So leaving Custer early, we headed for
the Minuteman Missile Launch Control Facility – aiming to be there
early to book a tour, before they sold out for the morning. The
visitor information centre was well set up, and offered lots of
information to support what we had taught the children about the Cold
War. Even Benedict identified the American and Soviet Union flags as
“the guys pointing guns at each other.” The LCF tour was
interesting, particularly the operations room and the infinite list
of checklists, protocols and procedures that had to be adhered to –
from simply entering the facility, to turning the key to set off
nuclear attack. It really brought back to me my youth – I clearly
remember being in Year 5 learning about the threat of nuclear war,
practicing 'duck and cover', and thinking I would never grow up to
get married or have kids because the two nuclear superpowers were
going to blow us all to smithereens … and like any other Year 5
student, I also wondered why I had to persist with Mathematics if we
were all going to be fried?
Following the tour of the LCF, we
headed for the Missile silo and were greeted by Ranger Butch, who
shared freely his knowledge of the history of the program and the
silos still in operation (about 450 in South Dakota and Nebraska).
Leaving Minuteman, we headed to Wounded
Knee museum in Wall, SD. A moving and informative experience of the
massacre at Wounded Knee – Oliver was particularly moved by the
killing of the small children, as was Sophia. In fact all the kids
found it difficult to believe the events of the massacre.
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| Having read up on the history, filled in the workbooks, and watched a video, the kids receive their ranger badges |
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| flat farmland for miles - LCF in the middle of nowhere |
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| Where the keys are turned to start nuclear war and end everything as we know it |
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| the door to the room above - concrete reinforced with steel banding |
Finally, our journey today took us to
the Badlands National Park. Wow, wow, wow. So alien. I kept being
drawn back to the landscape that the Pod Races from Star Wars Phantom
Menace created … so very similar! So darned hot! We didn't stay
long, and the road works hold ups were not appreciated – 38 degrees
out. Still the heat added to the experience in a way.
Photos of the Badlands - the kids were allowed to climb all over these formations if they wanted, but the beating sun made us decide otherwise....
The drive across South Dakota and into
Nebraska was plain … dull. See photos below. Miles and miles of
nothing. We are staying the night in a town called Valentine. Little
to no internet reception. Will see how we go uploading this blog
entry tonight.
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| South Dakota heading into Nebraska ... nothin' for miles |
