By David Stover, Stevensville
Ms. McDougal grossly overstated numbers of nuclear warheads in silos around the US. There are presently 500 MMIII and 50 Peacekeeper missiles which are not activated (warheads removed), for a total of 1500 warheads. There are not hundreds around Montana, only 150 MMIII at Wing I, Malmstrom AFB with 50 at squad 2o at Conrad. The first missiles were installed in Malmstrom AFB silos during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the late 1950s or early 1960s
We have enjoyed a somewhat peaceful time with China and Russia due to MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) over the past several years. Only with a strong deterrent were we able to achieve any peace what so ever with our adversaries.
I do not know where Ms. McDougal received her information to support her numbers of warheads worldwide so I will take her word for it but if her numbers for the US are erroneous, then maybe she is off by a few thousand worldwide.
I am confident in my numbers as I have worked on every MM missile site in the US.