Titan Missile Museum - Arizona, USA
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- Опубліковано 16 жов 2014
- Shot during my visit (27th March 2010)
EDIT: March 2016 I thought this was the last generation of Silo Based ICBM in the United States but I was in error.
Website www.titanmissilemuseum.org/
The Titan Missile Museum is located approximately 25 miles south of Tucson, Arizona, at 1580 W. Duval Mine Rd., Sahuarita, Arizona (25 minutes from downtown Tucson).
Damn, that guide was fantastic.
They should install stereo amplifiers and subwoofers in the tunnels, then play a launch sounding 'rumble' when the keys are turned. Then say something like 'Uh-oh, that missile was supposed to be inert'.
😂
Pure gold right there.
Yeah !! This remember to me a submarine docked in genova as a museum. When you enter the sub all the controls are on and you ear sounds of the crew and machine coming around you. A lot better than a dark death boat
Heart attacks and nervous breakdowns would intensify
@@kinghans6266 Yah, the civil suits would override anything funny.
This guy is one of the best presenters I've ever seen... ABSOLUTELY outstanding the knowledge, the inflection in his voice and the delivery. This guy is a PRO. Underpaid for his talents I assure you.
yes maby so but what he tells you is not true because this instalation is still fully operational with ready to go nuclear missiles all they try to do is give you a falls feeling of savety
How do you know what he makes?
@@csengo70 LOL! funny but you are right! (I would assume as a tour guide he probably doesn't make too much but then again, I said this 3 years ago and can't exactly rmember it very well.
I was a MFT in the 373 SMS LRAFB in the mid-70's. One of the first things new guys were taught was how to override the blast door scheme. We could easily have all the doors opened at once. There were times when it just made things easier to have 2 of them open. It was a pain in the ass to do it by the book.
Here's something I can still hear as clearly as ever. "Skybird, skybird, this is SAC Airborne Command. Acknowledge now!"
I can't help myself now. We would lose power often in Arkansas. When I was soundly asleep when the power would go out, the entire complex wound down in the noise. . There was a constant hum that you became accustomed to but when it stopped everyone instantly woke up. I'd lie there in bed counting, waiting for the diesel engine to kick in. I always had to then inspect it to ensure it was running correctly. It was loud. So loud, I have a hearing disability because of it.
We'd sleep on level 2 in the big chairs we had by the stairs. My BMAT made a contraption that would allow us to pull on a string to press the acknowledge button when SAC would radio us to maker sure we were awake.
The best part of the job is we would get boxes of books every month from the Book of the Month club. You gotta be old to know what that was but it saved my sanity. I read a lot. After doing the DSV and any professional training, there was nothing else to do. We'd have 20-21 hours a tour with nothing to do so I read and slept.
One of the good things about the job was we'd get 3 and sometimes 4 days off at a time. In the Air Force you could go anywhere you wanted if you didn't have to work. We only had to inform our squadron if we were going further than 100 miles. I spent a lot of time in Greers Ferry/Heber Springs with my friends. That was fun, it made it all worthwhile.
One more thing. The BMAT was known as Brooms, Mops and Trash. The MFT was called Motherf$%^ing Turkey. The officers were called PITAs.
That was a bit of bull about the targeting. We knew that every Titan was aimed at the Soviet Union. We didn't know if it would be a hard or soft target (military or city), but we damn well knew that a lot of people would die. It didn't matter if it was Moscow or a site in Siberia, that bird was going to fly. Maybe some of the older officers might have had some qualms about it, but that's why most of them were only in their 20's. Us enlisted men were young, I was 18 when I arrived, and we were ready to do our job. You have to keep this in mind...we were told repeatedly that the US would not launch a first strike, that we would only retaliate. I believed that at 18. Therefore, if we got the order to launch, I damn well wanted to do it because I believed the Soviets were going to kill my people so I wanted to get them as well. We also knew that every missile complex was targeted and that we had about 30 minutes to get the bird out before we were killed. I would have launched that sucker in a heartbeat.
All in all, it was the most boring thing I've ever done in my life.
That's both most enlightening and honest. While I knew that the Cold War defence system existed, the reality as shown here was a mystery. And sixty years later, we're all still scared that the Russians will initiate an attack.....
