A California Titan Missile Base
By Jonathan Haeber
Looking down into the 159-foot high, 40-foot wide Silo #1 of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile base in California. Experiencing this is nothing short of religious (photo copyright Jon Haeber)
Lately, I’ve committed myself to a number of professional projects, and am in the midst of writing a few theses, so please forgive the lack of posts lately. But, I had to pull myself away from prior obligations to bring you breaking news. I recently was one of a privileged few to see the interior of a Titan 1 ICBM complex. We at Bearings have written about these governmental behemoths borne of the Cold War. But it’s worth noting that our previous entry on a Titan 1 ICBM covered the bare bones stats — the fact that they travel at 5-6 times the speed of sound, carried a 4-megaton nuclear payload, and that there were 54 such missile bases dotting the Continental U.S. (I don’t believe there were ever any in Alaska or Hawaii, but please do correct me if I’m wrong).
Missile Silo Junction on Kodak T-Max 4×5 Large Format (photo copyright Jon Haeber)
This time, I’m going to give you the experience. I’m going to tell you what it’s like to be walking in the interior of a Cold War-era, underground complex that includes over a half-mile of underground tunnels and access portals, where tanks of liquid oxygen and RP-1, Diesel, and Water Glycerol were sent through a snake-like web of pipes and apparti, from tunnel to tunnel, silo to silo (there were three for each base).On a previous trip to the Titan silo outside of Denver (this one’s in California), I was with a group. On the first trip in California, I was alone. For the sake of saving my own toosh from being sued from here to Timbuktu, I do not — under any circumstances — recommend going alone. However, if one should find oneself, in their yearning for a moment of solitude, sitting in front of a 150-foot high, 50-foot wide tube constructed to house an intercontinental ballistic missile, one should not underappreciate such a moment, a moment which few people are privileged to have.
Silo Number 1 on Kodak T-Max 4×5 Large Format (photo copyright Jon Haeber)
For those of you who wish to know what such an experience feels like let me describe, in as best a manner as I possibly could using the highly imperfect lexicon of the English language in describing an experience that ostensibly transcends words:
You walk 1,500 feet through a corrugated, quonset-hut-like tube constructed entirely of steel. Asbestos litters the ground, and steel trestles traverse the junctions and blast doors where stainless-steel walkways once resided (but were since removed). Wearing a respirator to protect your precious lungs you soon come to realize that the smell is not a factor in the experience. The few moments you are required to remove the mask due to space constraints or for photographic composition purposes, you recognize a pervasive smell akin to paint thinner, black mold, and feces all at once. Schlitz beer cans (no longer an offering in your local market) litter the sides of the tunnels — eerie reminders that people toured these tunnels over 30 years ago, much in the same manner in which you are today. When you reach the T-junction, you are faced with two choices: Straight ahead, or to the left. The left passage takes you 30 feet to the an opening that looks directly down into the dark abyss of a hardened nuclear missile silo. You peer down — your feet inches away from 16,000 cubic feet of air, enclosed in a cylinder, sealed off from the outside world, dripping water, full of VOCs, alone, quiet. If you are a soul who knows the proper way to appreciate such moments, you know that it would be an advantageous time to remove all extraneous (and foreign) influences on your senses. At such a moment, you decide to switch off your flashlight, sit on the edge of the access tunnel that leads straight into the deadly abyss with no safeguards or caution signs, and take in the moment. Surface sounds seem to seep in from the launch door despite it being closed. You hear what seems to be the echoes of ghosts, but may very well be the reverberation of passing 747s acting much like the skin of a drumhead inside of a drum.
It is a moment that I can’t say I’ve ever had in my life. It is a moment that I will probably never have again. I wondered if this was the same experience that recent recruits had over 40 years ago. What did they feel and think of the world? How did they feel about holding the fate of a Nation in their fingertips? Did they ever consider the possibility of sending the entire city of Moscow into a nuclear winter?
