by Gary F.
I worked for Martin
Marietta, and then Lockheed Martin, for 40 years. My first and last love will
always be the history of the Titan rocket program. I started on the Titan I and
II intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) programs and then worked on the
Titan launch vehicle programs. Watching any of our Titan rockets roar off the launch
pad is a thrill that is very hard to match.
In the early 1980s, we
tried to convince Pentagon leaders that they shouldn't rely on the Shuttle solely
for satellite launch capability. We were successful and then won the
competition for the program that would become Titan IV. I always considered
this one of our nation’s great capabilities as most major Department of Defense
space programs were put into orbit with the Titan IV. I also used to remind the
Air Force that Titan was America's Rocket as it involved most
of the major defense contractors. It was sad for me to watch the last launch of
Titan IV from Vandenberg Air Force Base after I retired. I do feel very privileged
to have been associated with our great company and all the things we did for
our nation!
