Monarch in Cascade County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
The Ace in the Hole
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 10, 2015
1. The Ace in the Hole Marker
Inscription.
The Ace in the Hole. . Montana may seem a long way from international events, yet it was once in the forefront of a confrontation between the United States and Soviet Union. In October 1962, American President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev stood toe-to-toe over the issue of Soviet missiles based on launch pads in Cuba. Kennedy insisted they be removed, while Khrushchev and Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro vowed they would stay. For thirteen days the world teetered on the edge of a war between the two superpowers but President Kennedy had an “Ace in the Hole” - the new Minuteman I missiles, which stood ready in underground launch facilities in Montana. The missiles were part of the Air Force’s recently-activated 341st Strategic Missile Wing, headquartered at nearby Malmstrom Air Force Base. The first missile, at the Alpha-06 launch facility, went on-line during the crisis and provided a significant deterrent to Khrushchev’s plans. The Alpha-06 launch facility, and many others like it, is still operational today and continues to protect the United States under the watch of the men and women of the 341st Space Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base.
Montana may seem a long way from international events, yet it was once in the forefront of a confrontation between the United States and Soviet Union. In October 1962, American President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev stood toe-to-toe over the issue of Soviet missiles based on launch pads in Cuba. Kennedy insisted they be removed, while Khrushchev and Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro vowed they would stay. For thirteen days the world teetered on the edge of a war between the two superpowers but President Kennedy had an “Ace in the Hole” - the new Minuteman I missiles, which stood ready in underground launch facilities in Montana. The missiles were part of the Air Force’s recently-activated 341st Strategic Missile Wing, headquartered at nearby Malmstrom Air Force Base. The first missile, at the Alpha-06 launch facility, went on-line during the crisis and provided a significant deterrent to Khrushchev’s plans. The Alpha-06 launch facility, and many others like it, is still operational today and continues to protect the United States under the watch of the men and women of the 341st Space Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Military
Location. 47° 4.866′ N, 110° 49.496′ W. Marker is in Monarch, Montana, in Cascade County. Marker is on U.S. 89, 1.2 miles south of Missoula Avenue / Hughesville Road, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located in a pull-out on the west side of the highway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Monarch MT 59463, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. This is a large painted wooden "billboard-style" marker, hanging from a heavy-duty wooden frame.
Also see . . . 1. Cuban Missile Crisis. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, leaders of the U.S. and the Soviet Union engaged in a tense, 13-day political and military standoff in October 1962 over the installation
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 10, 2015
2. The Ace in the Hole Marker (wide view from highway pull-out)
of nuclear-armed Soviet missiles on Cuba, just 90 miles from U.S. shores.
Both the Americans and Soviets were sobered by the Cuban Missile Crisis. The following year, a direct “hot line” communication link was installed between Washington and Moscow to help defuse similar situations. The Cold War was far from over, though. In fact, another legacy of the crisis was that it convinced the Soviets to increase their investment in an arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S. from Soviet territory. (Submitted on December 26, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Minuteman Wing I - Malmstrom Air Force Base. With the Cold War quickly picking up speed, December 23, 1959 marked the date when the Air Force Ballistic Missile Committee announced their approval of the selection of Malmstrom AFB to host the first Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Base.
Five short months later the Minuteman I missiles assigned to the nation's first Minuteman ICBM missile wing would factor into becoming a major role in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
October 26, 1962 marked the date when the 10th Strategic Missile Squadron Launch Facility Alpha-06 went on what is called "strategic alert" due to the discovery that the Soviet Union had been placing nuclear missiles in Cuba. Over the next four days, the 341st Strategic Missile Wing
placed four more Minuteman I missiles on alert.
After an intense and nerve wracking 13 days, the Soviets opted to remove their missiles from Cuba. There have been statements made that President John F Kennedy stated that the Soviets backed down because they knew that he had an "Ace In The Hole," referring directly to the Minuteman I missiles that were deployed and placed on strategic alert with the 10th Strategic Missile Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base. (Submitted on December 26, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2018. It was originally submitted on December 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 990 times since then and 86 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on December 26, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
