[willie_pete]

40 Years ago today started the beginning of the Broken Arrow accident at Damascus AR involving the on-alert Titan II missile at site 4-7. I had pulled a few alerts at this site. The subject of the PBS film " Command and Control ".



One person was killed and 21 people were injured. I knew Dave and a lot of the people injured.The 9 MT warhead was blown out of the silo.


There is a 9 MT hydrogen bomb in this picture. See if you can find it.

RIP, Sgt. David Livingston.

 

[Falling Crow]

My sons scout troop camped in an old Titan II silo near this site this last weekend and watched "Command and Control." It was pretty cool!

 

[willie_pete]

My sons scout troop camped in an old Titan II silo near this site this last weekend and watched "Command and Control." It was pretty cool!

Which one ? I only had heard about the 3-9 site being renovated; is there another one ?

 

[Falling Crow]

Which one ? I only had heard about the 3-9 site being renovated; is there another one ?

It was 3-9. The owner told us over near Searcy there is another one that has just recently been excavated/opened but is not anywhere near ready for visitors/tours. The owner of 3-9 is making part of the crew quarters there into an "Air B&B" which will be available soon!

Another fun fact-the launch console, etc. on display at the Jacksonville Military Museum is the actual console from site 3-9!

 

[M&P15T]

There is a 9 MT hydrogen bomb in this picture. See if you can find it.

 

[BOOSTED12A]

I thought it happened in the 80s?

 

[cbetts1]

My sons scout troop camped in an old Titan II silo near this site this last weekend and watched "Command and Control." It was pretty cool!

September 18–19, 1980,

 

[cbetts1]

I think the US and other countries with nukes have been very lucky.
We were very lucky that day.

 

[BOOSTED12A]

So this is the 20th 20 year anniversary?

 

[willie_pete]

I thought it happened in the 80s?

Yeah, I don't know WTF happened between my brain and the keyboard.

:crazy:

 

[willie_pete]

It was 3-9. The owner told us over near Searcy there is another one that has just recently been excavated/opened but is not anywhere near ready for visitors/tours. The owner of 3-9 is making part of the crew quarters there into an "Air B&B" which will be available soon!

Another fun fact-the launch console, etc. on display at the Jacksonville Military Museum is the actual console from site 3-9!

3-9 was my home site until I upgraded to the ACP @ 3-8. I spent a lot of hours slaving over the console.

 

[Falling Crow]

3-9 was my home site until I upgraded to the ACP @ 3-8. I spent a lot of hours slaving over the console.

WOW!!! Our scouts slept in Level 3-I slept in the decontamination room to get a 6000 pound door between me and the noise. Then I found out I was about where Livingston was when the Damascus explosion occurred....brought it home a little bit.

He also let us go out the escape tunnel-could not imagine Kennedy doing that in the dark!

 

[BOOSTED12A]

Yeah, I don't know WTF happened between my brain and the keyboard.

:crazy:

Must be the heat down there

 

[Finestkind]

Is this close to hwy 65?

finestkind

 

[mtidaflash]

Is this close to hwy 65?

finestkind

Yes, just off Hwy 65. I was only a few miles away when this happened in 1980.

 

[willie_pete]

WOW!!! Our scouts slept in Level 3-I slept in the decontamination room to get a 6000 pound door between me and the noise. Then I found out I was about where Livingston was when the Damascus explosion occurred....brought it home a little bit.

He also let us go out the escape tunnel-could not imagine Kennedy doing that in the dark!

:alex:

Oh Hell, I would not even do that in daylight.


" Things " lived in that escape tunnel.

 

[willie_pete]

View attachment 832164

Yeah, that's it. That road was the entrance to the site. People had been walking past it all morning not knowing what it was. Finally one guy walked by and basically said,

" Wait, WHAT ? "

It had been stripped of the RV as it went through the 750 ton concrete/steel door. Turns out it never would have yielded since the electronics were cleaned off and the firing capacitors would have never charged.

RV

W-53

 

[Falling Crow]

:alex:

Oh Hell, I would not even

" Things " lived in that escape tunnel.

Here is my son climbing out...

 

[Scamp57]

I remember this well. At least we recovered the warhead.
Here is 8 nukes we lost...
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/17483/8-nuclear-weapons-us-has-lost

 

[Rellik]

Willie, how long can a liquid rocket stay "ready" before having to go off alert for service?

And how about soviet rockets, if you know?