It’s a mere place, but it tells so much…
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December 17th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Titan 1 locations:
LARSON AFB – MOSES LAKE, WASHINGTON
BEALE AFB – MARYSVILLE, CALIFORNIA
ELLSWORTH AFB – RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA
MT. HOME AFB – MT. HOME, IDAHO
LOWRY AFB – DENVER, COLORADO
VANDENBERG AFB -LOMPOC, CALIFORNIA
Try http://www.siloworld.com as a great source for vast quantities of ICBM information.
December 17th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Wow, Jon…you did an excellent job of capturing the essence of being 50-feet underground in a dark, moist, hostile environment that very few people are able (fortunate?) to witness for themselves. It is an unmatched experience as you reveal.
One thing you didn’t mention is the wide variance in temperature depending on how close you are to an air intake / exhaust silos. This was especially noticeable on my second trip when the ambient air temperature outside was in the 40s. Photographing near the exhaust silo, I was freezing, but away from the opening where the air circulation / exchange is reduced, it was warm enough to walk around in a T-shirt comfortably.
I think you definitely made a wise choice when you decided to bring us along with you for your second trip (rather than going it alone)…for your own sake and mine too
January 4th, 2008 at 2:29 am
Glad we could help break you in on the Titans…I’m supremely jealous you have one in such pristine order. I’m hoping to be down your way sometime in February though…
March 9th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
When I was a teenager in Chico Ca. we would go out to “the silos” our abandoned titan missile base.From time to time I’ll tell people about our adventures.The silo doors were open and you could look down to the water 150′ down.Walking down the metal steps around the main elevator shaft with that musty smell that you never forget .Going through the blast doors more than a foot thick that still swing just fine.There was a forklift sitting at the bottom level,your tax dollars at work.Two huge domes,control rooms, filled with debris.The tunnels branched out to the silos, more blast doors along the way,massive tanks that used to contain the fuel for the rockets were off to one side. If you were’nt careful you could pass through an open door and plunge down 50′ or so to the watery bottom of one of the silos, apparently that happened to two unfortunate visitors.The sounds of fluttering pidgons living above by the open silo doors echoed throughout.You could see where they stopped painting like every one suddenly left.Trash, debris, decay and an abandoned nuclear missile base a perfect setting for memories I’ll never forget.
March 9th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Thank you so much for the recollections, David.
May 12th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
[...] Posts Inside Neverland RanchBreaking News: SS Independence Leaving San FranciscoSo Alang SS IndyA California Titan Missile BaseColorado Sugar Beet History & ArchitectureTreatise on TrespassingHighway 101 in a Post-Industrial [...]
August 13th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
I served in the USAF in the three Titan sites, Buttes, Chico, and Lincoln in the early sixties. I was a guidance and flight control technician, Propellent Loading and Pressure tech, Corrosion Control Technician, and other assignments during my tour in California. Thanks for the postings, interesting to run across the reports. I had already located the site locations on Google Earth, and wondered about the site’s conditions. I was locked down in the Sutter Buttes site during the Cuban Milssile Crisis. What an experience, quite un-nerving… Thanks again.
August 20th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Thank You, too, Herb. I love all these memories. They make for incredible stories.
September 28th, 2008 at 12:46 am
Hello i wanted to say my father used to be a techinician on the titan missles up and around the denver area he used to tell me all kinds of stories of being there and for years i always wanted to go to see a silo until i moved to Roswell,NM there are a few still intact Atlas-c silos everywhere. These are much smaller than the titan silos and have an elevator to raise the missle to ground level to launch but its verry neat to see its an experience.
November 15th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Great to hear that story, Ralph. I believe there were three titan silos around northern california, but I’ve heard there are scores more in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado.
