The Arkansas Titan II Missile Silo (TMS) Series
Dedicated to those who served with the 308th Strategic Missile Wing.
This cache should be an easy find, as it has not been placed to challenge your geocaching skills, but rather to bring you to a place of historical interest.
Background
During the Cold War era, Arkansas was on the forefront of our Nation’s offense and defense as it was home to 18 Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silos. The silos were under the command of the 308th Strategic Missile Wing (SMW) at Little Rock Air Force Base (LRAFB), with the 373rd and 374th Strategic Missile Squadrons (SMSs) responsible for nine missiles each.
Each silo was actually part of a missile launch complex which consisted of the silo connected directly to an underground launch control capsule. The launch control capsule was manned continuously by a missile combat crew of two officers and two airmen.
On the surface, the Titan II launch facilities covered an area of approximately 600 feet by 600 feet. All of the launch facilities were underground. The silo was built of heavily reinforced concrete, and was 147 feet deep and 55 feet in diameter. The silo was covered with a steel and concrete door that weighed 740 tons and could be opened in 17 to 20 seconds.
The silo was connected to the missile launch control center by a 250-foot long access tunnel. The launch control center was a dome-shaped reinforced concrete structure 37 feet in diameter and containing three levels. The control center provided space for all of the launch control and communications equipment, as well as a mess and sleeping quarters for the 4-person combat crew.
Each Titan II missile was capable of being launched within one minute and could reach its target 5,500 miles away in 30 to 35 minutes. Each Titan II missile carried a 9-megaton nuclear warhead. For comparison, this warhead was approximately 600 times more powerful than the first atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War II.
On September 24, 1981, the Reagan administration announced plans to retire the Titan II program, citing concerns about safety, a need for cost efficiency, and an evolving nuclear strategy focusing on more modern and precise weapons systems. All of the Arkansas missile silos were destroyed during the late 1980’s and the 308th SMW was formally deactivated on August 18, 1987, ending more than twenty-five years of service.
The History of This Location
Welcome to Titan II Missile Silo Site 373-4, located near the community of Albion. It was one of the nine missile silos operated by the 373th SMS, which was active from April 1st 1962 until August 18th 1987. This site was the first one in Arkansas to have construction started and also the first one in the state to go on active duty ("strategic alert"). Key milestones for this specific site were:
- Construction started: January 3, 1961
- Construction completed: July 31, 1962
- Site placed on alert (activated): May 16, 1963
- Site taken off alert (deactivated): February 18, 1987
When you arrive at the posted coordinates, you will be standing on the old roadway to the abandoned missile site. The actual site is located on private land approximately 0.25 mile southeast of the cache location. (See photo below.)
On August 9, 1965, an accident occurred at this silo while it was undergoing modification. 53 civilian contract workers were killed in the fire and resulting toxic fumes that rushed through the complex, making it the deadliest accident in all 54 U.S. Titan II launch facilities over approximately 25 years of active service. The accident occurred when a welding rod accidentally struck a flexible high pressure line containing flammable hydraulic fluid, causing it to rupture. The nuclear warhead had been removed from the missile during the modification activities, so it was not affected nor was there a chance of it exploding. Furthermore, the Titan II missile still loaded in its launch silo was not damaged by the accident.
Work did not resume at the site until December 1, 1965. On September 8, 1966, 13 months after the fire, operational control of the launch complex was returned to the 308th SMW, and on September 29th it was returned to alert status.
About 0.35 mile west of this cache is a monument in memory of the 53 accident victims. You passed right by it on your way to this location. There is also a geocache hidden there (GCKEWC). If you did not stop there on your way to this cache, I recommend you do so your way out.
A memorial to the 53 victims of this accident may also be found at the Jacksonville Museum of Military History.
The Cache
You will be searching for a baby soda bottle. You do not have to cross any fences or gates to find the cache. Please replace it exactly as you found it so that it remains hidden from muggles and so that other geocachers may have as much fun as you in finding the cache!
Don't forget to get the clue for the bonus cache GC74PJR!
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