Intact Titan II sites

Urban exploration in Arkansas
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TooMuchCoffee
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Intact Titan II sites

Post by TooMuchCoffee »

I've been doing alittle web research. There are 3 Titan II Launch Facilities in Arkansas on the National Historic Registery. Two were a part of the 374 missile Sqd. These sites had only the silo imploded. The launch facilities were left "largely" intact. Only the access tunnels were sealed, supposedly with sand and gravel only. The government wasn't concerned because the equipment inside was considered obsolete by then. This supposedly happened with all the bases in the 374.

One is the 374-7 in Van Buren county. This is the one the missile exploded. I read a statement from one of the missile operators who said the explosion didn't rattle a thing in the command pod due to the springs.
The second in the 374-5 in Faulkner county. This one is considered to be in the best condition. You can see where everything was on the surface.

I found on MissileBases.com, a Titan II site in Hamlet, AR is for sale for $117,000.00 plus share of the salvage. A quote from the site is "Much valuable salvage thought to remain inside". Requires some excavation to get to the access point. I read somewhere else many think these command pods were built and sealed so tightly, that there not flooded.

Anybody got $117,000.00 in loose change?
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godfather
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Re: Intact Titan II sites

Post by godfather »

So the others have been totaly filled and removed? I was looking for the Falkner Co. one at the edge of Conway the last time I was down there. I found exactly where it was suposed to be by using Google Earth. It ended up being a place I was familliar with so we went there, and the entire site has at the very least been filled and covered. There are now houses and pastures over the site at the correct coordinates.

Do you have any GPS coordinates for them? The AR Titan sites have always been at the top of my "places to see" list.
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TooMuchCoffee
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Re: Intact Titan II sites

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There were two groups of Titan II's in Arkansas. 18 missiles total. Nine were part of the 373rd and nine (later eight after the explosion) in the 374th. All apart of the 308th Stratigic Missile Group.
374-7's silo the one that blew up) was filled with the idea of later rebuilding the silo if it was determined it was needed.
From what I've found, the 373rd silos were "deactivated" first. These were completely imploded - silo and command pod. By the time they got to the 374th, it was decided to implode and fill the silos only and block the access tunnels to the pod. A much cheaper solution. The silos had to be imploded and filled per a treaty with the Soviets. From what I've found the access tunnels were filled at least 30 feet with sand, gravel, and maybe concrete.
All the sites returned to private hands, mostly back to the original owners. I know of one that was later developed into a small subdivision. Probably the one you found. A lot have barns and farm equipment on them.
So, at least the eight from the 374th is still down there. The two that are national historic places are supposed to be left untouched from development. All three on the historic registar had deaths occur in the silos. 374-5 and 374-7 each had one death. The other had 53 die in a flash fire during final construction.
Several web sites to check:
the offical Little Rock Air Force Base website.
There is a 373 and 374 reunion group website with maps and I believe GPS coordinates.
Siloworld.com
geocities.com/Titan 2 missile
I've always had an interest in them because I grew up completely surrounded by them. Everyday when I went to school, I always saw the close in crews getting breadfast going to and returning from the silos.
Last edited by TooMuchCoffee on Mon Oct 16, 2006 4:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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TooMuchCoffee
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RE: Intact Titan II sites

Post by TooMuchCoffee »

Go to Yahoo.com. Type in "titan II missiles in arkansas".
One of the hits should be Titan II coordinates. It has all Titan II coordinates in the US.
Also, try just typing in titan II.
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Re: Intact Titan II sites

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Someone on here posted a site with the coordinates for all the sites across the US, but I was just trying to figure out which ones were the ones that might still be accessable.

Where did you grow up?
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TooMuchCoffee
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RE: Intact Titan II sites

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Outside of Cabot, AR. 7 miles from the end of the base's runway. 2 silos nearby, the closest at Beebe.
I remember all the ugency when silo 7 blew. Rattled my grandmother's house (she lived much closer).

I basically grew up surrounded by Air Force families plus my dad was a part of emergency ops for the Corp of Engineers. I had an understanding early on we were going to be crispy in the event of a nuclear exchange. Gee, the Cold War was such a great time.

Here are some coordinates I found:
374-5 Faulkner county 35-10-05 92-23-32
374-7 Van Buren county 35-24-50 92-23-50. This is the site of the explosion.
Interestingly, the Hamlet site is 373-9 (35-08-42 92-15-16). Previoulsy, I found info that claimed all 373's were completely imploded. However, this is the one for sell with the claim of an intact launch control center with salvage potential. That makes me question whether all 373's were "completely" imploded.
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Re: Intact Titan II sites

Post by godfather »

Well, it has peaked my interest.
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Nicotti
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Re: Intact Titan II sites

Post by Nicotti »

Some info on launch silos in Missouri..

http://mo.water.usgs.gov/fact_sheets/wt ... /index.htm
More online investigation than onsite exploration these days.

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Riggz13
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RE: Intact Titan II sites

Post by Riggz13 »

We went to one in Quitman/Guy Arkansas. It's on private property though. The guy who owns it came out while we were there so we told him we were doing research on the missile program. Anyways, he gave us an above ground tour of the place. Showed us where everything was or in some cases is. He said that the missile silo itself would be filled in/imploded. However he showed us where the entrance is and said that the command center should still be there several stories underground. Didn't look like it would take more then a few hours and a couple of guys with shovels to get in. I didn't want to press my luck.

35-24-36 92-08-57 There's the GPS coordinates.
Google Map Image

There's another one about 10 miles west on that highway back towards Conway. It was in a cowfield. A little harder to get to.

The only other one we've kinda found was again on fenced property. It's out towards Vilonia. Obviously enough it's on Missile Base Road. If anyone wants to get together and try and hunt some more down, my roommates and I are definitely up for the challenge. aim:baylond.[/url]
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TheReaper
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Re: Intact Titan II sites

Post by TheReaper »

Hell yeah, Checking out a missle silo would be bad ass... I thought there was talk of this beore... Not sure i anything ever come from it though... Let me know, I'd like to try and get there
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt-Abraham Lincoln
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RE: Intact Titan II sites

Post by Gravefindr »

There was a site north of Bald Knob at Velvet Ridge near the White County line, not sure if its still there or if it was a Titan II site. We lived near there in the mid-late 80's and periodically they would come around and leave flyers telling us what to do in case of an attack - made you feel real safe!
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Re: Intact Titan II sites

Post by TheReaper »

Hell, a missile site is a missile site... Still would be bad ass to check out
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt-Abraham Lincoln
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