November 23rd, 2008 at 4:09 am
Hi Jon reading your experiences and how you felt as you explored that Titan silo, remind me of how I felt when I explored a decommisioned Nuclear Command Post here in the UK. It had only recently been decomissioned and although the lights were on I was the only person down in the bunker. It stood in a field surrounded by tree’s and the entrance into the bunker was a door inside an indiscreate looking house. On entering the house I entered a room which had a steel door located in the corner, opening this door revealed a 200 foot long concrete lined corridor that descended down into the ground, the temparture immediatly on entering dropped to around 30 degrees, goose bumps immediatly appeared on my arms! As I descended the corridor towards 2 six foot thick blast doors at the end An Air Raid siren went off. Talk about my heart rate jump! Was this for real or was somebody playing with me? I entered the bunker to be confornted by telex machinery chattering away to themsleves and churning out reports of Nuclear Attacks on London, describing the casualties and fallout etc. This was real time and since I was the only one down there The thought suddenly crossed my mind that I could be the only one alive very quickly!!! All of a sudden the emergency red phones on the wall started ringing!! What do I do answer it or let it ring? I eventually decided to leave it, I did not want to know, this was getting to real for my liking. To cut a long story short I explored that bunker for about 3 hours eventually surfacing through an emergency exit, only to be confronted by a couple of guys who had been following my moves on CCTV from a control room. They had been arsing around with the equipment control and had set the siren off on test along with the fake telex test controls for simulation training. I could have killed them both, if had not the experience I endured down in that bunker been so thought provoking and indeed so moving at what might have been.
November 23rd, 2008 at 9:36 am
Incredible story, Terry. Did you take any photos?
November 24th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Hi Jon I have some photo’s that I took at the time and also I just remembered I put down on mini tape my feelings at the time also and I still have them! Although I have never wrote them up. The visit to the bunker was some 8-9 years ago, but it still haunts me to this day. It was a very terifying yet moving experience of suddenly realising what destruction we as human beings can reek on one another, and for what purpose? The one thing that stood out for me was the fact that the people who would have manned this bunker seriously believed that they would be able to control things after a nuclear war!
I would gladly translate the tapes to you in a blog or story if you like along with the pictures. Its about time that I exorsized the ghosts of that bunker!
If you let me know how to go about it?
I must admit ever since that visit I have been to numerous de-commisioned cold war sites not only here in the UK but also Europe, to try and fully understand the bigger picture. Although we never had any silo’s here in the UK the nearest we got to US missiles on UK soil was when they were based at Greenham Common in mobile launchers. That base is now de-commisioned and closed around 7 years ago. Its worth an explore especially around the hardened shelters where the nukes were stored.
November 27th, 2008 at 6:48 am
1961-1964 I was assigned to the 395 Missile Sqdn, Vandenburg AFB CA, as a missile Maint. Tech. We did research and development and had a war time assignment. The 395 had responsibilities for both the titan 1 and II. Vandenburg was the place Titan crews came to do live launches.
Early members of the Titan team will recall the day Test Site I blew with a missle in the hole, any of the old warriors out there ?.
December 10th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
I used to explore the Larson AFB silo at Batun. We went down the stairs to the most eerie thing I ever saw.
It was spooky. Rats and Pigeons were all over along with dung and a smell I never want to sense again.
It was totally dark, We each had 2 lights in case of loss or damage to one and no way out without them.
After 3x in it, I quit going as they closed it off.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:34 am
[...] A California Titan Missile Base [...]
February 18th, 2009 at 10:47 am
I worked at the Lincoln site until the acceptance test were complete.I was in the powerhouse as an electrician for RCA Service Co. I got to go into the Live Oak site after it was closed.Spooky! I have a photo of the powerhouse made just before the movie with Rock Hudson was made. As a bit of trivia, the Air Force guys had to repaint all the equipment to Air Force colors before the movie company could film.If you would like a copy of the powerhouse photo,just email me.
February 18th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
What amazing photographs.
