January 29, 2020 Issue, Page 3 of 10

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Wednesday, January 29, 2020 Opinion Page The Missiles of Oklahoma, “ElkCituNews Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 Sixty Years On Appointing a state By Landry Brewer Snyder; Cache; Frederick; ogy to fire the missile on first time. superintendent Decades before recent North Korean nuclear saber Fargo, Tex.; Creta; Hollis; Russell; Willow; Hobart; another level, five-person crews would live in the LCC Oklahoma and the world was spared a nuclear confla- rattling and the even more Manitou; and Granite. working a 24-hour shift, gration, though Oklahomans would improve recent World War III social Each site cost approxi media frenzy over conflict mately $21 million to build. then return to Altus AFB for 48 hours. near Frederick received a scare when the missile there education with Iran, Western Okla- Adjusted for inflation, the exploded May 14, 1964. Building missile sites was homa figured prominently price tag would be about dangerous. Oklahoma was Fortunately the warhead By Benjamin Lepak in the nation’s Cold War nu- $180 million today. one of six states—along was unaffected, and there clear arsenal. Six decades to The Atlas missile was 82.5 with Texas, Kansas, Ne- were no injuries or fatalities. Whatever your gripe about public education, Governor be exact, beginning 60 years feet long and 10 feet wide. braska, New Mexico and But the force of the explo- Kevin Stitt can do very little about it. That’s not because ago this month. It weighed 18,000 pounds New York—to house Atlas sion blew the 65-ton doors he doesn’t care or doesn’t have good ideas to improve edu- In January 1960, Okla- empty and 267,000 pounds F missiles. Other ICBMs, off their hinges. The site was cation. It's because he lacks the authority needed to shape homa’s U.S. Senators Rob- when filled with its liquid such as the Titan, were also destroyed and permanently state education policy: the power to oversee and direct the ert S. Kerr and Mike Mon- fuel. The missile could fly housed in several states. Na- closed. State Department of Education. roney, along with Oklahoma between 6,400 and 9,000 tionwide, more than 50 men The following November, Oklahoma has a dysfunctional government. I don’t mean Congressman Toby Mor- miles. If fired from their died building ICBM sites. Secretary of Defense Robert that we have gridlock, or that we have derelicts in impor- ris, announced that Altus Altus-area sites, the missiles Three men died building McNamara announced that Air Force Base in Jackson would have arrived in the the Altus-area sites. Two tant public offices. I mean that our state government—par- County would serve as the Soviet Union in less than 45 men fell to their death at the the Atlas program would be ticularly our executive branch—is not designed to function hub of 12 Atlas F interconti- minutes, inflicting massive Cache and Fargo, Tex., sites, phased out by June of 1965. efficiently or accountably. nental ballistic missiles that destruction. and a man was electrocuted That quickly Oklahoma’s Fortunately, reform appears to be at hand. Last year the would be housed at sepa- Each Atlas F missile car- at the Hobart site on his first part in the nation’s Cold War Legislature granted the Governor the power to hire and fire rate communities within 40 ried a 4-megaton (equivalent day of work there. nuclear arsenal ended. the leaders of the state’s largest executive agencies, and miles of the base. to 4 million tons of TNT) Site construction began The Atlas sites were de- recently the Governor called for the elected Superinten- The Cold War was rag- nuclear warhead that was against a backdrop of grow- commissioned and sold dent of Public Instruction to become an appointed position ing, and what ultimately be- more than 200 times more ing international Cold War to private owners. School came a 45-year ideological powerful than the atomic tension between the United districts at Snyder, Hollis, under the Governor. conflict between the United bombs that the United States States and the Soviet Union. Granite and Fargo, Tex., This is long overdue. States and the Democratic dropped on the Japanese cit- The May 8, 1960, Altus own the site properties at Consider the recent discovery that many Oklahoma West on one side and the So- ies Hiroshima and Nagasaki Times Democrat carried a those locations today. public schools cling to a scientifically discredited method page-one story about the When President Kennedy viet Union and the Commu- at the end of World War II. of teaching reading despite ample evidence that it harms nist East on the other had not The Army Corps of Engi- downing of American