I once served as a Deputy Sheriff in Pima County (Tucson) Arizona for just short of 4 years. At one time Pima County extended all the way south to the Mexican border during the time that Wyatt Earp was a lawman in that part of the county. So he and I were both deputies in Pima County. I resigned returning to college and pursuing a BS degree in Law Enforcement but the school, BYU, changed the focus of the course so I graduated with a BS in Justice Administration. During my time in Tucson, I was stationed 24 miles north in the Marana Substation and also served about 9-months in the vehicle maintenance section coordinating vehicle repairs and routine maintenance.
In those years I went to 3 fatal traffic accidents; apprehended two armed robbers—recovering $10,000 in stolen money from a drug rip-off; convinced a local “runaway” to return home voluntarily; recovered one stolen car driven by 5 escapees from a Texas Sheriff’s youth farm/ranch—the oldest being only 12; detained for ICE numerous undocumented aliens; eliminated one very potential neighborhood “feud” between a 12 yr old boy and an out of patience new neighbor; arrested 4 California men who came to Tucson to buy bricks of marijuana and who had an illegal sawed off shotgun; tracked burglars through the dessert; became a scoutmaster for the church troop; wrote over 200 traffic tickets; arrested 30 drunk drivers—one of which was a priest (I later learned the local “retreat” was one where the church sent its pedophile priests for rehab); did not arrest one drunk driver because he was only 20 feet from his driveway; got propositioned by a waitress; got propositioned by the CIA; recovered a stolen purse at a high school football game—referring one 6th grade repentant boy to his father and one unrepentant boy to the system via a “paper referral” and released him to his father; was the only lawman in 500 square miles during midnight shifts; in an act of revenge, I collected enough “dirt” on one of my supervisors that he was transferred back to Tucson and decided to resign instead—2-years short of retirement; and saving the best for last, I got married. Working in Marana was exactly like being a Wild West deputy except I drove a car instead of riding a horse. I loved the work.
When I resigned to return to college, I was in the process of collecting signatures to run for the local Justice of the Peace. Although I had more than enough signatures, when BYU called and said there was an opening in married student housing, Deborah and I decided to return so I could finish my degree. She had to quit her medical technologist position so we could go. Shortly after arriving and starting classes, I remembered why I really didn’t like school. I also joined Air Force ROTC so ended up on active duty once again when I graduated.
My first assignment as an officer was to the security police squadron at Malmstrom AFB, Montana as a Shift Commander for the on-base law enforcement and base security flights. The base security flight primarily guarded the nuclear weapons storage area. I spent two-years in that position and then was assigned as a Flight Security Officer for the flights providing security response in the off-base missile field. My flight and I would be away from the base for 3 ½ days at a time. I participated in a few incidents but the one experience I really want to tell you all about occurred after I arrived at my next base in Jacksonville, Arkansas circa 1984.
Little Rock AFB was home to a missile wing supporting the liquid fueled Titan II ICBM. In September 1980 prior to my arrival (1983), one nuclear tipped missile exploded in its silo. This is the story of what happened before, during, and after the incident. This information is not classified so I won’t have to kill any of you after you're done reading it.
Whenever a nuclear warhead is present, Air Force regulations require that at least two people must be present in such proximity to each other that each can monitor the actions of the other—absolutely no exceptions or violations are tolerated. The Titan II is a two-stage rocket. In order to save weight, parts of the very thin outer skin of the rocket are actually part of the fuel tanks. The fuel is of two types—an oxidizer and the fuel. Both are hypergolic, meaning that when the two chemicals touch, they instantly ignite. The fuel and oxidizer tanks are so thin that the rocket will collapse in upon itself if the liquid fuels are removed improperly as the fuel keeps the tanks from being able to collapse. The skin is so thin that hand-held maintenance tools to be used on the missile or its components have lanyards permanently attached to prevent the tool (sockets, wrenches, etc.) from falling between the rocket and the maintenance platforms surrounding it and puncturing the skin.
So one day all the counts, accounts, no accounts, and recounts (oh wait that’s different story). One fateful day, two maintenance technicians were in the silo performing maintenance on a component internal to the missile. One of the men needed a tool that he forgot to bring down with him. He knew that a tool box (with tools to be used elsewhere in the underground launch complex outside of the silo) was located in the tunnel towards the launch control capsule. These tools did not have lanyards attached. Being stupid, careless, or just plain lazy, he left his partner alone with the missile (major violation #1 and also stupid decision #1) and went to get the unauthorized tool rather than having them both go topside and return with the authorized tool (stupid decision #2).
The tool needed was a socket for a socket wrench. While using the socket, it slipped off the wrench and because it did not have a lanyard, the socket fell between the missile and the maintenance platform around the missile (Murphy’s Law in action). Can you guess what happened right after the “Oh shit” expletive? You guessed it. The socket fell three or more levels gaining momentum before hitting the edge of a platform below and bouncing into the side of the missile puncturing a fuel tank. Instantly, red fuming nitric oxide began to leak setting off the chemical vapor sensors which triggered the alarm. The launch crew ordered the silo evacuated and notified the base of the problem (good decision #1).
