First, thank you for your well-researched response, complete with hyperlinks. The actual story of America's space program is certainly different from what's "common knowledge". My own opinions of these "defense" projects is rather muddled. They have contributed to America's current (but dwindling) status as chief superpower of Earth, and laid down the roots for future successes, many of which we all benefit from technological spin-offs of today, but also contributed to the ramping up of tension between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. I wasn't alive during the cold war, but this doesn't excuse my current ignorance on the subject. Sadly, one of the best documentaries that I've seen on the subject is "The Right Stuff", released in 1983, years before declassifcation of these projects. The movie even comes off as a clever bit of pro-American propaganda... not that I mean to belittle the commendable achievements made by our early manned spaceflight programs. At present, it seems so distant into the past that no one gives a damn what happened 30+ years ago, regardless of how dependent America's current space prowess is upon these once cryptic military programs. The (necessary?) interplay between military and scientific achievement will continue to frustrate me, of that I can assure you. It's just too complicated, with too many smokescreens and politics. If only we could all just lay down our weapons, come together as a species, and focus on progress... Brb, getting labeled as a commie.
So The Right Stuff is TOTALLY not a documentary. Tom Wolfe's book was fast'n'loose with the truth, and the movie is fast'n'loose with the book. Watch "Astrospies" as linked above. It'll take you an hour. You have to keep in mind that the whole thing is a sleight of hand - civilian space programs are all about military space programs and always have been. William E Burroughs wrote a great book on the NRO and its impact on foreign policy years before the NRO's very existence was declassified - when he was interviewing Hans Mark about a hypothetical NRO, he was interviewing the guy in charge. It's fun to read these days because everything discussed in it now has a wikipedia page... but the perspective is still a virtually unknown one. I was not only alive during the Cold War, I was living in Los Alamos, NM. I'm well aware that my opinion (and perspective) is definitely in the minority. You're new here. This link may be relevant to your interests.
Heh, yeah, I'd figured that The Right Stuff was a little... generous... with its depictions. The way information has been historically controlled and distributed vs. today's relative free-flowing bonanza (classified stuff aside)... I take these things for granted. The internet is arguably the most important technology of our species to date, neolithic revolution aside. White Sands, huh? Say no more. ;) Thank you for your time, I really appreciate it, I will definitely be perusing the literature in your red-pill thread. Good day to you!
Speaking as someone who regularly attends launches at Vandenberg, don't begin to think things are open nowadays. According to the Washington Post, there are half again as many Top Secret clearances in the United States as there are residents in Washington, DC. Just keep that in mind.