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Old 06-07-2009, 10:48 AM
Graebarde Graebarde is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Texas Coastal Bend
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Another question/comment. The strikes in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming are just the command centers for the missile wings. There are command centers all over the areas, at least ten for each of the wings that would be targets of multiple strikes as well. I grew up in NoDak, half way between the two red dots (Minot AFB to the west and Grand Forks AFB to the east. The nearest silos to home were 40 miles east and about the same to the west. Were war to come at that time in my life, we were going to be well irradiated, the area a radioactive wasteland from the Rockies to the Great Lakes; and from the Platte River to Canada. NoDak was joked as the third largest nuclear power in the world hving well over 300 Minuteman missile silos as well as two SAC bomber wings.

It was interesting to watch the BUFFs do their low level insertion practice, traveling about 400 feet off the surface. Their path for the practice was 12 miles west of where I lived, and over fields where I worked as a field scout, First encounter startled me as I came out of a treeline and there within pistol range is a BUFF passing by. You do NOT hear them until they are over you!

Imagine a farmer working and seeing an enemy bomber sliding semi-silently over your field.

I've also experienced a fighter 'bombing run' while working in the field. A shadow growing over the tractor, look back and up a bit and here's an F4 coming out of the eveing sun. Close enough you could smell the kerosene as he kicked his afterburners. That was just after the Hooligans (NoDak ANG Fighter wing) transitioned to F4.

Lots of interesting memories from the Cold War era in central NoDak.
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