Kansas Fall Night

Kansas Fall Night Part One
By Edward McIntire.

His story goes : This particular cool Kansas fall night in 1970 approximately 23:30hrs, my sergeant and I had parked our patrol truck upon a hill over looking the Kansas country side being night the darkness was dotted with lights from the farmhouse yard lights. In the distance you can see the highway with the head and tails lights moving along the road. We were listening to the radio, eating our boxed lunches and discussing world problems. Of course the major topic was how many of the squadron had received orders to Viet Nam and wondering who was next on the list. There was a long stretch of silence when the patrol radio beckoned our call sign. The sergeant answered after a brief pause. “You have a SAM at K12, motion detectors no further, code 2 authorized.” We acknowledged with “10-4 K12”. This sounded like any other routine SAM (Security Alert Message). Except that this one allowed us to proceed over the posted speed limits without sirens.

From our advantage point we could see K12’s Christmas Tree Lights. The Christmas tree was a very tall and large VHF antenna that required navigational lights for aircraft. As we looked toward the missile site we could see that the site lights were on but they were much brighter then usual and lit up more of the area then we thought possible. At the same time the word “Sh---“ left our mouths. The ride there was very quiet not a word was spoken just prior to reaching K12 the base was calling for a status check. “All clear, approaching access road” the sergeant responded. We rolled up onto the entrance road and turn off our head lights. Strangely the site lights were turned down; only the two area lights were on. Then sergeant turned to me and said “This one by the book”. I got out of the patrol truck and started the long walk the access road toward the missile site. Taking up a combat crouch I searched one side of the road then the other, as the sergeant weaved the truck back and forth following me up the road.

Our training took hold and with the precision of countless rehearsals, we started the surface search. The sarge pulled the patrol truck to the side of the road and took up a concealed position by the truck and weaved me on. His duty was to observe me while conducting the surface search while maintaining radio communication with the base. I ran to the entry, picked up the gate phone, which rang the launch center deep inside the missile silo. After relaying the password and identifications, the nervous voice said” We don’t know what going on up there, all sector motion detectors when down and the same time and didn’t reset until a few minutes before you arrived. At that, the main surface lights came on and the gate unlocked. I opened the gate, stepped in and closed the gate behind me. I kneeled on one knee and began to look over the site from one side to the other. At that moment, it dawned on me how unusually quite it was. Normally, I could hear the low hum of the lights and the Kansas insects chirping. It was so quite it was deafening, I started my way to the access portal again I noticed I can only hear the crunching of the gravel behind my feet. I reached the portal and looked through the window peering at the stair case leading downward into the darkness.