The COLD WAR, Part 1:
Howes Street, Fort Collins, about 1961
It’s an Atlas Series E ICBM nuclear missile and it is on its way north of town to a newly constructed silo just a bit southwest of Wellington. Four other series E silos were built in Colorado near Glover, Briggsdale, Nunn and Greeley.
Our guardian was located in Cheyenne, Wyoming
The 566th Strategic Missile Squadron was based at Warren AFB and was charged with missile deployment becoming fully operational on September 15, 1964 only to be deactivated by June 25, 1965.
FoCo Atlas Silo, c 1961
Or something of that nature. The Series E silo stored the missile in a horizontal position until it was ready to launch; Lucky for us it never happened.
Atlas E ready to launch
This is what an Atlas E silo would look like when the missile is ready to go. The propellant was kerosene-liquid oxygen and was from the same family of rocket that sent John Glen into orbit.
Don’t go here!
A previous post notes that during a walk on the Poudre River trail with Duncan Madog I came near a water treatment facility that was within a mile of an ICBM missile silo. A few days later after checking Google maps, I found what I believe is the Greeley Atlas E missile silo!
I did indeed see a dog!
There is barbed wire on top of the fence and there is at least one dog that patrols the area. I’m sure it’s not to guard any government secrets but just to discourage nosey bloggers who wight want to poke around an abandoned missile silo just because it’s there.
Evidence that something’s under foot!
These appear to be utility connections and exhaust vents for an underground bunker. My experience with these come from doing some contract work in the midwest at a decommissioned Nike Hercules missile site. The site I was at had these long underground tunnels that seemed to go on forever. I don’t see much evidence of that here.
Some kind of vents and a house on the grounds
They seem too close to the exhaust vents to be air-intake; There is also a residential style building in the background that I would assume is for the caretaker of this property.
Possible cooling pool
There is a cement pond nearby with some equipment footings which may have secured some kind of early heat exchanger device.
Basketball court?
There is an overgrown paved surface with two backboards facing each other. I’m sure it was used in the early ’60’s for exercise for those housed inside the bunker. There are some small structures that look like outhouses but I am not sure of their purpose.
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