Cando, North Dakota : a history of its people and events

• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: North Dakota State Library
• Subjects: Curl; Grand Forks; Minot; North Pole; The Needle
• Online Access: http://cdm16921.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/ndsl-books/id/24188

Progress was rapid; and by 1963, there was a flight with 22 orbits and a safe return. First pictures from space showed the earth indeed green and beautiful and round - a drama in every home. In 1969, we watched Neil Armstrong and Ed Aldrin walk on the moon with their first giant step. This was one of four moon trips, and then the research turned to sattelite and space stations. By 1984, larger crews move at will in their stations, repairing space equipment in orbit and launching sattelites which have revolutionized communications in both television and telephone reception. Fly-by of Juniper and Saturn has doubled the knowledge of space with colored pictures. CANDO: THE EYE OF NUCLEAR TARGETS The terrible destruction of the bombs we dropped on Japan brought the nuclear reality home to our front and back yards. Missiles of unbelievable nuclear power have stood poised for 15 years within a few miles either to the east or west of us. Each of the 100 missiles sitting deceptively in the wheat fields is capable of destroying three different cities 8,000 miles away, with nearly 50 times the fire power of Hiroshima. In 1960, the first real effort to educate the public with Civil Defense was tried. Shelters were marked and food stored. Bomb shelter plans for homes were popular, and several homes built at this time still have bomb rooms. Though Civil Defense never really caught on, it served a purpose in establishing knowledge for the community in how to cope with natural disasters such as tornadoes and floods. Robert Curl was the first director, and he has carried on for 25 years. When the full force of the Grand Forks and Minot Air Bases, with their huge bomber SAC flights constantly bearing nuclear weapons on a 24-hour basis, flew back and forth over us, realization of the Towner County position was brought home. The 100-missile (300 warhead) field to the east begins at Webster, and the one to the west of the same size begins near Wolford. We are the eye of the needle. When the people of the area realized that North Dakota fire power from these fields made us the third nuclear power in the world, with two legs of the triad, enthusiasm for survival in case of attack dropped to zero. There were no demonstrations against the weapons, and some are even thankful that they are not on the fringe, doomed to tortuous deaths in case of nuclear war. Being Target No. 1 is accepted and understood. Fifteen years ago, the ABM -- the only ABM installation in the nation -- was built near Langdon about 40 miles away, designed to intercept missiles as they came over the North Pole. There was a cost of $24 billion and thousands of people employed in its construction. Lundeby Addition The day the installation was completed, it was closed by the government, stripped and abandoned. Now there are six stories underground of cement floors and structures, plus several stories above ground, which stand empty and silent on the prairie. No reason is known for this action, except it was not practical. KOREA In 1950, our National Guard was called into a "police action" that turned into a war 8,000 miles away, which took the lives of 54,000 Americans. Thousands still lay maimed from the battles. This was the first of several actions in a civil war with dictator leadership, where Americans found sophisticated weapons were helpless against day-and-night guerilla warfare of the people. An uneasy peace was finally reached in 1953, though there was no treaty. Veterans finally came home, wiser and treasuring their North Dakota heritage. VIET NAM First triggered by the Eisenhower doctrine that pledged to support East-West conflict, the uneasy peace caused by the Berlin Wall in 1961 and the Cuban Crisis in 1962. President Kennedy had decided to bring the advisors home at the time he was shot in November, 1963; but President Johnson, Elevator fire of Cando Mill and Elevator. • 25- Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.