hard to adjust so after 13 years we figured it probably did not owe us anything.
After supper we dropped in on Karen and Bob to see if they required us to take anything home for them as they mentioned they could be overloaded. So far, they think they can get it all in the car but will check with us on Thursday.