Living history underground: living inside the Oplin Atlas Missile Base

OPLIN, Texas — During the height of the Cold War, twelve Atlas Intercontinental Ballistic Missile silos were built in the Big Country, all surrounding Dyess Airforce Base.

Built to withstand a nuclear blast in 1960, completed in 1962, and active for the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Oplin Atlas Missile Base was used as the VIP site for important ranking visitors to Dyess Airforce Base.

“It had some special attention given to it in its construction," said Bruce Townsley, owner of the Oplin base.

All twelve of the Atlas ICBM silos were used for approximately three years before being decommissioned.

Most of them have been purchased by private parties and restored for various purposes.

Back in the 60s, they all used to hold ICBM Atlas Fs, approximately 70 feet long without the nose cone.

“They weighed 250 or 300,000 pounds fueled and empty they weighed less than 20,000," said Townsley.

Townsley says it would have taken one of those missiles around thirty minutes to get to the then Soviet Union.

“There’s a really nice graphic on the web about that," recalled Townsley. "It’s a picture of a Domino's pizza box on a blast door, and it says worldwide delivery in 30 minutes or less or the next one is free.”

Townsley purchased the Oplin Atlas Missile Base in 1997 and has since lived there for 25 years. He has remodeled it to his liking with two bathrooms, a living space and a full kitchen.

He said it was something he felt he had to do.

“I never had any question about moving here," said Townsley. "It was just like, yeah, you’re going to do this.”

Heading underground into the launch control center, there are around 55 steps leading to the silo.

There are two floors. The lower level was used for business and was where all of the equipment was kept.

Townsley keeps an original launch control console on that floor. It has been rewired and relit so that it mimics a successful launch when you start it up.

The top level was where the crew, pulling 24-hour shifts, slept and ate.

“There were bunk beds, there was a full kitchen, a bathroom with several stalls, a shower,” said Townsley.

A tunnel made from a steel culvert leads to the missile's home base. The enclosure area is 185 feet, or eight stories deep.

Townsley says the success of the restoration of his silo is largely because of a community effort, like getting an almost three foot thick silo door open with a ram that was installed by volunteers.

Wanting something to leave all of his accomplishments to, Townsley says he is in the process of creating a nonprofit organization with some other people.

“With the project that we’re embarking on now with the Atlas Missile Museum, we’re trying to do a nonprofit to create some kind of a hub for restorations especially with the Abilene group," said Townsley. "Also as a way to preserve artifacts as we stumble across them.”

When asked what he has to say to himself for accomplishing all he has, Townsley says he is beyond smug.

"I would have to say, if the truth be known, I’m really beyond smug and I try to be nice about it but it’s hard," said Townsley.

View the whole story on the KTXS YouTube channel.