Reflect on the Cold War Era at Minuteman Missile

Reflect on the Cold War Era at Minuteman Missile

by Molly Barari

Imagine taking a drive from Belle Fourche down to Belvidere, weaving your way through the beautiful Black Hills and passed the striking Badlands. Then picture this: The Minuteman Missile system stretched across that entire landscape during the Cold War with 150 missiles placed along the terrain, hidden in plain sight but kept on constant alert. The South Dakota system was part of an arsenal of 1,000 total missiles.

The missile system was developed, operated and maintained as a nuclear deterrent in hopes that Russia would not fire first. Now the Minuteman Missile Site is part of the national park system, serving as a historic site to preserve the story and culture of the Cold War era.

“It’s a story of vigilance — a question of how do we as a nation protect ourselves?” said Eric Leonard, superintendent of Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. “For Baby Boomers, this is the story of their childhood and early adulthood. That fear of nuclear war was a constant presence during their lives. I graduated from high school in 1991, and there was still an element of fear underlying everything. It goes back to what these weapons are: tremendously destructive. They can erase a city off the face of the earth. One of the ironies of the park is that nuclear missiles have not really gone away.”

The Minuteman Missile Site celebrates its 20th anniversary as a national park this fall. “How do you tell the story of a dispersed missile system?” asked Leonard. “Well, you have to visit three different places to get the whole story.”

The site spans a 15-mile stretch of highway. Visitors can view an actual Minuteman missile at the missile silo, which is free and open daily year round. The control center can be seen from behind the gate year round; but to ride the elevator underground into the control center, visitors must make reservations for ranger-led tours. The visitor center, located off I-90 at the gateway of the Badlands, is free and open daily year round. Leonard encourages people to visit all three sites, and for those who wish to see the control center, to purchase tickets by May for the summer season.

Leonard said the Minuteman Missile Historic Site is unique because it goes from the mundane to the extraordinary quickly. “When visitors drive up to the control center, it’s basically a ranch-style house inside a fenced gate with weird antennas. But if you do the tour, you get to go through the compound. The top side of it was used for personnel, and then you get into the elevator — which was designed to hold two air force officers — and go 30 feet underground to the control center where the officers had direct control over 10 nuclear missiles and a squadron of 50.” The control center is shaped like a submarine, and space is limited inside its chambers, which is why reservations are required.

The Delta-09 missile silo is located six miles east of Wall. “Anyone can walk up and look down to see what was once the gateway to Armageddon — a missile pointing right up at you,” said Leonard. “This immense technological power was buried at the ready.”

Leonard said it’s important for younger generations to understand the dynamics of the time period surrounding the Cold War. “It’s an opportunity to talk about defense; our air force is still committed to the mission of maintaining peace and preventing nuclear war,” he said. “It’s also a way to look at the landscape differently. For permanent residents and natives of South Dakota, it was just a part of your life to have the missile fields nearby. This story connects multiple decades, because it’s not just a military story — it’s a story about culture and community.”

For more information about the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, visit www.nps.gov/mimi/.