The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
to open next summer in South Dakota

by Cynthia Fowler

In an article entitled National Park Service to turn nuclear missile silo into Cold War historic site, Chet Brokaw of the Associated Press reported that a former nuclear missile silo was given over to the National Park Service for conversion to an historic site. The silo, located on the South Dakota prairie, will be used to tell the story of the doomsday weapons that were never used during the Cold War

For almost 30 years, Delta Nine, an 80-foot concrete hole on the edge of Badlands National Park, housed a Minuteman II missile that could deliver a nuclear weapon to a Soviet target in 30 minutes or less. The missile's removal resulted from signing of an arms reduction treaty with Russia in 1991.

Marriane Mills of Badlands National Park was quoted as saying "This site will be the first national park in the world whose primary purpose is to commemorate the events of the Cold War."

Ownership of the silo and a nearby launch control facility was officially given over to the National Park Service by the United States Air Force at a ceremony on September 27, 2002. The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site should open to the public next summer.