The Corporal Missile at Ft Sill's Artillery Museum

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.

~T.S. Eliot "The Hollow Men" 

This missile located at Fort Sill's artillery museum.  This surface to air missile is known as aCorporal Missile.   

There is a certain elegance in something so destructive.  A monument to the power created by the modern man, who a few centuries ago killed each other with sticks and stones.  

The might of a super power.  

Borders are scratched across the hearts of men
By strangers with a calm, judicial pen,
And when the borders bleed we watch with dread
The lines of ink across the map turn red.
~Marya Mannes, Subverse: Rhymes for Our Times, 1959

Comments

[Richard Buscemi]

I operated the 32 ton Erector that carried and put on the lounch pad in fort sill oklm from 1958 to 1960 with the 52 arty gp at fort sill. when to white sands nm. to fire it in traning.

[John Johns]

I was a Corporal missile internal guidance repairman at fort Sill from 1959 to 1961. Made trips to White sands to participate in firings of several of the brutes, and could relate a few stories about the experiences. Was always surprized at how loud the suckers were taking off. Almost always had injuries among the fueling crews from the Red fuming nitric acid.

[David Hansard]

I taught Corporal Missile maintenance at the Army Rocket and Guided Missile school (ARGMA) in Huntsville, AL from 1959 to 1961. The Redstone missile school was next door to us - the Redstone was basically a larger Corporal. I believe it was the Redstone engine (or a variation of it) that put up our first satellite. Von Braun was testing engine combinations during this time and we could hear AND feel the testings even though they were miles away from the school. They hit a test thrust of over one million pounds during this time.

[James Minarcik]

Was an instructor for the radar and computer in 1960, Then was transferred to the 1st msl bn 82nd arty Vicenza Italy.We used our equipment and fired two corporal at the England ranch in Scotland.In October 1962 went on full alert due too the cuban missile Ets January 25 1963.

[Dennis MacDonald]

I did my second 8 at Ft.Sill and the Corporal Missile with the 84th Artillery in the summer of 1959. The shipped to Vicenza Italy in Jan 1960 where I was stationed until I mustered out in March of 1962. Would love to hear from folks with experience with this missile.