Thank you for being part of the team that kept us safe.
hats off for this first hand, historic account.
This man loves his job waaaaaay to much. God bless him.
Some of the tour guides aren't that great. Our topside guide was a pure example of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" from back in the 80's. She ruined the topside tour for me, a former Titan II crewmember.
What’s the point in a job you don’t enjoy?
If it makes you happy then thats all that matters. Quit bitching
This guy is one of the best ICBM launch facility tour guides I've ever seen. You want someone with considerable technical knowledge of the subject matter serving in that role. It is doubly nice if the person is also enthusiastic about presenting the information. Some other guides I've seen have been awful, presenting tons of incorrect information and seeming disinterested in the subject material and their audience.
Excellent guide!
The man is a National treasure!!
Who could take his place?
@Jerry C No body likes a smart ass jerry
@@joegaskill8742 well clearly that's not true
He is probably a retired Missileier himself.
No doubt a former crew member in the Titan II system. I served in the Minuteman ICBM system for 20 years including 4 on a launch crew. Even at age 80 today, I could recite the name and purpose of each piece of equipment and give a similar tour. It was something that was just ingrained in you during training. Strategic Air Command was noted for demanding (and receiving) perfection in all things related to nuclear weapons from maintenance to operations of those systems. It is still that way today.
@@joegaskill8742 Jerry is right Joe. He sounds like he was there too at one time.
I took this tour, probably 16 years ago... I was a kid back then, and I'll never forget the tour guide asking me, as a 12 year old kid, to move that 6000lb blast door
Prima. Feuer. :*)
Was it this same guide? Just curious
Back in the 90s the tour was given by some of the crew members who actually ran the base during it's last few years of operation 1980's. Only the Museum director is the only one left who was a missileer at the base in 1980.
Wow, this guy is awesome. What I also like is that he’s totally honest. He’s not making any judgements, just showing historical artefacts that were and still are part of the life of every human being on this planet. I’m a baby boomer and was born during the very real Cold War
iv been waiting my whole life for this moment.
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OK, BOOMER!!!!!!!
This guide guy is a real professional! I started to love him just like my grandfather!
This guide could tell me about anything and I'd listen. Knowledgeable, presentable, personable. Love it!
I have no idea who this gentleman is, but I'm thankful for his tour and what it represents. And, he's old school - he shows everybody respect. That's pretty cool. Thank you sir!
That dude is one hell of a good tour guide! I'd hire him...
I took the tour from 1981 until 1987. 308th strategic missile wing Little Rock AFB. Over 400 tours underground. This brought back many memories.
It's all "wow this is cool" until he explains things in the last 3 minutes. A 3 mile wide, 27 million degree fireball (that would extend lethal damage way beyond the 3 miles); a crew, not knowing what really happened and then having to either die in the hole or come out of it to "see what, if anything was left". I remember living in Northern California as a kid and we practiced two types of drills in school: Earthquake and nuclear attack. I made circles around the air force bases near our home one day when I was older and came to the conclusion that all three blast circles from an enemy nuclear strike formed a union right over our home. That is a sobering realization my friends.
Was just at the missile site a month ago Live in Phoenix for 33 years never went down there till now. They said it would wipe out 900 square miles the largest single thermo-nuclear warhead ever deployed by the US 9 Megatons. They sell some computer boards left over as spare parts in the gift shop from the guidance computer. Overall I was surprised how small the thing was when you see it in person. The pictures of the officers who are in charge look so young I'm in my 50's they look like they are 15 years old amazing so much responsibility placed in such a young person.
Makes me miss my days in the Air Force Security Police, working with the 381st Security Police Squadron, McConnell AFB, KS. One of the three Titan II wings. Spend time living in a silo with the missile crews. Memories I have not forgotten in 40 years nor will if I last another 40 years. I'm 65 now.
Phenomenal presentation by Mr. Jim Shultz!
After one year of tech school in TX, I was assigned as a Titan-II ICBM BMAT in the 532nd and 533rd SMSs of the 381st SMW McConnell AFB, Wichita KS from '63 to '70.
Shortly after reporting to the 381st, our first of 18 birds was certified operational.
A monumental day for SAC and the 8th Airforce.
Shortly after, birds at Little Rock and Davis Montha AFBs became operational one by one till all 54 held Ready Status.
