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Brian activates Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

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Veterans Day Thoughts:  Activating from the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

Veterans Day 2024 dawned gray and overcast in northwest Pennsylvania, so I decided to spend some time working on the next field report from our 6-week trip through the states of the American West.  It occurred to me that spending some of my holiday to report on a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation of the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site (US-0850) might be particularly appropriate.

Writing about an historic site that commemorates deactivated infrastructure from an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) installation evokes a whole range of emotions.  It is right that the prospect of nuclear annihilation should do so.  But there is another viewpoint that is arguably more important.

For decades, unsung American warriors crewed these facilities to deter war based on the prospect of swift and certain retaliation.  No matter the horror of the thought of thermonuclear war, their commitment and competence played a vital role in keeping the decades long Cold War cold.

The Visitor Center at Minuteman Missile National Historic Site has a friendly, dedicated staff.  Artifacts and interpretive information at the Visitor Center are helpful in understanding the mission, systems, and personnel associated with the history of the site.
The Peacekeeper armored response vehicle was operated by the USAF Security Police, who protected missile silos and launch control facilities while they were operational.
The sites preserved by the Minuteman Missile NHS belong to D Flight of the 66th Strategic Missile Squadron, and the 44th Strategic Missile Wing.  The best testimony to the success of their mission was the complete deactivation of the 44th Strategic Missile Wing’s 150 Minuteman II missiles under the terms of the START treaty.
The Delta-09 site is located a few miles west of the Visitor Center along Interstate 90.  Delta-09 preserves one of the missile silos that housed the Minuteman II strategic ICBM force.
I had the chance to speak with the docent at the Delta-09 site.  He was a veteran of the USAF Security Police, and he patrolled these facilities while they were operating.  In this view, we are standing next to the missile silo.  The blast door is partially pulled back from the silo, and the opening is covered by an enclosure that was built to protect the open silo from the weather.  The enclosure was not a feature of the silo during its operational career, but the open blast door and windows in the enclosure permit visitors to look inside the silo.

The Site

Minuteman Missile NHS incorporates three distinct sites located along a 15 mile stretch of Interstate 90 in South Dakota.  There is a Visitor Center, with artifacts and interpretive information to help visitors understand the significance of the weapons, the personnel, and the mission.

The Delta-01 site contains a preserved Launch Control Facility.  Entry to Delta-01 is limited to ranger-led tours, and unfortunately for us, these tours were booked well beyond our planned stay in the area.  Make your plans early!

The Delta-09 site contains a deactivated Minuteman II Missile Silo.  It is available for self-led tours, but we really enjoyed speaking with the docent who was present during our visit.  He had been a member of the security team when the complex was active.  Delta-09 was typically unmanned, except for maintenance, but our docent had once sheltered there, as a tornado ripped through the area.  The storm destroyed his patrol vehicle!

You can peer into the silo to see an inactive Minuteman II missile through the partially open blast door.

Looking through the enclosure windows, it is possible to see an inert missile housed within the 80 ft deep, reinforced concrete silo.
Here I am setting up my end-fed random wire (EFRW) antenna.  I am securing the telescopic fishing pole to the back of the truck, and it supports the antenna wire in an inverted V configuration.
Molly supervised my successful operation from the truck at US-0850.  To keep her cool, I rigged a jacket to block the sun from shining directly through her window.  In this picture, I am holding the body of my VK3IL pressure paddle in my left hand, and keying with my right hand, all while keeping my pencil ready to log the exchange.

The Activation

We stopped at the site Visitor Center as we drove down Interstate 90, and arrived mid-afternoon.  We knew that the Delta-09 site would be closing soon, but we were planning to be in the area for a couple of days.  So, I checked with the friendly folks in the visitor center to be sure that my amateur radio operation would not create a problem (it was welcomed).  Then, as Becky toured the Visitor Center, I deployed my Tufteln 35 foot EFRW antenna behind the truck in the parking lot.  A 21 foot collapsible fishing pole connected to the bumper made this simple.  Then, Molly and I sat in the truck and made 23 QRP CW contacts in 40 minutes.

This map shows the locations of my 23 contacts from Minuteman Missile NHS.  All but one were completed on the 20m band, and the final contact came on 15m.

Gear

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I try to make contact with the staff at smaller sites where I plan to activate.  The staff at Minuteman Missile NHS was very accommodating, and welcomed the activation.  A call ahead may get you advice on the best locations for your station, and if you call early enough, you should be able to reserve a space for the Delta-01 tour.

Final Thoughts

I was very pleased with this activation.  The sun behaved itself well during the entirety of our trip, so propagation was good, and contacts came quickly.  The site does a great job of interpreting this important, if emotionally fraught, aspect of our military history.  If you plan a trip through the area, I encourage you to visit.  If we pass this way again, we will certainly make advanced reservations to visit the Delta-01 Launch Control Facility.

  • A hope that I think we all cherish.  To the veterans who have kept our country safe:  Thank You.

Best 73 de Brian – K3ES

5 thoughts on “Brian activates Minuteman Missile National Historic Site”

  1. Thank you for sharing this! This kind of write-up is a huge favorite of mine relative to amateur radio. My “QSOs” on 2m repeaters just don’t really compare, tho they’re about the only experience I can have at this point. I don’t have time right now to DO POTA, and trying it on 2m would likely be a true waste of time if repeaters aren’t allowed. (Are they????) Regardless, loved this. Had no idea such a park existed.

    Reply

    1. Hi Bernard,

      Thanks for your kind words. This trip was a great experience, and I get to relive it again with writing and sharing!

      Relative to activating on 2m, SOTA activators in some areas have success with VHF/UHF activations. Height (SOTA peaks) can help, but there needs to be a community of chasers.

      Don’t forget that you have HF privileges with a Technician license: SSB, CW, and Data on 10m (which is hot now at peak solar cycle); and also CW on 80m, 40m, and 15m.

      Best 73 de Brian – K3ES

      Reply

      1. Unfortunately, the hurdles to the game aren’t necessarily about privileges for me. At some point I might pursue a “big” radio, but it’s hard to justify even cheap radios when there are other “folks” screaming for seemingly every dime I earn. I enjoy radio, and I want to explore it in a lot of ways, but I just can’t throw money upon money at “fun” things. Add up even the cheapest “go bag”, and a half a grand isn’t unusual. 🙂 But maybe someday…

        Reply

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