pilot went on national television students. In a well-functioning government, the Governor even reached its midpoint in neers oversaw construction Francis Gary Powers’s U-2 the evening of October 22, would learn of this inexcusable failure and order his em- 1960. When the Soviets got of the massive sites, which spy plane over the Soviet 1962, to tell the nation of the ployee running the State Department of Education to make the atomic bomb in 1949, was an enormous undertak- Union. The story relayed Soviet missiles in Cuba, he an immediate change. The agency head would get to work the Cold War intensified. ing. Each missile was stored that Soviet leader Nikita issued a warning to Soviet correcting the situation, or she would get to work updating When the Soviets tested its vertically in an underground Khrushchev called Powers leader Nikita Khrushchev. her resume. first thermonuclear device in silo that was 174 feet deep a spy for U.S. intelligence Kennedy looked into the 1955, it intensified again. and 52 feet wide. Each silo and recommended that he be camera and told Khrushchev In Oklahoma, the Governor can call the State Superin- Then, in rapid succession was built of extremely heav- tried for espionage. He was that the United States would tendent and politely ask her to stop schools under her ad- in late 1957, the Soviets ily reinforced concrete that put on trial, found guilty and “regard any nuclear missile ministration from allowing another generation of students launched the world’s first was poured over rebar to sentenced to prison and hard launched from Cuba against to fall behind. But the Superintendent can tell him to kick ICBM, then Sputnik, the withstand a Soviet nuclear labor. any nation in the Western rocks. world’s first artificial satel- blast at the surface. Silo The day after telling its Hemisphere as an attack Likewise, in a functioning government, if agencies re- lite. Tremendous pressure walls were nine feet thick at readers about Powers, the by the Soviet Union on the fused to carry out policy priorities set by the Legislature, was placed on President Altus newspaper announced United States, requiring the top down to 30 feet be- there would be one person to hold accountable—the Gov- Dwight E. Eisenhower’s low ground surface where that work had begun at the a full retaliatory response ernor. And the Legislature would have multiple levers to administration to complete they began tapering down- Lone Wolf missile site. upon the Soviet Union.” development of the first ward and were 2 % feet thick Six weeks after the April pull to get him to comply. at the bottom. 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion That “full retaliatory re- American ICBM. An independently elected Superintendent is often more sponse” would have includ- And the Atlas missile was Within each silo, a huge that was authorized by Presi- beholden to the education system’s special interests that ed firing the 12 missiles near born. metal structure the equiva- dent Kennedy, the first com- Altus Air Force Base. elect her rather than to the general public, teachers, or chil- Three operational Atlas lent of a 15-story building pleted missile launch site at dren. The only threat the Legislature can make is to cut models were created—the called “the crib” was in- ‘The Cold War was danger- Snyder was transferred from D, E and F. The 577th Stra- stalled to support the missile the Army Corps of Engi- ous. And Oklahoma played the education budget, and we’ve seen in recent years how tegic Missile Squadron at and allow for maintenance. neers to the Air Force. a key Cold War role begin- ineffective that is. Altus Air Force Base oper- Each vertical silo included The October 1962 Cuban ning 60 years ago this month Ultimately, what I am describing is accountability to the by housing ICBMs that were ated 12 Atlas F ICBMs. 65-ton hydraulic doors at the Missile Crisis was the clos- people as a whole in policymaking. A Governor, as the A symbolic groundbreak- top which were flush with est that the United States a vital part of the nation’s head of the executive branch of government, would cre- ing ceremony for the Altus- the ground surface when and Soviet Union came to nuclear deterrent during the ate a vision, set priorities, and direct, and agencies would area Atlas missile sites was closed. nuclear war. When the Ken- most dangerous years of that act accordingly. The Legislature would set policy and have held May 20, 1960, at Altus A 50-foot tunnel connect- nedy administration learned most dangerous era. some confidence that the executive branch would execute ABB. The mayors represent- ed each silo to the Launch that the Soviet Union was Landry Brewer is Bern- those