Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Military Decides To Take Down Decaying Missile, Get It Out Of Gotte Park
On Monday, military and city officials in the lower photo meet at Gotte Park to look at the deterioration on the Titan II missile and decide on its future. It didn't take long. By the next day, the missile's removal, above,was moving quickly and not very gently. Below, the officials stand next to the once-towering missile's base.
Kimball's Titan II missile in Gotte Park is being removed.
According to Annette Brower, city administrator, "The missile has deteriorated to the point that it is no longer considered being safe in a public environment."
On Monday, military and city officials met to look at the missile in Gotte Park, and Brower explained, "The decision has been made to remove the missile from the public park. All parts of the missile will be returned to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, where they will determine how to proceed with the disposal of the missile."
In July, the Kimball City Council discussed improvements to Gotte Park, and the removal of the bottom portion of the missile was a topic. Pictures were shown to the council members, and Mayor John Morrison said, "It is actually becoming a hazard to the public."
The City of Kimball obtained the obsolete Titan II missile in 1968. The missile has stood in Gotte Park for 55 years but has been damaged by weather events, and the structural integrity of the missile was compromised when the missile was temporarily disassembled to remove the thorium-laced metal.
The top portion of the Titan II is stored at the Kimball Landfill.