Fond memories as "Pease Was Our Profession" and Readiness was our Strength.
FWIW: Those trailers and other mobile equipments were only on site during maintenance operations. Normally, top side was barren.
Also, the 6 Digit ButterFly Controler and New Airborne Guidance System were added after I left the AF in '70.
Hello fellow missile brother. I was in Minuteman for 20 years but inspected all of the Titan II sites when serving with the SAC IG. Impressive system.
@@billn9910 Thank you for your service Bill.
Were you a member of the SAC or 8th AF ORI Teams? Boy Oh boy did they keep us honest. They had more ways of Busting a Launch Crew than Carter had Little Liver Pills. But that was their job which was to keep us at the top of our jobs.
That was the direct product of Gen Curt LeMay. He was a hard one but his focus on Excellence in Job Performance made SAC what it was and you were one of his Instruments.
My 6 years in SAC molded me for life and I suspect you may have been a part of that.
What was the use of the lot 10-digit numbers on the MCCC console that were above the target select switches (with the key above it)? Also, what was the procedure like if the key turn didn't work? What was the alternate launch method? It was in book dash 121-something, I believe.
@@JamieVegas
Jamie, those added Safing/Security mods were implemented after my discharge in Feb '70. Even though I'm somewhat familiar with them, I can't answer that part of your question.
As to the other part of your question, after 1970, SAC implemented an extensive Trouble Shooting Process, along with a Kit of Parts and Jumper Wires, that addressed most Launch Critical Components, how to Bypass/Correct faults and determine if assistance was required from the Maintenance Squadron, which was 35 to 50 miles away. That program greatly increased the probable Launch Success Rate of the weapon system and was needed as the System was aging.
It seems that some of the Relays and Motor Driven Switches (MDSs) were being Worn Out by our Scheduled Testing. During a Test Launch Sequence, special Bypass Relays/MDSs prevented Critical Signals from reaching the Missile. After I left, it was determined that these Bypass Relays/MDSs were a probable High Source of Failure.
As a Launch Crew BMAT (Ballistic Missile Analysis Technician), Fault Analysis and Correction was my primary function. I did not have the benefit of the newly implemented Trouble Shooting Process but I attended a one year Tech School for that function before assignment to the 381st SMW.
@@rjinnh3933 Thanks for the reply! I asked because I know that in the later generation REACT consoles, the T.O. specifies that an emergency launch can be started by taking out a certain program control drawer (the T.O. asks you to unscrew all the bolts), rotating it 180 degrees, and reinserting it. I guess there was a pre-made bypass circuit built into it that was triggered by a gravity/mercury switch. The instructions end with contacting HA, so there was more to it than that, but purposely not documented. I was just curious if anything similar was in Titan II.
These place all worked perfectly because we are still here to watch this wonderful guided tour of an unused silo given by a wonderful character! Big thanks to all of this.
Best ICBM tour video I've seen. Thanks for the upload.
Awesome guide, but video went to black at a worse moment than when the Soprano's ended.
In my early 1980's Air Force days I worked in those silos almost every day for 6 years. Thanks for the upload an memory. I felt like I was there again! I hope I can visit the museum one day. :)
Me too Mike. 20 years in Minuteman system.
@@billn9910 What was the use of the lot 10-digit numbers on the MCCC console that were above the target select switches (with the key above it)? Also, what was the procedure like if the key turn didn't work? What was the alternate launch method?
the only suggest when talking about the Silo door i have is this. get everyone to look up at wave. then tell them they more then like have had their picture Taken by another country. But be reassured that cause this door is permittivity in a half open position and the cement blocks preventing it from opening fully lets them know this is a non active silo and missile. I say this cause it would let visitor know that even in the current day Both sides are still watching each other very carefully. also have this guy do all your tours, he rock
SAC was top of the line back then. My Father was a Master Sargeant based out of Davis - Monthan AFB. He installed and worked on the Minute Man and Titan II systems from the mid 50's to around 1970. These were massive projects involving the top Aerospace Companies. He spent a few days in " the hole waiting to launch " after President Kennedy was killed, anticipating an attack. Let's hope we never see a revitalization of unbelievably powerful destructive weapons.
