The Cold War in the Heartland

Cold War in the Heartland is a project of the University of Kansas Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies.

Durng the Cold War Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) silos were placed throughout the United States, particularly in the upper Midwest. This map shows missile fields that are still active in red and ones that have been deactivated in black.

Here is a diagram of a typical missile site.

Topeka Regional Airport, formerly Forbes Air Force Base, became the home for an Air Force unit that conducted nighttime photography and mapping expeditions over Russia and other communist nations. In 1959 the Strategic Air Command ordered nine ICBM sites built surrounding the base. These were decommissioned in 1965 after the costs to maintain them became too high.

A description of the site at Worden Kansas (548-2 Lawrence) on the map above.            

"Today, weeds, bushes, and trees cover nearly the entire site and frogs cheerfully leap into the pond that has formed in front of the entry door to the old missile bay. At first glance, it appears that the site, once at the forefront of the nation’s nuclear arsenal, has been reclaimed by nature. Yet is still possible to recognize a few of the launch facility’s features, such as the different buildings and the doors that allowed the missile to be launched. These remnants speak to the profound environmental impact of the nuclear arms race, one that can still be felt today."