Inside a Titan 1 Missile Base
By Jonathan Haeber
Post location: 39.740326364152075,-104.12206649780273
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Titan bases contain over 2,500 feet of underground passages, built to withstand a nuclear attack as close as 3,000 feet away (photo copyright Jon Haeber).
Over 1/2-mile of underground passageways; three 150-foot-deep launch silos; PCBs, lead paint, zinc, cadmium, mercury — it’s a toxic soup, stagnant for over 40 years.
Photo courtesy SiloWorld.com
In 1962, these gigantic underground complexes began to take shape. Menacing images of power domes 150 feet across and two stories high put anyone lucky enough to see these underground cities in awe. They were said to support a 150-man army for 30 days. They could withstand a nuclear blast from less than 3,000 feet away.
Photo copyright Jon Haeber
And today, frozen icicles of contaminated groundwater hang from its rusticated quonset-hut-like ceilings. Breathing the air inside of a Titan base is not recommended. One breath will make you wonder how anything could survive within it.
The U.S. had 54 of these silos dotting the Midwest and West Coast. From Beale A.F.B in California to Lowry A.F.B. outside of Denver, CO these places were once the bargaining chips in a Cold War standoff with the Soviet Union. These were missiles that could travel across the upper atmosphere at speeds 25 times the speed of sound. They could hit targets over 6,000 miles away and deploy a 4 megaton nuclear warhead, a yield of destructive force 20 times the 20 Kt bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
Photo copyright Jon Haeber
Today, only an empty shell remains. Some are filled in with water, others turned into tourist destinations; and still others on the market as potential “wine cellars or underground rock climbing gyms”
There’s one thing this author knows: Walking through an abandoned Titan missile base is a life-altering experience. Straddling the precarious catwalks and 2,500 feet of underground passages, looking down into the abyss of the 155-foot launch silo, and donning a P95 respirator to protect yourself from the toxic fumes — all of it makes you feel as if you’re walking in an alien environment and that you’re one of the few lucky people to have seen this modern wonder. At one time, these places were the landmark sites of the U.S. military industrial complex. Today, they only represent the incredible amount of money spent (wasted?) on the U.S. war machine.
Further Research
- KOMO TV article on Washington Titan Base for Sale http://www.komotv.com/news/archive/4120821.html
- Denver Westword article on exploring a Titan base
http://www.westword.com/2003-11-20/news/search-party/print - Missile Threat Titan 1 Statistics
http://www.missilethreat.com/missilesoftheworld/id.171/missile_detail.asp
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December 13th, 2007 at 12:45 am
[...] 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). [...]
December 17th, 2007 at 11:32 am
[...] The EA featured the extraordinary work of itinerant traveler, Jon Haeber, a few short weeks ago on his sojourn of reverie down California highway 101 [EA 12/08/07]. His latest pilgrimage, again in California, is imbued with the same wonderful flavor evident in all his travelogues — a thirst for adventure coupled with a love of solitude. “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. [...]
December 18th, 2007 at 5:20 am
does it flood?
December 18th, 2007 at 7:55 am
Only the silo floods, Josh. The rest of it is high and dry — for the most part
June 29th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I worked for RCA Service Co at the Lincoln Ca site as an electrician.I ran the Nordberg diesel generators during construction and turnup. I have a picture of the powerhouse taken during those times. The movie, A Gathering of Eagles with Rock Hudson was filmed at this site. A few years later, about 1966, I got to tour the Live Oak site after it’s shutdown. They were awesome places.