42 years later in September and October of 2003 I was in Texas attending my 50th High School Class Reunion and Homecoming at Lueders High School in Lueders, Texas.

As I always do when home in Texas, I went out to see what the Atlas Missile Sites looked like and to reminisce a little of my youth.

In 1961 and 62, I had worked for General Dynamics Astronautics during the Installation and Checkout of the 12 Atlas F  ICBMs surrounding Dyess Air Force Base and as they were completed and activated I worked at the Lawn, Oplin, Corinth West and Albany Sites.

41 years had now passed since I last walked through the gate at Oplin and much to my pleasant surprise, I discovered the Oplin Missile Site # 5 was privately owned and being lived in by a man named Bruce Townsley.

Of all the sites to be preserved I'm glad Oplin is one because Oplin was what we called the "Lead Site" which meant it was the first site to receive a bird,  i.e. an Atlas F  ICBM  "Intercontinental Ballistic Missile" and the first Operational Atlas F  Missile Silo to be turned over to the Air Force at Dyess Air Force Base  -  Abilene, Texas.

I was the Preventive Maintenance Analyst (PMA) at the Oplin Site and darn proud of it.

What it really meant:...   I was the guy they screamed at when any of the Ground Support Equipment wasn't working.