I used to live in Lompoc; when they launched the Titans, our house used to shake and shake stronger than I’ve ever felt any earthquake. Actually, I’ve mistaken a couple earthquakes for “a rocket launching,” I guess because of how close we lived to the launch site.
February 26th, 2009 at 11:20 am
James Lynch: I want a copy of the powerhouse photo and to dialogue with you.
Peteemail@aol.com Thanks
April 2nd, 2009 at 10:29 am
As late as 1990 we were still exploring the site north of Chico, CA. My experiences were very similar to david’s, post #4 above. Small groups would venture up and find our way into the complex. We would frequently bring a CD player and sit in the large control rooms, leaving the music at one end and sitting at the other. The acoustics were amazing.
Really exploring is hard to describe. Scary and exciting at the same time. Without the benefit of a layout diagram we never really knew where we were going and it seemed like much more of a maze than I know can see from existing diagrams. The missile silos were partially flooded with water and all of us would imagine what it would be like to slip and fall in. A truly horrifying thought! It would take hours to get help.
We never dared go in daylight, so strangely enough some of the day-time pictures that have turned up were actually quite revealing for me. Here are some of the best I’ve found:
http://news.webshots.com/album/557872339cfnyzB
And here are some aerial views as well:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/scott_r_holmes/347176182/
Comparing those with a current view from Google Maps satellite view shows the significant clean up that has taken place.
July 15th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
My father and uncle worked on liquidating the equipment out of the Lincoln Ca. site after it was decommissioned. My uncle actually lived down there for months answering and making phone calls all day selling and soliciting buyers for the usable items. My father was already in the equipment liquidation business liquidating heavy equipment from the also decommissioned Auburn Dam project and he and his brother worked together sharing leads and resources to liquidate equipment from both projects. I grew up in Auburn Ca. and have always found the site fascinating as I would often drive past and my imagination was piqued by the stories of my uncle living down there wheeling and dealing “death parts” as it were.
July 18th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
I would love to talk with anyone who had experience working on any of the Beale bases, especially 851-B (the Sutter Buttes) and Lincoln sites. Peteemail@aol.com is where to reply. Has anyone been inside the 851-B site? Pictures, information on what’s been salvaged? My son is doing a report for school and would really like up to date information.
Thanks.
July 18th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Herb Sissom…can you email me, please….see above.
Thanks,
Peter
October 7th, 2009 at 7:27 am
I too had taken many trips out to “the silo’s” in the mid to late 80′s. we would go down in groups with home made rappelling equipment. What a great and scary time we had. The first few times we went in was through the main elevator shaft with spiral stairs. Shortly after, the sealed the shaft with concrete. We got in through various ways. Every time they sealed one up, we would always find a new way in. It was very intense when we would shut off all of our flashlights & walk down the “tube” hearing the clang clang of the steel plates as we walked. We would start to lose our sense of balance in the complete blackness. Once we were down there & we heard another group of kids, who weren’t with us, coming down one of the tubes in the distance. So we all climbed up into one of the ventilation shafts & waited for them to pass under us. We jumped down yelling & screaming. Scared the crap out of all of them, as they ran screaming down the halls. One night while coming out, and crossing the field going back to our hidden cars, we got chased by a couple of quads & 4×4′s. It was easy to hide in the dark though. Wish we would have gotten pictures, though. Gooooood times!!
November 4th, 2009 at 8:24 am
[...] A California Titan Missile Base [...]
February 10th, 2010 at 6:31 pm
Does anyone know who I would contact to get permission to visit the Beale site near Chico CA? I’m involved with a national security project where we are using a deep penetrating radar to locate various underground structures. Any information would be helpful.
February 18th, 2010 at 8:31 pm
Outstanding comments on these old “cold war” era sites. I too, like some others, would like very much to see these sites and explore them for myself. If anyone has info about how to “get in”, please email me.