These vieos tours are amazing. brings back many memories for myself, for over 3 years there in Tucson i was a member of the 390th MIMS squardan. missile facilitirs techntian. did all the maintanace above ground, control center and silo. it was a great job to have, it was a honor and privlage to serve my county for four years. i wad honorably discharged in late 1979 as a sargent. go SAC. victory thru deteriance thru peace.
I was the MFT not crew member but the maintance guy....
Impressive planning and engineering that went into these systems, with their triple and quadruple redundancies, not just for mechanical systems but for human beings as well.
We need more tour guides like this.
My Grandpa worked in this exact Silo during the vietnam war! He has some crazy storys.
This tour was much more informative than when we took the tour in ‘98. I don’t even remember 1/2 that stuff being topside
what an awesome guide
Yes, he really knows his stuff.
He knows his script! I'm impressed, wonder how long he's been doing it
This is on my bucket list!
What a terrific tour guide! Superb.
In reality all the other sites are very plain to see since they left the access roads and fuel/oxidizer pads intact.
Just imagine, that huge silo door at 740 tons. In the Damascus incident, that thing was blown over 200 feet into the air because of the exploding fuel from both stages. That's power!
That tour guide is as serious as nuclear war. Sounds like he has never taken shit from no one.
I grew up in Roswell,NM where we had 12 Atlas missile silos. This is absolutly amazing to see!!!! Thanks
What an amazing guide - he really brought that final launch sequence alive. Fascinating and grim listening. Astounding job.
Thanks for posting. I can't wait to visit. An incredible piece of history. it will be hard to describe to my kids how eerie that facility is, and what it's existence meant.
Bone chilling documentary. Nice camera work. Camera was steady and audio was clear. Appreciate the efforts. Superbly explained by guide. This is one of the places to visit in my bucket list now.
Thank you very much for uploading this part of history!
Those with no military training think he is too serious . Not at all. I worked as a nuclear weapons specialist in the Air Force . When on duty you could never be serious enough for the job. They command a weapon with the power to kill millions in a flash. I never worked within the launch command. I moved from silo to silo. In charge of the maintenance of the different types of weapons. Now days it may seem like overkill! Not even close. Vary happy to know most of that that no longer hangs over our heads !
Thanks for showing the entire tour, including walking between each location.
PS, nice job on your camera work and audio. Video was held steady, had good angles including respecting other visitor's privacy by not directly pointing at other visitors, showing both the tour guide as well as items he was talking about. One minor suggestion, if you do more of this type of tour outdoors, see if you can use some sort of microphone sock to reduce wind noise. Not sure if that is reasonable or not, but hey... like I said you did a great job capturing this tour... so audio during wind is the only thing that you could improve going forward.
I've been reading the Eric Schlosser book Command and Control. This was a great video giving some great visual connection to the content of that book.
I doubt many people realize how close we came to having a 9 megaton explosion in our back yard in 1980. If you haven't read that book, it's a MUST READ. It's highly entertaining, written more like a Tom Clancy novel than non-fiction. You catch yourself gasping as you read some sections when you realize you are reading a factual account of history. If there is ever a nuclear attack, pray you are vaporized in the initial blast. Dying of radiation exposure related problems is the most horrific way to die imaginable. What is most frightening about that book is realizing how many tens of thousands of nuclear weapons were built and still exist today.
Scott Russell thats such a great book! I loved reading every page of it.
We may have had a explosion but it would not have been nuclear or anything near 9 megatons unless it was landing on a target. There were many many safety devices on the weapon that had to be met in the arming sequence. Accidents would have only produced a something like a dynamite explosion. A nuclear weapon was accidentally dropped 50 feet off the top of a Minuteman missile in a South Dakota silo . No explosion and only breakup of the warhead with no contamination. The warhead in the Damascus,Arkansas Titan silo explosion did not detonate or spread any nuclear contamination. So please do not spread stories like you just mentioned as they are far from the truth.
My reply was shortened. To continue - A nuclear explosion would be nearly impossible because of the safety features. A warhead dropped 50 feet off a Minuteman missile in a South Dakota silo with NO explosion and only damage to the warhead but no leakage of anything. The Titan silo explosion in Damascus, Arkansas did not result in any nuclear detonation or any nuclear contamination at all. The missile itself blew up because the fuels got mixed when the missile was damaged but the warhead was blown quite a ways from the silo but never detonated at all. So please don't spread such stories unless you have the facts.
