Driving around Cordele, Georgia and want to find the nearest Crystal? Easy. It’s right next to the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.
Yes, this southern Georgia city is home to one of America’s first multi-stage ICBMs, a 96-foot-tall Titan I missile. But don’t worry, the missile is no longer in service and was dismantled as a weapon more than 50 years ago.
But how did it get here? According to Bob Evans, a longtime club member, it began as an idea from a former president of the local Rotary club, John S. Pate Jr., a retired Navy captain and member of Cordell’s prominent Pate family.
Work from home: Georgia ranks in top 10 states for remote work, Desky survey finds
“He came up with the idea to acquire one of the retired missiles and install it in Cordell as a landmark to attract tourists,” Evans said.
The missile was donated to the Rotary Club by the federal government. It was disassembled in California and flown to Warner Robins Air Force Base outside Macon. It was then transported along I-75 to Cordele where it was christened on July 17, 1969. The Rotary Club then donated the missile to the City of Cordele and Crisp County.
Since then, the club and local residents have continued to maintain the missile: trash around the missile site is regularly removed, some tourist tax revenue is used to purchase new shrubs and landscaping, and the local power company provides lighting so the missile can shine at night.
“They ask me where I’m from, and I say, ‘Cordell,’ and they say, ‘Oh yeah!’ Everybody knows where the missiles are,” Evans said, laughing. “It really is a landmark.”
Indeed, many tourists, nomads and globetrotters have fulfilled John Pate’s wish to see the missiles, stopped off to take photos and enjoy Cordell’s other attractions. One such visitor was Samantha Veillon, a Louisiana native who visited Cordell with her husband, Anthony, during a transcontinental trip.
“It’s so great to see the support of our American troops as I travel across this great country,” she wrote in a message. “Thank you for the symbol of a great place to land tonight!”
The missile is located at 1815 16th Ave E. For more information, see the Historical Marker Database page.
