Near Wall in Pennington County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

High Security

Photographed By Duane Hall, May 26, 2013

1. High Security Marker

Inscription. The fence in front of you once guarded the Delta-09 Launch Facility which held a Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). During the Cold War, anyone or anything that crossed this fence was in serious trouble. Standing orders meant the use of deadly force was authorized. Motion sensors recorded activity day and night.

Now imagine one thousand ICBM silos like this, each roughly the size of a football field, scattered widely across the American heartlands. Here you see part of the enormous system that kept the United States secure from a Soviet nuclear attack by threatening overwhelming destruction.

Delta-09 is one of ten launch facilities commanded by the Delta-01 Launch Control Center, located eleven miles southeast of here.

Photo Caption:
Missiles in the Minuteman silos had to be regularly maintained to launch at a moments notice. This missile is in a training facility at Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City.

Erected by National Park Service.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, Cold.

Location. 43° 55.896′ N, 102° 9.577′ W. Marker is near Wall, South Dakota, in Pennington County. Marker is on 195th Avenue, 0.4

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miles south of Dillon Pass Road, on the right when traveling south. To reach the marker and the site, exit Interstate 90 at Exit 116; turn right if you exit from the Eastbound lanes, left from the Westbound lanes, onto Dillon Pass Rd; in approx. 1/4 mile, the road will turn left into 195th Ave; then drive 0.4 miles to the driveway to the marker. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Wall SD 57790, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 14 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Big Badlands (approx. 5.7 miles away); Born of Volcanos (approx. 5.7 miles away); The Carrol McDonald Post No. 246 (approx. 5.9 miles away); Jungle on a Seabed (approx. 6.3 miles away); Homesteads and Ranches (approx. 7.6 miles away); Journey to Wounded Knee (approx. 9.4 miles away); Invisible Warriors (approx. 10.6 miles away); A 75-Million-Year Walk (approx. 13½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wall.

More about this marker. The marker and the site is part of the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Other markers of the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.

Also see . . . Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. National Park Service website. (Submitted on July 22, 2013, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas.)

High Security Marker and Missile Silo image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Duane Hall, May 26, 2013

2. High Security Marker and Missile Silo

Close-up of Photograph on Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Duane Hall, May 26, 2013

3. Close-up of Photograph on Marker

Minuteman II Training Missile in Silo image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Duane Hall, May 26, 2013

4. Minuteman II Training Missile in Silo

High Security Minuteman Missle Launch Facility and fence image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, June 1966

5. High Security Minuteman Missle Launch Facility and fence

Down the personnel access, inside the Launch Facility image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, 1966

6. Down the personnel access, inside the Launch Facility

On a personal note: This contributor can testify to how the security system did its job. More than once the Combat Support teams would follow up on my inner zone presence and detained me until I was authenticated. Yes,twice, "spread eagled" with M-1's covering me. Even rabbits against the fence would trigger the system. Once, I encountered cows inside , and when reported, was told that it was a daily occurence. Antelope could leap the fence and be found inside as well.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on July 22, 2013, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. This page has been viewed 811 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 22, 2013, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. 5, 6. submitted on July 23, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.