History, set in stone

Forty-six years after an explosion destroyed a nuclear missile complex near Damascus, the people who served there—and the airman who lost his life—are being permanently remembered.

Many of the organizers and community supporters who helped make the historical marker a reality gathered to celebrate its dedication.

On Sept. 18, South Side Bee Branch EAST students, veterans, family members, community leaders and other guests gathered along U.S. Highway 65 for the dedication of an Arkansas historical marker commemorating the Titan II Missile Complex 374-7 explosion. Several of the men attending had worked at the complex, including some who were there during the disaster.

The ceremony completed a student-led project that 501 LIFE first shared with readers in June 2025, when Benjamin “Ben” Hutto was recognized as Youth of the Month. Working with EAST facilitator Julie Nelson, Hutto chose the missile complex as his senior EAST project after realizing how little most people of his generation knew about the nationally significant event that had occurred in their own community.

Their goals were twofold: honor Senior Airman David Livingston, who died following the explosion, and secure a historical marker that would preserve the story of Complex 374-7 and the people who served there.

Nelson said the students’ curiosity about a largely forgotten local event grew into a years-long effort to preserve the story of the missile complex, the men who served there and Livingston’s sacrifice.

The accident began during routine maintenance on the evening of Sept. 18, 1980, when an airman dropped a socket that fell approximately 80 feet and punctured the missile’s first-stage fuel tank. Highly combustible fuel began leaking into the silo, forcing personnel and nearby residents to evacuate.

Early the following morning, Livingston and Sgt. Jeff Kennedy entered the complex to measure the concentration of fuel vapor. When an exhaust fan was activated, an electric spark ignited the fuel and triggered an explosion. The blast hurled the silo’s 740-ton closure door 200 feet into the air and ejected the W-53 nuclear warhead. Its safety systems worked as designed, and the warhead did not detonate.

Livingston was recovered from the rubble but died from his injuries later that day. Kennedy survived, and 20 other people were injured in the explosion or rescue efforts. The incident contributed to the decision to retire the aging Titan II missile program, which was removed from service between 1982 and 1987.

Livingston’s sister Marcia Livingston Kuyper and other family members attended the September dedication. Their presence connected the history recorded on the marker to the young airman whose sacrifice remains at the heart of the story.

The historical marker was the project’s final milestone, but the students’ first effort focused personally on Livingston. During a 2024 visit to the former missile site, cleanup crew member Chris French expressed a desire to see the fallen airman recognized.

Hutto, Nelson and EAST students Abbi and Brooke Cullum worked with landowners and Van Buren County Judge Dale James to rename the complex’s access road Livingston Lane. Former Air Force missileers selected the name, and approximately 100 guests, including Livingston’s sisters and explosion survivors, attended the April 2025 dedication.

Meanwhile, students pursued a historical marker through the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. Nelson said the project received approval before the usual 50-year threshold because of the disaster’s national significance and the site’s 2000 listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

The preservation program and former missileers collaborated on the wording, fitting a complex story into the marker’s limited space. Casting was expected to take up to two years, but an earlier completion allowed organizers to plan the dedication for the 46th anniversary of the day the accident began.

Safe parking shaped the search for a location. John Stacks initially offered space at Stacks Law Firm, then proposed property he had purchased across U.S. Highway 65, closer to the former complex. With preservation program approval, James helped have the marker installed on Sept. 17.

Despite the late location change—and what Nelson described as “inferno weather”—the dedication proceeded the following day. Guests could also tour the former silo site, where crew members shared memories of their work, their experiences and the night of the explosion. A reception for Air Force veterans and their families followed.

For Nelson, the project taught lessons extending far beyond technology or the classroom. “The most important lesson I can teach cannot be found in a textbook,” she said. “Teaching patriotism, love of country, and respect for those who have served is, to me, more important than any class I could teach. If my students leave my classroom understanding the meaning of sacrifice, service, and gratitude, then I have taught them something that will last far beyond their school years.”

For the students, the marker represents more than the conclusion of a long project. It is proof that young people can recover a piece of their community’s history, bring generations together and ensure that sacrifice is not forgotten.