Whiteman Air Force Base, Oscar O-1 Minuteman Missile Alert Facility, Southeast corner of Twelfth & Vendenberg Avenues, Knob Noster, Johnson County, MO

Significance: During the Cold War years, the Nation's nuclear arsenal included 1,000 Minuteman missiles. The Oscar-01 Missile Alert Facility (MAF) at Whiteman Air Force Base (AFB) was an integral part of that system. Oscar-01 was in the 510th Strategic Missile Squadron (SMS) of the 351st Strategic Missile Wing (SMW), which encompassed 150 Minuteman missile silos. Oscar-01 was the only MAF in the Nation that was built within the confines of an air force base; other MAFs were constructed in rural areas surrounding bases. Oscar-01 was also the first MAF to schedule all-female, mixed-gender, and all-Black crews. In addition, Oscar-01, which was the designated Squadron Command Post (SCP) for the 510th Strategic Missile Squadron, is significant for its association with the Emergency Rocket Communications System (ERCS). As part of ERCS, ten Minuteman missiles of the 510th SMS carried Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) transmitters in their nose cones, in lieu of warheads. In the event of war, the President of the United States would direct missile combat crews to record emergency action messages on the ERCS system. Once launched, the missiles' ERCS messages would then be transmitted, over and over again, to SAC forces worldwide.

Survey number: HAER MO-87

Building/structure dates: 1946 Initial Construction

knob noster mo whiteman whiteman air force base oscar minuteman missile alert minuteman missile alert facility southeast corner twelfth vendenberg vendenberg avenues knob noster knob noster johnson johnson county air force missouri cold war war world war ii military organizations military facilities control rooms kitchens latrines crew quarters elevators generators valves hardware ventilation pc andrews and anderson jose fernandez historic american engineering record thomas keohan robert lyon douglas mcchristian donald meuschke morrison hardeman perin levell barry newton james raymond arnold thallheimer us air force ballistic missile construction office us army corps of engineers robert ward lysa wegman french michael wenham christine whitacre george a whiteman oscar o 1 minuteman missile alert facility ultra high resolution high resolution historic american landscapes survey historic american buildings survey air force base kitchen library of congress

1933 - 1970

Library of Congress

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