Visit to Ellsworth Air Force Base… and Museum

Rapid City, SD is home to Ellsworth Air Force Base… a former Minuteman Missile Base and today one of two remaining B-1 Bomber bases.   At the Entrance to the base is the very excellent South Dakota Air and Space Museum.   Alice and I had the opportunity to take a tour of the Base, and it’s associated Air & Space Museum, accompanied by our Good Friends from Hart Ranch, Mo (Morris) and Judy Jones.   Mo served 20 years in the United States Air Force, much of it here at Ellsworth, before retiring as a Master Sergeant.

During his Air Force career, Mo worked for many years in the support and programming of the Minuteman-1 ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile) missile forces.  Mo was a ‘hands on’ guy… and a great guide to explain how these Systems worked.   Please take a moment to view the pictures below… and even more in the brief Slideshow at the bottom of this post.   All Americans should be grateful to these Men & Women… and the protection they provided to the United States during the Cold War.

The picture below shows the entrance to the Air and Space Museum… and an Air Force B-1 Bomber… our most capable Bomber.   Ellsworth Air Force Base is home to the Air Force 28th Bomber Wing, 34th & 37th Squadrons of B-1 Bombers.

Air and Space Museum, Ellsworth AFB, SD

Alice & Jim LaPeer… South Dakota Air and Space Museum, Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD

While walking thru the outdoor part of the Air Museum, we heard a plane flying overhead… and it appeared to be an Air Force B-52 Bomber, probably from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota.   Alice and I know this plane well… from our days living along the glidepath for Barksdale AFB, Bossier City, LA – Home to the 8th Air Force.   We got a great picture of both Bombers… Note the B-52 (small image) in the unique picture below, flying overhead. 

Air Force B-1 Bomber on display... with a B-52 flying overhead.

Air Force B-1 Bomber on display… with a B-52 flying overhead.

This next picture below shows (Retired) Master Sergeant Mo Jones… standing in front of a Minuteman-1 ICBM Missile on display.   Mo worked for years in support of these Missiles, located in deep underground silos in a 75-mile radius around Ellsworth AFB (Rapid City, SD).

Early 1960's Minuteman ICBM Missile.

Early 1960’s Minuteman ICBM Missile… Our good friend and Guide for the day, is Retired AF Master Sergeant “Mo” (Morris) Jones standing next to the missile. Mo helped to support and program these ICBM missiles here at Ellsworth AFB in the 60’s and 70’s.

Inside the Museum, were many great displays of our Air Force Heritage… From pre-WW2 up to America’s Space Program days.   This particular display below is a replica of a Minuteman Launch Control Center…Where a nuclear missile response would be initiated in the event of a nuclear attack by hostile forces.   Security is Check, double-check… and triple-check.  

Replica of a Minuteman Missile Launch Control Center.

Replica of a Minuteman Missile Launch Control Center… It took two teams of two men, working together, to launch a Missile. This is the Launch Control Center’s Commander’s Console.

Each launch Control Center had two Officers; A Commander and a Deputy Commander.   Each had to work independently yet ‘simultaneously’, to initiate a launch… and this Center had to work simultaneously with a duplicate Center located a few miles away… with identical staffing and security measures.

The Deputy Commander's Console... in the Launch Control Center.

The Deputy Commander’s Console… in the Launch Control Center. It required two simultaneous actions in this control center, matched by actions in another duplicate Control Center, to launch an ICBM.

This map shows the deployment of Missile Launch complexes around Ellsworth AFB  (Rapid City, SD).

Map of the Rapid City, SD (Ellsworth AFB) deployment of Minuteman Missile launch sites.

Map of the Rapid City, SD (Ellsworth AFB) deployment of Minuteman Missile launch sites.

With all this walking, we had to take a break!

Alice and Judy (Mo's Wife) Taking a Break in the Museum!

Alice and Judy (Mo’s Wife) Taking a Break in the Museum!

This next picture is a B-1 Bomber Cockpit replica… The story goes, that it is so crowded with Electronics that to see visually… they sometimes have to fly upside down to see the ground!

Replica of a B-1 Bomber Pilot & Co-pilot seating.

Replica of a B-1 Bomber Pilot & Co-pilot seating.

Ellsworth is an active Air Force Base… Home to the Air Force 28th Bomber Wing, 34th and 37th Squadrons of B-1 Bombers.   Rapid City, and the Black Hills are in the distance.

Ellsworth Air Force Base... B-1 Bombers.

Ellsworth Air Force Base… B-1 Bombers… ready to go.

As we wrapped up the Museum tour, and drove thru the base, we came across this Mule Deer Doe… munching on the grass, curious about ‘us’.   Nice way to wrap a great day!

Leaving the Base... a curious & peaceful Mule Deer.

As we left the base, a curious & peaceful Mule Deer watched us go. She must have known that hunting is not allowed on an Air Force Base!

Thank you for reading our post.   These pictures don’t do justice to Ellsworth Air Force Base… or to the United States Air Force!   But this ex Marine did his best… More pictures in the below Slide Show.  

Slideshow… Ellsworth Air Force Base & Space Museum
To view a full-screen, high resolution slideshow of Ellsworth AFB & Space Museum, 
click the ‘curved arrow’ just below the picture on the right.   To return to normal display, hit [Esc] key. Otherwise, place cursor over the picture to display the slideshow contol buttons. Comments are Welcomed!

 

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2 thoughts on “Visit to Ellsworth Air Force Base… and Museum

  1. Enjoyed your post. i was stationed there in 67 to 71 . 821 Supply Sq. Sgt Sal Ganno
    i stayed at Ellsworth AFB all 4 years. I did not go to Guam either.
    i have a Facebook site…. 821 Supply Sq Ellsworth AFB.

    • Glad you enjoyed the Post, Sal. We’ll be going by Ellsworth this Summer on our way further west. We’ll wave ‘hi’ for both of us!

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