TITUSVILLE, Fla. — Bob Graveline loves telling stories of his Cold War history so we can learn from our history.​

What You Need To Know

  • Bob Graveline worked on the Snark missile program in 1950s

  • The missile was designed to strike Russia with a 6,000-mile range

  • One of the few remaining Snark missiles is on display at Air Force Space & Missile Museum

The 94-year-old Titusville man's career predates the dawn of the space program, and his work was key in the U.S.'s showdown with Russia during the Cold War.

Now, Graveline is sharing his story at the Air Force Space & Missile Museum in Cape Canaveral, which is growing in popularity.

"I was in the data reduction group," Graveline said. "(It was) 1950s technology — I'd use that equipment to reduce the data on every Snark missile."

Graveline fondly recalls his days with Northrup Corporation.

"I had to develop the mathematical formulas to simulate the calibration curves of each of the systems," he explained.

The math whiz was transferred to Brevard County from California to work on the government's Snark missile program — missiles that could carry nuclear warheads 6,000 miles to their target.

"Because of the Cold War, we had to have a way to hit Moscow with an atomic bomb," Graveline said.

The late 1950s and early 1960s were scary times for the world, but fortunately, the missiles were never fired in anger.

Graveline worked on 100 Snark launches and landings at the Cape.

"This is a hidden gem," says James Draper, the museum director of the Air Force Space & Missile Museum at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. "It goes back 70 years... It dates to 1953. A lot of the history we preserve and present predates NASA."

Hangar C includes one of only five Snarks left in existence.

Graveline is a museum volunteer who loves sharing stories about the missile program as part of his tours.

"So I think people would enjoy seeing what we have there, including the Snark," Graveline said.