This Mario Mural Is Inside a US Air Force Bunker

Have you ever thought about the people who man missile installations around the country? Their entire job is to launch a nuclear strike at a moment's notice. Since that doesn't happen often (if ever), they don't actually have a lot to do. How do they keep entertained during their 24-hour shifts? They could watch movies or television — or they could pick up a brush and paint Mario and Bowser on their walls.

Yesterday, NPR posted a story about a visit to Foxtrot-01, a missile bunker out near Interstate 80 between Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Lincoln, Nebraska. At the entrance to bunker is a giant mural of the Nintendo icons standing next to a skull-faced mushroom cloud (mushrooms, Mario… heh… I get it). Who would guess that this facility houses ten Minuteman III nuclear missiles?

This kind of display isn't unique to this one base — others have their own motifs, such as Star Wars. Doesn't stop it from being morbidly humorous. But hey, these folks need to do whatever it takes stay sane during their long shifts.

Via: IGN