Looking around his backyard basement, his imagination was flooded with Cold War history. He was thinking about people of that era, the fears they held. He wondered who had actually been in this old cavern. He wondered if such a bomb shelter would even protect people.
Yvonne Morris at the Titan Missile Museum was a US Air Force Officer and part of the crew responsible for launching the nuclear warheads in Tucson. “We existed to prevent WWIII from ever happening,” she told KGUN9 news. When asked if she thought bomb shelters were nuke-proof, she pointed out that a fallout shelter would not survive a direct hit, and there would have to be sufficient food, water and fresh air.
The Long-awaited Descent
As Mr. Sims descended the ladder, the excitement he contained was palpable. Learning of the possibility of this historical relic existing on his property was the reason he bought it, it was the final selling point. And now he was ready to see what sort of value it held. Step by step, he entered, thinking about the significance of this bit of history buried away for over a half century.
His foot stepped off the last rung and he was in! Immediately, he thought it looked beautiful. It was completely empty. There was an arched entrance to the circular shelter area. It could have been much worse. Though he was really hoping it was going to be a functioning fallout shelter stocked with water cans, radiation detectors, supply boxes and other vintage bomb shelter items, it was in great shape. This piece of history was definitely a fallout shelter, and it was definitely his.
Repairing the Damage
Even though it was in great condition, structurally, the underground structure needed some TLC. The dome area of the chamber was not in good shape.
Shards of fiberglass hung from the ceiling threatening to fall. Safety hazards existed. The entire dome would have to be redone.
Exploring the Cavern
It was a lot of awesome to take in. Surveying this clandestine area of his property had him thinking beyond its historical value, and into his own. “A lot of people said I should turn it into a wine cellar or a cigar bar,” Mr. Sims informed KGUN9.
“I thought it would be cool to host some poker games down here. I think it would be a unique buy-in.” The possibilities seemed endless. He just stood there contemplating.
How Many of These Cold War Relics Actually Exist?
Mr. Sims was not the only homeowner in Tucson with a bomb shelter in his backyard. After reaching out on Reddit, he found others in the area have them in various conditions.
It’s believed that 3% of American families built underground nuclear fallout shelters. However, due to Tucson’s military history and its 18 Titan Twos, Tucson fallout shelters built for personal use are more prevalent. Morris told KGUN9 that fears were high in the city. Not only was Tucson a nuclear launch site, but also it was “already a target because of the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.” Because of these reasons, she said, people feared Tucson was high on the Soviet Union’s target list.