On January 23, we went to church and again stayed in the parking lot of the Diamond Desert Casino in Tuscon. Actually, quiet and actually peaceful.
On the 24th, we broke camp and drove about 15 miles south to the next Diamond Desert Casino and found their parking lot to be even nicer. After we set up we unhitched the trailer and went to tour the only remaining Titan 2 nuclear warhead launch site in the USA. This lone, decommissioned missile launch site remains to remind us of the world might we once held prior to many post cold war peace agreements changed us from a stance of "Peace Through Strength" to the stance of trying to be friends with the bad guys. Oops, my opinions are showing. Anyway, Wayne had always dreamed of seeing the insides of this piece of history and so we took advantage of being here.
Here, Ann sits in the control room as a retired Air Force Colonel described how things worked here from 1963- 1983.
Wow! This is the actual missile that was here to carry a nuclear war head to one of three sites in the world if the button had been pushed. These giant rockets, were also used to launch several space explores into space. Powerful they were! But so small compared to the ones we use today to launch the space shuttle.
I have only dreamed of being this close to this unit that I studied about, watched on the news and saw in movies as I grew up.
The blast corridor leading from the control center to the rocket blast silo.
Suits used by the 4 Air Force crew stationed there if there was a fuel spill.
After the tour inside, we were taken around on the outside of the site and led to a museum. It was all very, very fascinating and reminiscent of a past when the world always felt on the brink of disaster. But due to these big guys, the other guys were afraid to push their launch buttons, thus we were always safe from attack. "Speak softly, but carry a big stick." "Bullies only prey on the weak." was the thinking of a time gone by, surrendered to diplomacy, friendship with and trust of the enemy. It reminds me of the story of the boy that trusted the rattlesnake, that after the boy picked him up and tried to help the snake and was bitten by him replied to the startled boy, "You knew what I was when you picked me up."
Below is the nose cone that housed the nuclear warhead on the top of the rocket.
Wayne has seen on TV and news clips these engines on the bottoms of so many rockets launched. Wow! It was amazing to be taught how they worked and then to actually stand next to them!! They are so much smaller that imagined!
We spent most of the day here and then went back the next day, after spending the night at the casino, and spent another couple hours! Fascinating!
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