policies. ing Altus and the 12 nearby Control Center (LCC) placing nuclear missiles in hardt Assistant Professor And the people would hold all of these officials account- communities where the mis- where a five-person U.S. Air Cuba that were capable of of History for Southwestern able on election day. sile sites would be located Force crew lived around the reaching most of the conti- Oklahoma State University The Governor wants a constitutional amendment so he participated. clock. Outfitted with kitch- nental United States, all 12 at the Sayre campus and The sites chosen for the ens, showers and beds on Altus-area Atlas F ICBMs is the author of Cold War can more effectively implement state education policy set Atlas sites were Lone Wolf; one level and the technol- were placed on alert for the Oklahoma. by the Legislature, Will Legislators recognize they en- hance their own power by strengthening the Governor's? Census count decisions today. With Okla- US Census Bureau in order Struggling readers in our public schools await their an- homas numbers being based to modernize their database swer. on the 2010 census, these for our state. If you live in Benjamin Lepak is 1889 Institute Legal Fellow and can By Brent Kisling that to happen again. numbers have been grossly our state, we want you to be contacted at blepak@ 1889institute.org. Dear Editor, April 1, 2020, Here is why you should underreported for 10 years. be counted and to be repre- is Census Day in America. respond and be counted in * Federal representation sented and we have been This is a very important 2020: is based on each states popu- working hard to ensure that Thank you day for our country and it could and should be a huge * Federal dollars are al- located to the states based lation. Wouldnt it be great to have more Oklahoma com- everyone is reached. Every one of you will Thank you, I have decided to retire from Terry C. Archer day for Oklahoma. on population more than mon sense roaming the halls get a post card in the mail Accounting and enjoy life a little. Anita and I are going to As the Chair for Oklaho- any time before. Every per- of Washington? in March asking you to re- travel and just spend time with family and friends. mas Complete Count Com- son counted amounts to an * State representation is spond to 9 questions about Iam blessed and have enjoyed working with my clients in mittee I am imploring you to estimated $1,675 dollars in based off of the census data. yourself and those living in the Elk City area and will cherish the friendships we have please respond to the Census federal funding that comes If you are concerned that your home. Please respond made. Thank you for allowing me to assist you over the this year. The future of our to the state, per year. That your area of the state is un- to this request and help us years. communities depends on it. means a family of 4 that derrepresented at the State all in this effort. I am selling the business (Terry C. Archer Accounting) to In 2010, Oklahoma had goes uncounted is a loss of Capitol, you should make If you have any questions a friend I went to college with. His name is Kent L. Brown. the second lowest response $67,000 in federal funding sure your family and friends about the census and our ef- He is from the Grimes area. Kent is a CPA and will operate rate of all the states in the over the next 10 years. are responding. forts in Oklahoma, please US. And it was understand- * Companies interested * Not to sound like a high go to www.okletscount.org [ at 803 § Main St., Elk City, OK. Kent will begin operating school government teacher, https://okletscount.org ] and able. We didnt spend a lot of in starting up or expanding the business on February 1, 2020. Call Mika at 580-225- time or effort focused on it. in Oklahoma look at cen- but its our civic duty. download any information 3040 and schedule an appointment or come by and let me you need. We need every- We werent looking to gain sus data when deciding if a Over the past 12 months, introduce you to Kent. He is ready to assist with your ac- the Oklahoma Department one engaged because we all much from a big count, we community can sustain their counting and tax preparation needs. undervalued what was lost operations and provide the of Commerce, under the count. Thank you again for all the friendships and support over with an undercount. We just workforce they need. And leadership of Governor Stitt, Brent Kisling, Executive the years. I wish you all the best. let the day come and go ten workforce is the number has led the nation in con- Director of the Oklahoma Terry Archer years ago. We cannot allow one issue in business growth tributing addresses to the Department of Commerce.