@@billn9910 Wow getting a little defensive. Recommend you read the book. Its a good one!
Bill N I’m glad I’m not the only one that know this. I was a nuclear weapons specialist in the Air Force, 1967-71. There is a lot of misinformation about nuclear weapons!
What you see here is a Fiebinger developed underground ICBM silo, the first very similar one was built in Nazi Germany during late 1944 by MAKO near Arnstadt where the Germans started a large Skoda V101 (V4) 3 stage solid fuel rocket sucessfully from such a silo called Polte 2. (16.03.1945) Unarmed test flight went from Arnstadt to North Polar region radio guided.
You think he might have been a missile officer in his previous career? Extremely knowledgeable!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
You can tell pops loves his job. He checks every day that that 1/4'' door is still in speck. Great guide.
They put more thought and effort into launching a nuke and I can’t even make a good plan for the next 30 years of my life.
My best friend and I visited the museum in summer 1987. Still have the pictures and one taken of the missile itself in a 12 x 10 frame on my wall. The tour was very much the same. Made the cold war so real to us. Bob Dylan's song Senior Tales of Yankee Power seem to have captured the moment we shared looking at Armageddon. Contrary to popular myth there was no fail safe after the missile cleared the blast door. The tour guide told us that if we could blow up the missile after launch so could the USSR. The only hope was to close the blast door on the missile after ignition if the thing were called off. Very sobering. Tim and I brought up the subject of the Little Rock Arkansas incident. Most people were unaware of what happened then. It was a very good system that eventually brought the Russians to the bargaining table.
Thanks for sharing the great tour!
Excellent guide, would love to see this in person.
This guy is awesome at this job, just watching the video was fun and informative .
Thanks for uploading this!
The Titan II missile silo museum shown is actually in Green Valley. My brother & I have a UA-cam channel where we have found one of the decommisioned silo's and filmed the site. There were 18 silo's around Tucson stretching east to St. David ( recently sold privatly) Amazing tour of a piece of America's defense program.
Fantastic video, what a great speaker, really interesting. Wish the rest of it was on here...
I grew up in Tucson, but didn't get around to seeing this until past fifty. It was a very cool tour.
For anyone who would think that those keys would never get turned or turned because the crew was nuts, the Air Force routinely screened the personnel to make sure they were physiologically capable. The officers and crew were VERY stable individuals and incredibly disciplined. They would turn the key and thank goodness they never had to.
I think you meant "psychologically".
@@robertromero8692 auto correct is a bitch. grin and shrugs.
And then to find out, if the order to launch was not followed, the missiles could be launched anyway, from the airborne command.
This man have a style of explain things that is a monument
Outstanding communicator.
Thanks for going to the trouble of sharing this.
I'd love to take this tour (WITH this guy - he's top notch!). I think the tour would have special relevance for us old coots who grew up in the Cold War. D.A., NYC (b. 1971)
Shout out to the tour guide! An American treasure!
Well done ! Was in the 390 th , 77-81 , Rocket Fuel Systems . Thanks for the video to show the kids .
Really want to go see this. They offer an overnight experience! I'll probably go to the Minuteman site in North (or South) Dakota first though as it's closer. Thanks for the great video of the tour!
Good luck at the SD site. You need to book about 2 years in advance for the LCC tour.
This man really loves what he does
Love this place. I've been visiting the Titan II Nuclear Museum since 1986.
He’s overly intense talking about a subject that damn well ought to be conveyed as overly intense. Fantastic and riveting storyteller
You know I Love how he says it’s made of “two types of material” and smile
Fantastic video thanks so much for sharing, really well filmed! Love the guide he sounds ex military and presents well, very interesting.
This is brilliant thank you so much it's just like I'm there with you all
Excellent presentation!
I'm reading Eric Schlossers "command and control" bout the Titan and other nuclear deterent work..
