The priority of national defense over all else shows us how the minutemen missiles were a part of the military-industrial complex. The ever-impending threat of all-out war meant the constant development of military technology to outgun each other, creating an arms race. Pursuing this development in the US was done through institutions and individuals whose goal was to develop military technology further. The Minutemen missiles were placed in South Dakota for national defense reasons. Being a landlocked state, the area was safe from coastal assault. The land used for the missiles was mostly taken from private landowners, and oftentimes, the federal bodies took the land with no option of refusal (Heefner) in the case of Gene. E. Williams, the land claimed by the air force for the construction of a silo, was in the middle of his fields. Even when Williams offered to donate the land in the corner of the field for no compensation, the Air Force did not budge and claimed that Williams was not being patriotic (Heefner). The Minutemen Missiles exemplify how the military-industrial complex was a part of the more significant national security state. The priority of military technological advancement and positioning exemplifies how the missiles were a part of the complex.
The silos were set up for the defense of the nation and for the focus on advancing military technology. Still, at the same time, the silos provided economic benefits to the area. The Air Force would take care of the back roads, lower the power bill by a vast amount, and help farmers and tourists stranded in missile fields (Heefner). While Airmen also occasionally settled in the area. The indirect benefit received by South Dakotans as a result of the silos was also a part of the cold war economy. The loss of land due to the Cold War would be a nationwide problem, with 120,000 cases being contested over fair compensation for land seizure by the government (Heefner). The placement of the missiles in South Dakota and the specificity of the land chosen show us how the minutemen are primary examples of the military-industrial complex.
The silo was preserved as a way to honor those who had tended to the missiles in times of the cold war. Due to the Cold War not involving direct conflict between the global powers, it was challenging to honor the military men and women who had participated in the Cold War (Heefner). The silos provided a great opportunity to preserve the legacy of those combatants who were ready to be called upon (Heefner). The location of the silos also meant the sacrifice of the South Dakota could be honored, as for the soviet union to destroy the silos present in the state, a force of 150 nuclear bombs would have to be used. Most South Dakotans were okay with this arrangement, as is seen by the state having the least protest against the missile silos (Heefner). The NHS site aims to give tribute to the people whose land the silos were on and to the people who manned the site.
Will Wright 