Thank you
Robert Blanchard
February 18th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Robert Blanchard is at Fishinsolitude@aol.com
Thank you
August 24th, 2010 at 12:42 am
is this the same rob (sister of jaime?). remember me? Bitter Salvation, the band? Rich Beatty, Mark Groshong, etc…..Hanging out on Lassen Ave. with Jamey, Michael in Chico back in 1989, 1990?
November 5th, 2010 at 6:51 am
I am interested invisiting the silos and would like cordinates please email if you have them. Thanks!!
November 20th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
I grew up in Chico and everyone knew about the abandoned missile site. My oldest brother and some of his friends went inside and left with a few souvenirs which they had on display on the front porch of their rental house. After listened to their stories about the whole incident I decided I had to check it out for myself. The year was 1970 and I was in the eighth grade at Bidwell Junior High. A friend that lived near me wanted to go along. We knew that the site was occasionally patrolled by the CHP and getting inside would be fairly easy. So we planned our trip and without telling anyone, set out one Saturday on our bicycles. I lived on Muir Avenue which was several miles away but no big deal, not like today when kids are driven everywhere. We took along flashlights, lighters, candles, chalk, spray paint (for marking walls as we explored to find our way out). We hid our bicycles in some bushes, climbed the fence and went inside. It has been a long time but I remember the silos (I guess they were the silos) were made of corrugated metal, many feet in diameter, with 1″ or 3/4″ galvanized pipe going down the silo to the bottom. It looked easy to hang on to this pipe and use the corrugations as toe-holds, which we did. I remember my friend was very nervous and apprehensive and said he was afraid of heights. I reminded him this was a depth and to not worry about it. After a little coaxing, we went down and inside. There were tunnels made of corrugated arches with one rail down the center on the floor, I’m guessing for some sort of transport. It was deep, I don’t know how deep. We didn’t spend a lot of time down there because my friend started to panic. The one thing I do remember was seeing some sort of map of the facility on the wall behind some thick plexiglass. I wanted that map real bad but had no tools to remove the plexiglass. Try as I may I couldn’t get it loose. I know that since then the government sold the whole facility to the highest bidder who then salvaged everything and the rumor was they were going to open up shops down there. I always thought that was not a good idea, that it wouldn’t be feasible and people wouldn’t want to shop down there. I guess I was right because far as I know the place has just sat there all this time. Now I live in Yuba City near the Sutter Buttes which has a similar facility, all on private property. I haven’t met anyone in Yuba City that has ever been inside the Sutter Buttes missile base. I would love to see that. The Buttes can be steep and is all rock. I’m sure that was not easy to build. Yesterday, I toured a Nike Missile base at Marin Headlands near Sausalito. The tour guide never heard of a missile base in Chico or the Buttes and didn’t believe me so I had to do a little web surfing. Since I am working in that area I plan on going back with some information to give to the tour guide. The Nike base was nothing compared to the base in Chico. It was very interesting though. We are so much more advanced now it would be like comparing a bb gun to a high powered rifle.
November 22nd, 2010 at 11:36 pm
Joel: Thanks for recounting your memories at the Chico Titan base. A lot of people are unaware of the gigantic missile facilities they have near them. I was surprised at how few actually knew about Sutter and Chico.
Regards,
Jon
November 28th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
My dad told me a story about getting a tour of the lincoln silo site. He said they had the doors open. I think it was a school trip thing or something. I grew up in lincoln and the roseville area, and I aint left yet.
I have been to the silos many times, but havent dared to go past the fence. The silos are just out of town on highway 193. I remember a church or some other community building on the dirt road at the corner of the 2 roads. I could find it the first try to this day. You used to be able to drive right past them on the dirt road.
There is also some sort of military installation on the other side of lincoln, in the middle of nowhere. There are many antennas of many sizes here, and large circular (50-100ft+) wire dishes or “tents” of wire for some sort of communications or something.