The deputy wing commander responded with the emergency response teams. Upon arrival, two environmentally suited fuel personnel went down to the silo to inspect the damage. Upon their report the base contacted the Martin-Murrieta company (the builder of the Titan II) to get their input. After a short period of time, Martin-Murrieta replied: 1st you can’t do anything to stop the leak; and 2nd the missile will explode in approximately 8 ½ hours your local time today. Periodically, the two fuel personnel were sent down to check on the progress of the leak (dangerous or even stupid decision #3). (No civilian or even some military members routinely accuse local commanders of using their brains. Yes, I am biased.) At one time, they even ordered the 740-ton silo cover door be opened so that the explosion would not be contained within the silo. Instantly the highly toxic red vapor left the silo and a large red “cloud” began to drift towards highly populated centers, so the cover was closed (good decision #2).
An order was given to send one man back down to check on the missile (the launch capsule had been evacuated by this time) (major violation #2 & stupid decision #3).
As the 8 ½ hour time limit approached, two environmentally suited personnel were ordered down to check on the missile (stupid decision #4 and also fatal). As the expected explosion time arrived, the two suited personnel were on their way back. The first one had cleared the stairwell coming up completely above ground. The second one was still half underground when the missile exploded. The first man was blown across the complex into the chain link fence where the fence fabric cushioned his impact. The second man was “cut in half” at the waist by the force of the blast. The debris from the incident was stored in an above ground maintenance shed at one of the remaining missile complex sites. I had the pass-key and I actually saw the remaining parts of the destroyed missile and the bloody environmental suit of the airman who died.
Here is the sequence of events at the time of the explosion. The fuel finally leaked out enough that the missile began to collapse. As it collapsed the other 1st stage fuel tank ruptured, the two chemicals touched and instantly exploded; the pressure lifted the 740-ton silo cover door off its foundation rails; the blast spread out circular injuring the two airman; that blast caused the 2nd stage fuel tanks to rupture and they also added to the explosion which accomplished five things; 1st the 740-ton door was lifted quite high; 2nd the nuclear warhead was blasted like a bullet into the bottom of the 740-ton door breaking it into two pieces one being 1/3rd the size of the original; 3rd the larger piece flew about 30 yards and then flattened the Air Force pickup truck that the deputy wing or base commander had been sitting in just 30-seconds earlier; 4th the smaller piece landed about 100 yards away; and 5th the warhead was nowhere to be found (major violation #3—a lost and unguarded nuclear bomb—heads will roll).
The rest of the night, military radio traffic was filled with the euphemisms “has it been found” and “where is it”. The bomb was found the following morning during daylight hours. One of the perimeter security guards was actually sitting on it all night. He never reported finding it because he didn’t know what it was.
EPILOG
1. All security police personnel were shown a dummy warhead during their initial orientation upon arrival at the base (it looks like a large milk can of the type used on family dairy farms);
2. The two environmentally suited airmen were given medals (one posthumously);
3. The surviving suited airman was given a Letter of Reprimand because he was the one who went down alone to check on the missile even though he was following orders—he was supposed to refuse to obey as it was an illegal order; and
4. Nuclear bombs are designed to be “three-point safe”. This means that they will not yield a nuclear explosion if burned, receive a high impact, or hit by a stray electrical charge. The design could never be thoroughly tested. Anecdote: When the person who created the three-point safe design was told that the bomb was found with a large dent (from impacting the 740-ton door) having survived the explosion, he was heard to say, “I TOLD them it would work!”
5. In 1984, I became the project officer for the installation, planning the procedures for use, and personnel training for a DES confidential real-time usage encrypted radio system.
I know this is the true story because I read parts of the official investigation report and reviewed the numerous photographs. One photograph sticks in my mind. It is an overhead shot of the silo taken via helicopter. The silo opening is dead center and surrounding it are compression circles. It strongly reminds me of a dart board or even a target.
Do any of you remember hearing or reading about this event? I was in the Air Force as a Missile Security Officer in 1980 stationed in Montana; I never heard of it.
For other versions of the explosion go to:
http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2543
http://www.techbastard.com/missile/titan2/littlerockaccident2.php
http://www.techbastard.com/missile/titan2/littlerockaccident.php
The public versions are different than the official investigative report I read. (Nothing new about that is there?)
What did a Titan Launch Complex look like? Go to:
http://www.strategic-air-
© 31 Mar 2012
command.com/missiles/Titan/Titan_II_missile_complex.htm
About the Author
When united with my mother and stepfather two years later in 1958, I lived first at Emerald Bay and then at South Lake Tahoe, California, graduating from South Tahoe High School in 1966. After three tours of duty with the Air Force, I moved to Denver, Colorado where I lived with my wife and four children until her passing away from complications of breast cancer four days after the 9-11 terrorist attack.
I came out as a gay man in the summer of 2010. I find writing these memories to be therapeutic.
My story blog is TheTahoeBoy.Blogspot.com
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