Deactivated Minuteman II ICBM Launch Control Facility Hotel-01 | air force base, military, Minuteman, missile silo

USA / Missouri / El Dorado Springs /
 air force base, military, Minuteman, historical layer / disappeared object, missile silo

United States Air Force Strategic Air Command, Launch Control Facility (LCF) Hotel-01. Hotel-01 was the Headquarters of the 509th Strategic Missile Squadron of the 351st Strategic Missile Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base. The base is located outside Knob Noster, Missouri. This site was known by those that served here as "FURTHEST and FINEST". This Flight has the honor of being southern most active Minuteman System of the 1000 Minuteman Missiles field, 2000 were planned and would have been as far south as Texas.

This flight like other Minuteman LCF's was comprised of 10 Minuteman Missiles located at separate Launch Facilities (LF) and this one specifically commanded the LGM-30F Minuteman II Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. These missiles were scattered about in the missile field known as Hotel Flight with each missile identified at it's LF of H-02 through H-11. H-01 was manned by elements of the 509th Strategic Missile Squadron. Though it began with a flight of LGM-30B Minuteman I ICBMs in 1964, these were replaced with the Minuteman II between May 1966 and October 1967. It stood at the ready supporting the flight until the collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent reorganization of U.S. forces and adoption of arms-reduction treaties.

Following the removal of all Minuteman II missiles from active alert, the squadron began to demilitarize, with the complex completed in spring 1995. H-01's deactivation entailed sealing off access to the Elevator Shaft, underground Launch Control Center (LCC), and Equipment Building. Digging up the Emergency Escape Tunnel, sealing off the intake/exhaust shafts, back filling in the sewage lagoon, filling in the potable water tanks, emptying the 14,000 gallon Diesel Storage Tank and removing various pieces of equipment.

509th Strategic Missile Squadron
G-01 7.4 mi WxNW of Lowry City MO, 38°11′00″N 093°51′07″W
H-01* 2.8 mi WxSW of Eldorado Springs MO 37°51′36″N 094°03′59″W
J-01 4.7 mi NxNW of Rockville MO, 38°08′10″N 094°06′27″W
K-01 6.3 mi WxSW of Adrian MO, 38°21′16″N 094°27′16″W
L-01 8.8 mi NE of Adrian MO, 38°29′55″N 094°15′10″W

* HQ - 509th SMS

Unfortunately, the present owner attempted to use the LCF building for hay storage while doing considerable damage to the building's structure. This building has since been demolished. The concrete slab, antenna silo, UHF antenna and erected polls are all that remain of this once proud element of the Minuteman Missile System.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   37°51'35"N   94°4'1"W

Comments

  • Farthest and the finest wasn't always a lot of fun. After driving half a day to get down here, working for 24 hours, then you had the drive home to look forward to.
  • Made that trip many times....the highlight of the trip was the 'stock up stop' in Clinton.....most often including a bacon, egg and cheeze sandwich from Hardies!
  • I made the trip also during 90-92. I also remember getting egg biscuits at Hardees in Clinton. I actually was there during the deactivation. I am driving right by now on my way to Nevada, MO.
  • I had the opportunity to man this site many times. Most of the time we flew but in bad weather we got to drive. Long days but a "piece of cake" compared to my previous experiences on Atlas F alerts.
This article was last modified 8 years ago