December 25th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
You guys bring back a lot of memories.I worked at the Lincoln site for over a year while it was under construction.I was down there for twentyfour hours while the acceptance test was run.All missles were raised and fueled.It always struck me as idiotic that the road was only five hundred yards from the silos.A man with a 30-30 rifle could have blown up all the missles.The skin of the missle is only the thickness of a dime, and that is the fuel cell.
January 31st, 2011 at 7:26 pm
Reading all of this is so amazing. My dad told me stories of when him and some of my family were in the buttes and went hiking. They came across what seemed to be a vent or something but the doors were thick cement and were propped up just enough to slip in. They went inside and it was basically what everyone else recalls from the chico site. Long corrigated pipe corridoors and massive control rooms. All the walkways were lined with old pipe which all the wires had been taken out. They went and looked over the rail in the silo itself and could also look up and see slight light around the edges of the massive doors up top. Ever since he told me about this story iv wanted to go explore the buttes site. However i had no clue there was a site in chico and one in lincoln as well. I would love to go and explore them for myself.
If anyone has coordinates or can give directions and ways to get in and explore please email me.
dietrichs1991@gmail.com
Thanks
February 3rd, 2011 at 3:43 pm
I was assigned to a missile launch crew r-39, 395A. 1963 until deactivation. I was assined after the OSTF event, although I didi see some of the results. In 1965 the 395A complex was in a competition with Atlas for an advanced reentry vehicle program. Each unit was to fire 3 missiles. Despite a great record., All 3 of the Titans failed. Number 1, Had a thrust chamber hardover down range far ebough that the range safety officer did not have to destroy it. Number 2 was fired by Crew R-39. The 2nd stage igniter was not installed correctly. The igniter was trailing far behind 2nd stage by its wires, hence there was no ignition for stage 2. Number three: Jp4 was not properly loaded onto stage 2, In short it ran out of fuel.
March 24th, 2011 at 8:46 pm
I was a student in Chico back in the early 90′s and within the first week of living on campus, we heard stories of the missile base north of town, somewhere near the airport. It wasn’t til mid-November that a group of 8 of us decided to make the trip at night. We parked right at the north entrance and hiked in. All we could make out at first were the raised silo doors, an observation tower, quonset hut, a ton of junk, some cranes, and a thrashed mobile home. When we got to the portal, we had to shimmy down a cable tray through a hole in the grate that covered the elevator opening. It was a 12′ climb or so. Not a safe climb by any means. If you slipped, it’s 70 ft down. Everyone made it to the stairs and we just walked down to the tunnel junction. A forklift was sitting there and some other junk. We were all blown away by the size of the powerdome. We walked every tunnel and visited almost every room and silo. I remember the smell was like a campfire and rusting steel. A month later, my roommate and I decided to go alone so we could explore more areas. We were dropped off by a friend and we would hike back into town to the nearest phone (no one had cells yet). This time we got in through a hole that was dug down to the propellant terminal. We explored every inch we could get to, even got into the launcher air filtration tunnel by climbing up a cable tray and got under the powerhouse floor. We even found an old Vespa scooter tossed down one of the equipment shafts. We spent 6 hours exploring and never saw another soul. In late spring, we visited the site again with some more people. Things were different this time. The mobile home was burned down, the ladder to the observation tower was torched off, and the portal entry hatch was opened and propped up. We simply walked down the stairs. I found one cool souvenir item I couldn’t resist leaving behind-a vaporproof light fixture that had the cage, glass, and light bulb intact just laying on the ground outside. It was painted canary yellow. I used it in my dorm as a bedside light. After that trip, a college student fell through a hole in one of the equipment terminals and had to be rescued by firefighters. Made local news. Since then, the site was sealed up tight and we never went in again. I’m glad I had the opportunity to see something like this.
April 13th, 2011 at 5:42 am
If anyone has visited the yuba one recently post up. I heard conflicting stories about it being sealed/ unsealed.
