Deep underground in this spot miles from any town or city, out in the middle of nothing but fields, lies an unexpected piece of history that at some point might have saved the entire country - or sparked World War III. From the surface it doesn't look like there's much to see other than a few buildings, but underneath the ground is more than you could ever imagine at first glance.
This site lies north of Cooperstown, North Dakota and was once a key and integral part of the United State's defense against potential nuclear warheads coming in from places like the Soviet Union, now Russia, during the suspenseful and tense days of the Cold War. The state of North Dakota once held enough nuclear power in hidden, underground silos to be considered one of the most powerful places in the world.
Today, all of the missiles have been removed and the silos have been either repurposed or left abandoned, except for here. The Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile Site has been left intact like a time capsule. It's open for tours, and the experience is one of a kind.
This is all there is aboveground at what is also known as Oscar-Zero - a building and the corn fields that surround it. Below, it is much different.
Although this is filled in now, this was the silo that used to hold the actual missile. It was over 90ft deep in order to fit a suspended 60-foot tall Minuteman Missile inside. The missile was built and ready to destroy any incoming missiles headed for the United States. While the silo has been filled, 50 feet under the surface is a hidden bunker that holds all of the launch controls and more.
After riding an elevator down 50 feet underground, you will enter through this passage to the control bunker, where history could have easily been made but luckily never had to happen.
The bunker was heavily fortified with thick, steel doors for blast protection to those inside.
In this rare photograph above, you can see the bunker being built. Within it were the important controls that had to be manned 24/7.
This is one of the launch control centers, left exactly as it was the day the missile site decommissioned in the 1990s.
You can see in this photograph from the 1960s one of the men who worked at the controls and could have had to act in a vital moment to protect the country.
These were the very controls that could have done just that. Notice at the top it says "TOP SECRET." There are not many places where you can see these kind of things up close and personal. You are even allowed to hold the very launch key that would have been used to set the missile off while touring the place. It is truly a unique experience!
To discover more information about the site, visit the Historical Society of North Dakota's page on it here.
Another unusual and unexpected historic site in North Dakota that is a remnant of the same era is this strange pyramid standing out in the middle of the prairie. Who knew that the Peace Garden State was so integral during the Cold War?
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