Beyond the Web Page... The only book devoted exclusively to the Matador and Mace Tactical Missiles. The book reveals the story from the initial idea that became the first U.S. pilotless bomber, through the politically troubled development of the ever evolving deployment methods of the Matador and Mace Tactical Missiles. It covers the Units, Groups, Squadrons and Wing that fielded the missiles. From the United States test sites, Europe, Asia and North Africa nothing is omitted. All phases of the application of these two missiles by the U.S. Air Force (and West German Luftwaffe) are included, from the first tentative launches of the XSSM-A-1 Matador in January 1949, to the tense alert duty of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the final launch of a MQM13A in May of 1977. The maintenance, logistics and launch, the men, equipment and tactics are all there.

"Bob, George, I finished your book 2 days after I received it. Couldn't put it down. It was incredible reading and incredibly detailed information."

Kent Washburn (KWASH55@aol.com) Mace B, Kadena, Okinawa

"George and Bob. I want you both to know how much I enjoyed reading and how much I admire and appreciate what you have accomplished in developing and publishing "The Pioneers." It is truly an outstanding piece of work, reflecting the time and effort required to produce it, but is also a formidable contribution to our military history. I mentioned in some earlier correspondence that I was a little disappointed in the relatively small amount of information regarding the Operating Location/Guidance Sites but you largely made up for it with this magnificent book."

Dale Lake (daleflake@yahoo.com) 601st Tactical Control Squadron, 38th TMW, Hamm, Germany

"I just finished your book, The Pioneers, et al. Please accept my "job well done!" Not only is it informative, but it's very readable. I'd also like to complement you on how well you footnoted it. You have shown that a scholarly work can be both instructive and enjoyable."

Michael Roof (lavinaschnur@hotmail.com) SGM USA (Ret.)

ISBN 978-0-557-00029-6

"Very good work with great detail."

Col. Charlie Simpson, USAF, Retired
Executive Director
Association of Air Force Missileers

"George, the book arrived on Tuesday while I was off to France. Of course, I quickly read the chapter about Germany's quiet step into the realm of nuclear armament. You know, this is still a widely ignored fact over here...
...For me it is fascinating to see what the picture really was in the 1950s and 1960s as opposed to what the official communication of the time wanted people to believe. A fascinating book shedding some light on the early days of tactical nuclear missiles as well as the political background that even today is still largely hidden behind the propaganda of the time. Can't wait to read the rest of it."

Burkhard Domke
Harsefeld, Germany

"I have your excellent book on USAF tactical missiles. I actually witnessed the decommissioning of the Maces at Wüscheim back in 1966."

Paul Offen
Talitha, Tye Common Road
Billericay
Essex CM12 9PX
UK

"I just wanted to drop you a line and tell you how much I enjoyed the book that you and Bob wrote. The history was of particluar interest to me and my brother who was a history Professor at the University of Wisconsin. He also thought the book was well written, and he now knows what his little brother, (me), did while in Germany for three years."

George Joseph Snyder (gjsnyder@lanset.com)
71st TMS, Steinborn, Germany

"...by the way, I read your book, it was great, thanks for writing it."

Hack Hunton (hack@sstelco.com) Mace B, Kadena, Okinawa

US Air Force Tactical Missiles © 2008 - George Mindling and Robert Bolton

Inspired by the 38th TMW Website, George Mindling and Robert Bolton co-authored US Air Force Tactical Missiles 1949 - 1969: The Pioneers ©2008, the story of America's first operational missiles, from the Matador to the Mace, from Taiwan, Korea, and Okinawa to Germany, including Lowry, Orlando, Holloman, Santa Rosa Island at Eglin, and even Camp Happiness!

Launch Squadron Headquarters Sign

Visit the 498th TMG Launch and Maintenance Sites!

"Crew #1 was the first to run up a combat ready missile engine in launch bay #A2 for launch capability testing. All systems were tested up to the depressing of the launch button. Everything worked as specked and the Pentagon “had its moneys worth” well spent. (But what about the latrines?)"

"After completion, all was nominal until the Cuban Missile crisis. Crew briefings grew to be about an hour long.. Crew change over took more time to relay the “info” to the out going shift. The upgrade to DEFCON 2

[Ed note: Only Strategic Air Command, CONUS, raised to DEFCON 2. PACAF and USAFE rose to DEFON 3. SAC remained on DEFCON 2 until Nov 15.]

made every one concerned for the future of the human race. Missile down time for any reason was not authorized, except for missile malfunctions. For every missile down we had to have a F-105 pulled aside and “specially loaded out” to cover our targets. Those pilots did not appreciate being strapped in the cockpit for hours in order to have the same response time as our missiles. Fortunately, there were only a couple of missiles that “malfunctioned” during that time period."

