A Family of Time
McConnell AFB and the Titan II ICBM
McConnell AFB and the Titan II ICBM
In the first book mention both McConnell AFB and the Titan II ICBM. Both the base and the missile existed. McConnell AFB now has a different mission without the Titan II but is still functioning near Wichita, Kansas. The Titan II was phased out from all of its bases with the last one deactivated in 1987. All the bases which had the Titan II were required to have the launch silos except one were imploded and all entrances to the underground complexes were sealed and buried. The one intact silo now serves as a museum for the Titan II ICBM and those who served.
The launch missile portion of the Titan II helped launch astronauts into space during the Gemini missions at NASA. Instead of having a nuclear payload aboard those launches carried the two man capsule/spacecraft into orbit above the earth. Most of the missiles which were deactivated in the 1980s were later used to launch mainly satellites into orbit.
Most people today relate the Titan II to the explosion near Damascus, Arkansas. I was still active duty and was at another launch site when an oxidizer leak happened near Rock, Kansas. I still think about it and remember pulling guard duty at that complex a short time after the incident.
You can read more about the Titan II at the following websites:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGM-25C_Titan_II
titanmissilemuseum.org/about/titan-ii-history/
At entry to McConnell AFB
At McConnell AFB for the Titan II units.
Photo of a Titan II launch at Vandenburg AFB
Drawing of the Titan II ICBM launch complex
