Deactivated Minuteman II ICBM Launch Facility (N-2)

 military, Minuteman, historical layer / disappeared object, intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)

The former LF for a LGM-30F Minuteman II Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. Nicknamed "Hard Times" by its crews, N-2 was manned by elements of the 68th Strategic Missile Squadron, 44th Missile Wing, formerly based at Ellsworth AFB outside Rapid City, South Dakota. Though it originally housed an LGM-30A Minuteman I ICBM in 1963, these were replaced with the Minuteman II between 1971 and 1973. November-2 holds the distinction of conducting an actual launch of its missile on March 1, 1965, under the name Project "Long Life". The missile was inert and contained only enough fuel for seven seconds of flight. It stood at the ready until the Air Force began retiring the LGM-30F from service starting in December of 1991 and wrapping up in April of 1994, in line with international arms-reduction treaties. The vacant Launch Facilities were left to be imploded and filled in.