Big416@hotmail.com
May 21st, 2011 at 4:57 pm
what the f**k i read this whole s**t and nothing says s**t about where the entrance really is if uve got nuts or pride answer this question.
May 24th, 2011 at 3:58 pm
regarding the yuba cilos ive been in them before but the last visit was a shame becouse the owner of the property has sealed the vents but to some luck there are still some vents on the premisis that havent been forced open by tourch so thier sealed with just a padlock that can be clipped with bolt cutters…if u can make it in its a trip and a half uve got about a half mile to a mile hike before u actually make it in the cilos and be sure to have clear markers of where u are and came from its very easy to get lost in those cylos…if u have any idea about the chico cilos it would be very much appreciated thanks.
July 1st, 2011 at 10:29 am
Hello all,
Was out and about today in Lincoln going Geocaching when I heard someone talking about a missile site on the other side of Lincoln where a Geocache was located. Headed out there and sure enough, saw the missile silo location. I was wondering if anyone had ever been inside Lincoln’s Missile Site recently, or if it’s ever been opened up before? devolster@gmail.com
July 9th, 2011 at 1:01 am
Hey folks,
I’ve been to the Sutter Buttes site 4 times, the first in 1999 for a recon, but didn’t go inside, then in 2001, gained access through the powerplant exhaust vent (an end of the grate was bent up and it was possible to rappel down to the ladder), then again in 2002 using the same entrance, and finally in March 2010 but couldn’t gain entry- large concrete blocks had been placed atop the grate. Every time we arrived at past midnight and parked a half mile away from the end of the road, then walked SILENTLY past the farm house and over the gate up the access road to the site. There were cows/bulls all over the place in 2010 but were asleep.
I’ve also been to the titan silos around Larson, WA but although we rappelled down multiple silos (the entry portal, an equipment silo, and a fuel silo) the connecting tunnels were bricked up. The free rap down and ascent up again were great fun, though!
I don’t know what the status is currently, but the Sutter Buttes entrance is not going to be easy to re-open. I’m not sure what the post above this means about bolt-cutting a lock, because there were large concrete blocks on top of everything. I don’t remember exactly, but perhaps there would be access through the powerplant intake silo if you could get through the grate. Or the antenna silos closest to the Sutter Buttes, but these looked very small and from inside there didn’t appear to be a way up.
If anyone has checked the site lately, please let me know, would love to go again! kilolima@imap.cc
September 2nd, 2011 at 5:36 pm
Reading, came across this reference of a silo near Chico, now that we live in Redding, and near, sounds like something to go explore, wondering if there is a map (directions) to this?
September 14th, 2011 at 8:01 pm
I grew up in Yuba City and live in Chico now. In high school my friends and I went out to try and find the silos in the Buttes, but had absolutely no idea where they were or how to find them. Can anyone update the status of these and give any sort of direction to the entrance? Thanks!
November 12th, 2011 at 4:47 am
I’ve seen several web depictions before but this is the best rendition of personal accounts I have seen. I worked in all of the Beale sites from shortly after they were operational until deactivation in 1965. Depending on what was happening when, lots of trips between Chico, Sutter Buttes and Lincoln by choppers, which were always the old, leftover ones that occasionally decided to quit flying. More often it was a road trip and many times from one place to another with minimal sleep. I was an electronics technician for (at different times) the Athena guidance computer and the radar guidance system. That meant a lot of time in the control room, the antenna terminals and the very top fold-out work platform just below the warhead section of the missles. With the work platforms being steel grate, it looked like a LONG way down to the bottom. It was also hot as hell being right under the silo doors in the summer, hands always sweaty, and you couldn’t risk dropping a tool or a part, as it could puncture the missle skin (fuel tank). As others have noted the immense size of the complexes, it also meant a LOT of long walks in the tunnels between areas. For the guy from Chico, I’ll always remember the “peace-nik” college students that would demonstrate just outside the site gate, sometimes holding hands across the road. However, it was always friendly and peaceful. As someone else noted, I was also there during the Cuban Missle Crises and the firt SAC ORI,the 851st SMS being the first Titan site to pass. I was just a kid then, but as an old guy it is sad to see the deteriorated state of the remains and I have no desire to return.