John Bordne (jcbordne@hotmail.com)

The Kadena Controversy

In response to inquiries about my knowledge and documentation about a possible live-warhead Mace missile launch from Kadena Air Base during the Cuban Missile crisis, I present the following references and related links about the event. This is NOT operation Sunset Lily, a scheduled launch of an inert Mace-B six years later that was canceled and did not happen. Operation Sunset Lily was used as the backstory for former Launch Officer Carlo Croce's novel Launch Enable.

The initial Bulletin of Atomic Scientist article is at: The Okinawa Missiles of October

The response from Stars and Stripes Magazine is at: Missileers refute claim The photographs used from this web site by author Travis Tritten were used with my permission.

The Bordne/UN Interview in .mp3 format (43Mb) is available for download at Bordne Interview

My response to Aaron Tovish, Director of the 2020 Vision Campaign of Mayors for Peace, author of the original article, is at:
Letter to Aaron Tovish

George Mindling, Webmaster/Co-author U.S. Air Force Tactical Missiles 1949 – 1969 The Pioneers

I was looking for something on the CGM-13B to decorate the office when I came across your site. It is great, it brings back many great memories. After attending training in Orlando, I served as a Mech 4 on Crew 27, Site 3 from January 1966 to June 1967. I have included a picture of one of the few mementos that survived the years and moves --- a “Turtles” crew patch from my old “498th black hat.”

The advertisement for Orion Beer is very appropriate and speaks to the primary off-duty interest of us “young troops.” Between Orion beer, Instant money and the pawn shops, it a miracle that some of us live to tell the of tour. I had the opportunity to visit the old barracks in 1988. The most significant difference was women residents and the TV lounge was empty on an off payday weekend.

David L. King, CMSGT, (Ret) ( Dlk2161@aol.com)

A TM-76B (CGM-13B) barely clears an overhead power line at the village of Deragawa enroute to a launch site from the missile maintenance area, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa.

Photo coutesy of Chuck Headlee (headlee@abcs.com).

"Nose Pickers" - Kadena, Okinawa

"The speed limit on the island was 30 mph, and only 20 mph if we were hauling a nose section, warhead or bird. Tiedown checks on the return trip from site 3, usually done in front of a grocery store, were frequent. Cold Orion beer was only 35 cents a quart."

Charles Headlee 498th MMS (headlee@abcs.com)

Nose Pickers at work...
A Mace-B nose change

Photo courtesy of Dennis Cralley, Sr. (dcralleysr@cox.net)

The Paris Steam Bath

"I worked MACE Site 3 on rotating shifts along with everyone else. This was four days on day shift, two days off, four on afternoon shift, two days off, four on midnight and four days off."

"At the end of one of these shift rotations we were pretty tired and in need of somegrooming. So, on the first day off after the midnight shift, we would go to Gate No.2 street to a barber shop to get a haircut and a massage from a female barber.
They would cut your hair, and rub your back with a hand vibrator. Ah, life was good.
Then it was off the Paris Steam Bath for, what else, a steam bath, and a hot bath, and another massage. These were delivered by, if you werelucky, a cute female. If you weren't so lucky, you got mama-san. Ah, life was good and getting better.

Then it was across the street to the local greasy spoon for a decent meal. The food was hot, cheap, and always better than the chow hall. I followed this routine for the entire 18 months on Okinawa. What I miss to this day though is the massage at the Paris Steam bath. When, ifyou were lucky, the cute female would walk up and down your back, you could hear every vertebra crack ... geeez that felt good."

Tim Lewinski (timlew@chartermi.net)
Kadena AB Okinawa - MACE Site #3 (Aug 1963- Feb 1965)

This was Launch Crew 33 Site 4Left to Right:A2C Anger (Site Power)A1C Cousins (Nuclear Weapons)Lt. Richard Mellick (Launch Officer)TSgt Carter (Crew Chief)A2C Larry Johnston (Guidance & Launch)A2C Frank Bender (Airframe& Engine)

Please feel free to share with anyone.
Great Web Page.... Thanks for the memories.

Larry Johnston (ljohnsto@comcast.net)