This youtube really puts a good visual on the books stories, really complimentary
I really like the way he did his presentation. He was quite thorough. I don't know if the video was edited or not but I know when I was there they played the radio call and shown the sequence I'm getting into the safe checking the codes and inserting the key. They say they normally had younger guys turning the key because they wouldn't think about it but even though it might age knowing that the orders came from the president I would turn the keys still today
Most military are young people in their 20's officers who run these silos probably in their 20's. One thing I was kind of surprised about was I asked if they ever test fired the missile they told me that only done at Vandenberg AFB in California when they do it they have Russian maybe Chinese observers verify the missile is not armed. They notify Russian defense system exactly what is going on. The entire thing is crazy IMO we worry about global warming they need to get rid of these weapons completely.
Wow. If ever there I will put this tour on my schedule.
Patton of the Titian missile ! We salute you sir !
Fascinating tour 👍🏼👍🏼
An interesting tour. The only winning move is not to play.
Great presentation!
This tour guide loves his job. Thanks for the information. Great job. Swamp cooler cooled missile? High humidity.
The swamp cooler was added when the site was converted into a museum.
This tour guide has some high-level full metal jacket clearance and knows some sh*t.
Excellent guide...
Not all of the titan II missile silos were imploded. Some still are standing today. They are not in the best of condition but some people still explore them.
I would love to visit and go on the tour
Had things gone just a little differently I would have been assigned here in the 70s.
With the Air Force Security Police,
As it was I only got there in 2013.
But it was well worth the trip.
I actually knew people who worked on the building of the silos as civilian construction workers.
Fun stories they told.
WHERE IS THIS? (I looked it up - Sahuarita, Arizona) - I would like to suggest adding that to the video title or at least the description.
Man them silos look like a great place to catch up on some sleep.
thank god these missles never had to be used
Great video but is there more. Seemed to end rather suddenly. Did they show the missile silo from inside? Titan II is an impressive system. Titan I was a lot larger (3 missiles in individual silos) but was not nearly as reliable - had to be raised to fire and that was a big problem.
Just noticed this video is nearly 10 years old. Wonder if that old missileer is still giving this tour.
Gonna visit this museum
Basically the audio of the video:
*wind blowing*
Man says a few words
*wind blowing*
Camera pans around
*wind blowing*
*wind blowing*
*wind blowing*
A lot of people say we only had 54 sites? Yet don’t understand 1 titan is equivalent to 7-10 triple tipped “three re entry vehicles” minute man 3s depending on size of warheads…….
Do these missile silos have a back up diesel generator?
Just there a month ago the console now has glass over it maybe someone pushed buttons who knows. One of the things that surprised me when I asked about test firing the missile they said only done at Vandenburg AFB in CA when they do it they have Russian observers there who verify there is no nuclear warhead. When I heard that sure convinced how insane this is.
i've spent 20 years reading about these things but I've never seen any information about how they knew this whole setup would work - each component was tested, but was there ever a full construction of everything together that was live tested?
Interesting, the Commie Stopper (25:15) at DM and LR seem to be located a lot higher up than the ones at McConnell were..
I would love to see one of these all around us opened up. I live in south central Kansas and these are scattered all around as you know!
Kool vid,need a wind noise diffuser on microphone,sounds windy!
Great video. Was there a part 2.
"We launched that one by mistake. We really didn't mean it and we won't do it again."
There are still silo based launch facilities in the United States on active alert and in operation. The Titan II missiles have all been decommissioned, and only the MX missile remains in the United States Air Force inventory.
+Tim Nelson Well yes and no . . . The missiles were a pulled from the hole per SALT peace treaties. Titan II are still the backbone rockets for space shuttle and for satellite delivery systems.
Yeah, I heard that. They launch from Vandenberg, right?
+Tim Nelson Both "Vandyland" and Cape Canaveral. Vandenberg is the only place to achieve a polar orbit from. The Space Challenger was to be shot from Vandenberg the next launch had it not met its fate.
Missile Dude
interesting, thanks for the info
+Tim Nelson By the way, I was stationed at Vandenberg the day the Challenger was lost - real moral buster.
good job. interesting. thanks for sharing.
Where's the rest? Did the battery or storage run out and there was no option to get the rest?
It was either the memory card or the battery. A few years ago and memory going :)
Incredible engineering that's for sure, It would be cool if someone made a game out of this.
"Shall we play a game?"
😉
Is that a qdp-300 computer on top of the officer control desk?
Supposed to just be a pressure readout.