Time once again for...
November 5th, 2006
Last Sunday, we went to see Jim the Wonder Dog. This Sunday, we took off and went west across Kansas on I-70 towards Junction City/Fort Riley.
Nathan was ready to go...
...but he got too zonked out on the ride over.
Our first "stop" was at the rest area on I-70 that I've wanted to stop at before because it looks like it's in the side of a hill. This picture is taken from the top of the staircase looking out over the interstate to the north.
Still at the rest area...
Taking a break and watching the "trucks" and "train" and "cars"
Weeeeeeee......
All done.
Finally got to Fort Riley. The Worlds Largest Atomic Cannon is just on the south side of I-70, across from Fort Riley. The Atomic Cannon, an M65-280mm, is 42 feet long and weighs 42,500 lbs. It can throw a shell 20 miles, which would place ground zero around Abilene, KS.
The atomic cannon was a huge piece of ordnance built by the United States in the mid-1950s to hurl nuclear shells far enough that they wouldn't kill the people who fired them. While far more sensible WWIII technology than, say, the atomic hand grenade, the atomic cannon did have its detractors and tactical limitations.The first atomic cannon went into service in 1952, and was deactivated in 1963. A single test shot was fired seven miles at the Nevada Test site on May 25, 1953.
Twenty were manufactured; seven appear to have survived the Cold War and are
on
public display today. The largest atomic cannon sits in a public park in Junction
City, Kansas, on loan (permanent) from the Smithsonian.
Getting Closer..
There it is at the top of this hill Nathan and I climbed. The Worlds Largest Atomic Cannon.
Looking down from the hill...
Fort Riley and I-70 from the top of the hill where the cannon is.
A few other people came to see the cannon for a short while too.
On the south side of the cannon, there was alot of anti-war grafiti.
Talking to mama at the bottom of the hill...
Walking down the hill was much easier than going up it.
