Missile Silo Reunion [SIV356]

6/6/14: Last Friday members of the 556th Strategic Missile Squadron held a reunion at missile silo site 5 in Lewis, NY. Owner Alexander Michael is an Australian architect who goes by the moniker of "Silo Boy" and he welcomed the veterans with a BBQ and self-guided tours of the renovated underground complex. The 556ers gathered from across the country this weekend to attend the grand opening of the Plattsburgh Air Force Base Museum.

Between 1962-1965, there were 12 United States Air Force Atlas F ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) silos scattered in a protective circle around the Plattsburgh Air Force Base - 10 in NY and 2 in VT. This was the Cold War era and the U.S. was desperate to bridge the perceived "missile gap" with the USSR. With a price tag of 15-18 million per silo, they built these nuclear missile sites to withstand an atomic blast and staffed their LCCs (Launch Control Centers) with the 556th SMS. And less than 2.5 years later, the elaborate complexes were decommissioned, abandoned and eventually sold to private individuals.

Eva meets the vets who once worked long hours in these missile silos, learns some Cold War history and gets a tour of this unique site.

Music: Swale, Verdigris, "Soft Fireworks," "Space Jam"

This episode of Stuck in Vermont was made possible by Hotel Vermont and Vermont Tourism.

[dodoopps]

I commanded a Titan II launch crew with the 381SMW/532SMS at McConnell from 1979 to 1983.

It's great seeing the other systems the Air Force had.

[johnmitchell]

What a great history lesson. So many young people today have no idea what the cold war was like. My heartfelt gratitude to all who served this great country. Your sacrifice kept us safe!

[kenbarthelette]

Brings back a lot of memories. I was a Power Production Specialist which supplied power and associated systems in the missile sites. I was with Atlas F at Dyess AFB in Abilene Texas, Titan 1 at Beale AFB in California, and three years in the Mace CGM13B missile At Bitburg AFB in Germany. I spent a little over 6 years underground. Obviously not the whole time, just different shifts at different places. Training, testing, and clearances, was very intensive. No mistakes allowed. We went through alerts with our counterparts evaluating our every move through the launch sequence. We never knew when this would occur. If one member of the crew failed, the entire crew became NOR or non operational ready. I joined the USAF at age 17 and served for 8 years from 1960 to 1968. It was great hearing the stories of these fellow Missileers, and there are lots of stories. Again, thanks for this great story.
Ken

[djraved]

I spent the first 2.5 yrs of my USAF career guarding Minuteman II ICBMs, so I can appreciate the work these men and women did before me.
I was topside with a maintenance crew when we got the word Desert Shield had started so I know personally what it feels like living on the edge.
So thank you to the 556 crews. Your counterparts from the 813 MSS salute you.

[noreaster]

In depth interviews of these gentlemen is needed they are living history of a by gone era, their perspectives are more valuable than the propaganda from the era. Yes we did get that close.

[leisergeist]

Great video. The guy below me is right, these crews need more attention

[widgee]

I enjoyed the tour of the site. Thanks to all the people that worked on the video.

Thanks to Alex the owner. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

[Themix]

Great video on a very interesting topic. Must have been quiet the job...
Thanks!

[Dooley_Hickens]

My dad was in the 566th in Plattsburgh from 62 to 65. He was at the Swinton VT site.

[johnwatson]

This is great. W-38 warhead on Atlas F was 3.75 megatons but close enough – like other early ICBMs the blast power was needed as were likely to land a couple of miles from aim point- but could still destroy the urban targets they were intended for.

[jamesbotto]

I spent three years of my life here underground. From October 1962 to October 1965

[cecilstone]

Very interesting
Did I notice a higher definition in video quality..loved the camera work in this video Eva and as always the music is fantastic
Thank you