10 Weirdest Cold War Stories You Probably Haven't Heard

What is better than having a base in Greenland? Having a base that is actually ‘in’ Greenland, and that was the plan for the US Air Force in 1959. Wanting to add an extra level of deterrent against the Soviet Union, the US started to build a nuclear powered, subterranean missile base in the icy wastes of Greenland to complement the air base they already had. Camp Century was born, but subterfuge would be required. This was the Cold War after all!

Understandably the US government did not want to tell the world, and especially the Danish government that they were operating a nuclear reactor on their territory (not to mention the nuclear missiles!). So, the base began operation in 1959 under the cover of a scientific research station. A cover that was successfully maintained until 1995, following an investigation into the storage of nuclear weapons in Greenland.

The USAF had overlooked a quite important issue though: glaciers move! After the base had been in operation for three years, ice core samples were examined and it was determined that the glacier was moving faster than predicted and the walls would collapse within two years. This prompted the closure of the base, and while all the machinery and equipment were removed virtually none of the waste was disposed of and still sits in the ice today.