Titan Tales: Diary of a Titan II Missile Crew Commander.
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
Some of the movies about the Cold War have depicted those of us who carried the nuclear weapons into the air, or who stood ready to launch them at a moment's notice as being wild eyed, macho monsters full of bravado and rage, ready to attack to prove our manhood. Well, this is a story of what it was really like working with the incredible system known as the Titan II. This book tells a tale of great missiles and aircraft and great men, too, that's true; but it is also a story about their families. It is a tale of children and parents - and the larger family of the United States Air Force - and how all that fit in to the great war that stayed cold, and the one in Vietnam that did not.
I served as a crew member on the Titan II ICBM for six years. This book is a story of the last two of those years. During that time, I was Commander of a Senior Instructor Crew serving at the Alternate Command Post; my crew launched a Titan II from Vandenberg AFB, California, we were selected as the SAC Crew of the Month, and we participated in the filming of a simulated missile launch. I was active on the SAC Speakers' Bureau and presented speeches at community organizations and affairs and participated in several university seminars. I also published articles in the Strategic Air Command's professional magazine Combat Crew concerning missile operations, missile safety and management techniques.
In this book you will visit the hardened missile silos that once were dug into the southern rim of the Ozark mountains, you will go on alert with missile crew members and meet some of the people who maintained and operated America's first line of defense during the Cold War. You will travel to Vandenberg Air Force Base and the Western Test Range and explore some of the even-then ancient missile complexes from the first generation of ICBMs. Also, chapter three is a step-by-step description of the underground launch of a Titan II Intercontinental Ballistic Missile!
About the Author
John H. Womack, Jr., Major (Ret.) USAF. Entered active duty 1956: Received BA in Liberal Arts from Southern Illinois University. In Dec 1957, Graduated from Primary Navigation flight school at Harlingen AFB, TX.In Jun 1958, graduated from K-system (B-47) bombing school at Mather AFB, CA. 1958-63 served at Langley AFB, VA, in 427 Air Refueling Squadron in KB-50s as navigator, instructor & standboard navigator; 1959: commissioned Regular Air Force. From 1963-68: Little Rock AFB, AR, 308 Strategic Missile Squadron, Titan II, Instructor MCCC (Crew Commander) at Alternate Command Post. 1968-71: Minot AFB, ND, 906 Air Refueling Squadron, KC-135, including Young Tiger deployments to CCK, Taiwan, & Utapao, Thailand, instructor navigator. 1971-73: Statesboro AFS, GA, 3901 Combat Evaluation Group, served two six-month Skyspot tours as Senior Mission Director and operations officer in Ubon, Udorn, Bien Hoa, Son Tra, Da Nang, Tan Son Nhut, MACV HQ. From 1973-76: Rickenbacker AFB, OH, 301 ARS, KC-135, instructor navigator, then Financial Management Control Officer for NAF. Retired in 1976 as Master Navigator and Senior Missileer. Major Womack was MCCC (commander) of a crew chosen as 2AF Crew of the Month, and later as SAC crew of the month, served as senior Instructor crew commander at ACP; launched a Titan II ICBM, Giant Train, July, 1966. He was a member of SAC Speakers Bureau, speaking to civic organizations and participating in university seminars on Titan II; published articles in Combat Crew; completed Squadron Officers' School, Command and Staff College, and Air War College; received MBA in 1976. He has taught management, finance, accounting and economics courses at colleges in Ohio, Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina. He worked for state of Florida as Budget Officer, Auditor Supervisor, and Supervisor of Accounting Services in Comptroller's office. John and his wife, JoAnn, parents of 5 children, now live in the western North Carolina mountains. John is a naturalist, professional photographer, writer and publisher. He has photographic art gallery, teaches nature photography, and has published several books through his own company, Soliloquy Press, in Franklin, NC. One of his books, Titan Tales, is a dairy of two years of his missile crew duties including descriptions of operational alert tours, missile maintenance, a seven-week trip to Vandenberg AFB, and the launch of a Titan II.
Titan Tales: Diary of a Titan II Missile Crew Commander.,John Womack,Soliloquy Press,0965554600,Ballistic Missiles,Diaries,Families,Womack, John
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