Stanislov Petrov...and Don Cullins

[raketenjagdpanzer]

We've all heard about the heroic decision by Stanislov Petrov to ignore computer data indicating a nuclear attack on the USSR was underway and that by doing so he probably saved the planet from destruction.

Heard another one from my mom. A once-uncle (removed by divorce), Pitt Bennett was on watch in an Atlas missile silo in the 60s or 70s. For reasons not understood, one of the missiles "was about to take off". That is, as near anyone can tell (based on what my dad told me about it before he passed away) the missile went into launch mode and started a fire in the silo. At the time nobody knew what would happen; would the missile launch and fly to its target somewhere in the USSR? Would it explode and detonate the warhead? Would it explode, but not detonate the warhead, but still go with enough fuel to kill everyone in the launch control bunker, etc.?

Anyway, while everyone else was running out, uncle Pitt ran in and pulled a manual release that quenched the fire, and that was the end of that.

He got an AF Commendation medal for it, but it wasn't much talked about (I guess in the 60s just casually announcing that a nuclear missile almost launched of its own accord would probably not have gone down well). I can't imagine the PAL would have broken down so badly that the thing would have done what it was designed to do, but you never know.

Anyway, thanks Pitt.