Then A1C David H. Burcham, (MSG ret., USAR)
Vandenberg AFB, CA, 1961-64 AFSC 33150 (before reverting back to 46er's)
Trained in MK ll (Thor), MK lll (Atlas D) and MK Vl (Titan ll) Systems
My Personal Memories of the Cuban Missile Crisis
A friend and I went to Los Angeles for the Labor Day weekend in 1962. On that Saturday night we were breezing west on Santa Monica Blvd. in my little 1955 Triumph TR-2. As I passed through an intersection on a green light I observed an LAPD patrol car do a U-turn behind me and turn on his red lights (not blue back then). I pulled over and he wrote me up for three violations I had never heard of.
In the process of giving him my driver's license he noticed my active military I.D. card. He went into this long dissertation about how little we "kids" were paid. What I gathered from his talk was that he was just giving me a warning ticket, so I meekly folded it and placed it in my billfold.
On 1 October I left Vandenberg for 30 days leave, my first leave since joining the USAF on 31 October, 1960. I gave a buddy my mailbox combination to check my mail periodically while I was gone and if he saw anything that looked important to let me know. After I had been home in the hills of northwest Alabama about a week and a half I received a business sized envelope from Al with a note that read, "This looked important, so I thought I'd better forward it to you." Inside was another large envelope with a return address that read, "MUNICIPAL COURT, CITY & COUNTY of LOS ANGELES" In it was a warrant for my arrest for "Failure to Appear in Traffic Court"! I immediately searched my billfold and retrieved the citation I had received in L.A. and discovered to my dismay that it was not a "warning ticket".
I was supposed to appear in court on a day in the third week of September. I immediately drove to a friend who lived closer to town and had the luxury of a telephone to call the number listed on the warrant. I explained that I was home on 30 days leave in Alabama and requested a court date toward the end of October. They gave me a continuance of my case with a court date around the 25th or 26th (it's been 39 years, so I don't remember exactly). Therefore, I made my plans to leave home on the 23rd to make my court appearance in L.A. on time.
While I was home I rediscovered a sweet little girl I had known in high school (who is now my wife of 38 plus years) and we had several dates while I was home. The last of these was on Monday evening the 22 of October. I intentionally cut it short and headed home early to pack up my car ( a '55 Chevrolet, 2-door, 265 c.i. V-8 bored out to approx. 273) that I had traded for while home.
I had only caught little bits and pieces in the news about Cuba. When you are 19 years old some things just don't catch your attention. Of course FM radios in cars was a rarity in '62 and the local AM stations were pretty weak. On the way home that evening, an announcement was made that President Kennedy would make a very important speech concerning the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The further out in the country I went going home, the more interference my radio had. I was straining to hear what the president was saying because I was sure it would have some effect on me as a member of the active military. As I passed under one of TVA's (The Tennessee Valley Authority) 460kv transmission lines, my radio suddenly came in very clear. I stopped and backed up under it to listen to the remainder of his speech. When he had finished, I knew that things were about to get really interesting for us nuclear weapons guys. But, I had already planned to head back west very early the next morning so I didn't give it too much thought.
I left home with what I calculated as just enough money for gas and food to get me back to Vandenberg plus an amount I hoped would cover the fine I was sure to have to pay. I drove non-stop back to California. I had a gut feeling that if I went back to the 51st Orderly room and signed in I would not be allowed to go back to L.A. for my court appearance. My intentions were to sneak back into the barracks, get a good night's sleep and drive back to L.A. the next day. However, these plans were thwarted at the main gate. I had gotten liability insurance on the '55 Chevy at Alabama's minimum of 5-10-5. The A.P. at vehicle registration informed me that California required 10-20-5 and I could not bring my car on base. I called a Tech Sgt friend who lived in the Air Force housing across the highway from the main gate and was able to spend the night with him. I made my run to L.A. and back without incident.
I returned to the Squadron area, signed back in off leave and jumped right in to the frenzied activity that was ongoing. At that time in history Vandenberg was sort of a showplace for SAC and a worldwide missile training site. Plus we were the west coast equivalent of Cape Canaveral in Florida. Therefore, our missile squadrons did not maintain their site with warheads installed. So, when the "stuff" hit the fan we had to rush to get a live nuclear weapon mated to each flyable missile.
I think some of the guys were a bit upset with me because I was not available to help with the majority of what had taken place. But, I was able to participate in the mating of the last MK III RV which gave us a full compliment of combat ready ICBM's. That trip to the missile pad was also an adventure. It was quite different to the many training trips we had made in the past. We had more than twice as many armed A.P.'s escorting us and also a helicopter giving us aerial overwatch. If my memory serves me correctly, every flight-ready missile in each missile squadron's inventory had a live nuclear weapon on it.