Ellsworth Air Force Base in Pennington County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
LGM-30F Minuteman II
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026
1. LGM-30F Minuteman II Marker
Q: When was the last time a nuclear weapon was used?
A: They're used every day, for deterrence.
For 34 years, Ellsworth Airmen kept fields of nuclear missiles ready to launch. A single Minuteman II could arrive within half a mile of its target and deliver a warhead 66 times more powerful than the atomic bomb that struck Hiroshima in 1945. The Airmen who maintained and manned these weapons during the Cold War prevented such devastation, through deterrence. Their dedication helped convince Soviet leaders that nothing could prevent the United States from striking back against an attack—with dreadful force.
"Each side knew that they could inflict incredible damage on the other side, but could not prevent them from inflicting incredible damage on our side. That's pretty much all I knew. That's pretty much all you really needed to know."
-Dennis Cabrera, Missile Combat Crew Commander
THE DOOMSDAY PREVENTION TEAM
Ground-launched missiles like this are one of three systems used to field nuclear weapons: the others are nuclear-armed bombers and missiles launched from submarines. Deterrence depends on a huge
this page online
[Photos]
RIGHT: The B-2 and B-52 share nuclear bomber duties.
LEFT: U.S. Navy Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines are hard to detect.
Missile crews were anonymous heroes of the Cold War.
[Non-nuclear tipped] Missiles are regularly test-launched from Vandenberg AFB [now Space Force Base], California
DATA CARD
Top Speed mph · 17,000
Crew: 2
Range: Intercontinental
Payload: 1.2 megaton nuclear warhead
Erected by South Dakota Air and Space Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, Cold. A significant historical year for this entry is 1945.
Location. 44° 7.993′ N, 103° 4.391′ W. Marker is in Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, in Pennington County. Marker and missile are on static display at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2890 Davis Drive, Ellsworth AFB SD 57706, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in West River, in the Badlands, and in Greater Rapid City. It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor,
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026
2. LGM-30F Minuteman II and Marker
Right marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named LGM-30F Minuteman II (here, next to this marker); MIM-3 Nike Ajax (a few steps from this marker); C-45H Expeditor (a few steps from this marker); Duke Corning (within shouting distance of this marker); EC-135 Airborne Launch Control System (ALCS) (within shouting distance of this marker); F-100A Super Sabre (within shouting distance of this marker); Interceptor Alert Hangar (within shouting distance of this marker); B-1B Lancer (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ellsworth Air Force Base.
Regarding LGM-30F Minuteman II. Although an official field museum of the US Air Force Heritage Program and is adjacent to Ellsworth AFB main gate, the museum does not require access onto the base.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 6, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 6, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 6, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
