Arkansas' Nuclear Past: Part 1

"A report issued by the Air Force in the 1970's estimates as many as 75 Russian nuclear missiles were pointed at targets in Arkansas," said Little Rock Air Force Base historian Chris Rumley.

But to gain an understanding of why Arkansas became such a viable target, you have to go back more than 50 years.

The launch of the soviet satellite Sputnik and its counterpart, Sputnik II, brought with it an alarming sense of fear for many Americans and started the clock on an arms race unlike any seen in human history.

"Why this was so alarming wasn't just the fact that we had a Russian satellite beaming over our heads," Rumley said. "But it was more alarming that the missile that had launched the satellite into space could also be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to the heartland of America."

A nuclear threat wasn't a new concept to Americans. The country's civil defense began preparing its people for an attack as early as 1950.

But Russia's development of a hydrogen bomb coupled with the Sputnik project of 1957 forced President Dwight Eisenhower to acknowledge the country's vulnerability to attack and the need to develop a response quickly.

The United States increased development of its missile systems throughout the 1950's with projects like Atlas, Thor and in 1959, the military's first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), Titan I.

"These missiles, especially the ICBM's, served as a deterrent to what we perceived to be the soviet union's nuclear intentions," said retired Air Force Major Vince Maes.

Named for the gods of Greek mythology, the Titan introduced the ability to strike targets from thousands of miles away. In 1963, the more powerful Titan II was introduced.

"The Russians were very afraid of it," said retired Air Force Colonel Jimmy Gray.

Gray says they were afraid of both the missile's far reaching capability and for the 9.5 megaton nuclear warhead each missile carried, the largest in the U.S. arsenal.

"It was the largest weapon ever deployed by any force in the world," Gray said. "One megaton of explosives would fill a train about 300 miles long, so multiply that by nine."

It was a heavyweight with a heavy job that soon found its way to Arkansas. In 1960, the Air Force announced plans to build 18 Titan II silos in predominantly rural locations in the state.

Other states housing silos included Kansas and Arizona, bringing the total to 54 Titan II sites.

"They picked Arkansas because of its low population and also the Titan II had a longer capability, so we could move them into the center of the United States," Rumley said.

Construction continued more than two years, even as the country found itself entrenched in Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 under President John F. Kennedy.

"Not four months later," Rumley said. "The first missile entered the silo in Searcy."

By the end of 1963, all Titan II's were active, ready for duty. But retired Major Vince Maes says training was different story.

"They were making up some of their tech data as they came in," he said. "They were trying to learn on cardboard trays. It was a primitive operation when they started and eventually developed into refined simulated trainers."

Slated for 10 years of active duty, the Titan II remained on-line for 25 years and had its share of problems related to the missiles highly toxic liquid fuel system.

"Anytime you have liquid fuel, it becomes a problem," Col. Gray said. "And it ages the system. We began to have leaks and corrosion. I was really more afraid of the fuel than the nuclear weapon."

The first accident happened Aug. 9, 1965, at the site north of Searcy in the town of Albion. A crew of civilians was working on a series of upgrades when a fire broke out in the silo. In all, 53 workers died.

The second accident occurred Sept. 18, 1980, at the 4-7 silo near Damascus. According to an Air Force report, a worker dropped a socket 70 feet into the silo. The socket punctured a hole in the missile's fuel tank.

Col. Gray was on the grounds when the silo exploded.

"I looked up and saw this huge ball of flame shooting into the air," he said.

Considered outdated and dangerous by some, President Ronald Reagan announced in 1981 that all Titan IIs would be deactivated by 1987. "It was a great nuclear deterrent," Col. Gray said. "I think it led to the end of the Cold War. It did its job."

The silos were imploded using heavy explosives, then filled with dirt and covered with concrete.

The remnants leave few reminders of a time when Arkansas played a major role in a stand-off between rival super powers, each with their finger on the button, but neither compelled to press it.

Coming up Monday on the THV Ten O'clock Difference, we'll revisit the tragic fire at the 3-4 site north of Searcy through the eyes of the one of the only men to walk out alive.