December 5th, 2011 at 10:37 pm
Was your trip to Sutter Butte done with the permission of the land owners? If not, how did you get in. I was just recently at the site in Lincoln CA, but was unable to gain access.
Thanks
December 9th, 2011 at 5:40 pm
Larry # 45. Looks like we were there at the same time. I was there from Dec 62 til May 65 then got transferred to Kansas on Titan II. Sure was not the same in Kansas but had a geat time in
California. MY AFSC 54150-E MFT so I also spent a lot of time at all three sites. I have viewed a lot of pictures taken over the years which a lot of the ones I have seen are speculation and not too accurate. Chico had the best looking girls swimming just off the site when we left by chopper (H-19), The best pilot to fly with was Lt. King because he always dropped down for a good look and a little dust up from the prop wash. Col. Reynolds was squadron commandor,looked a lot like Ben Cartwright of Bonanza. So of course we nicknamed him Pappy Cartwright. I was at Lincoln for 5 days for the ORI, after 5 days downunder the sun shore was bright when we came out. sure would like to sit down with you and see who all we could remember.
December 9th, 2011 at 10:11 pm
Jim Lynch, Herb Sissom, David Greer and “Larry”: If any one you gentlemen happen across this post, please send me a reply at jpk@hassard.com. I have questions about what it was like in the missile silo complex back in the ’60s. Thank you. John
January 6th, 2012 at 7:27 am
Is there any way to view these sites legally? As there seems to be interest in this subject, has anyone thought of starting a tour company to fill this need?
January 8th, 2012 at 5:32 pm
Does anybody have contact for the landowners of the silo complex in Sutter Buttes? I’ve been inside, once in 2007, and have wanted to go back ever since. I now work for an independent film company and I’ve been wanting to test the channels about possibly conducting a filmed tour. To this day, the silos are the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced. If you have any ideas, please contact me at yeahnobig@gmail.com
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:26 pm
I was in he 4126 Later changed to 456 civil Engineering Sqdn at Beale AFB from Dec 61-Dec 65. Our Job as HVAC Techs was to do the maintenance and repair of the systems at all three missile sites. T arrived at the end of the construction period and worked with contractors to learn the design and operation of the systems and equipment. Our people spent many hours with them and after acceptance we did all of the maintenance and repairs. The operations people did the operation the complete site. I left the AF in 65. I know there are a lot of civil service people that worked in the sites also and many of them are still in the area (However they are mostly like me retired and getting pretty old now) It was an exciting time in my life and I am thankful for the experience.
Paul Britton UCCM (SCW) USN Retired
January 25th, 2012 at 2:46 am
I just came across a nice picture of the missle removal in January 1963 with stage I just above the silo cap. I can identify most of the guys in the photo, the ones from my shop , and some others. It was a replacement for the silo rebuilt after one of the missles blew up but I can’t remember which site we were at, maybe Chico but not sure, too many years ago. If anyone can tell me which site it was I would appreciate it. Also if anyone would like I will try to scan the picture and email a copy. Contact me at joneswh@columbus.rr.com. Guys from my shop in the picture was Sgt Charles Johnston, Tracy Walton, Bob Thomas, Kurt Metcalf, Sgt Rudd from QC&E, and some other guys that the faces look familuar but I can’t put a name with it. Most of us lived in the 851st barracks about a mile from the flightline. Our barracks was all alone and no one bothered us. We used to sit on the front porch and drink beer on the weekends if we wern’t working and watch the Fire Dept burn old plane chassis for training. Never dreamed then I would come home and have a career in the Fire Dept, I always thought those guys were crazy. Oh well, that was a long time ago.