Yes, shot A/A missiles. Also a graduate of the USAF FWS and now a “weapons” focal for a major defense contractor; been to WSMR, Vandenberg as well as other locations outside the CONUS to witness many ground-based missile shots.
The contrail was a contrail from a jet.
http://contrailscience.com/los-angeles-missile-contrail-explained-in-pictures/ for an analysis that explain the situation.
Eight minutes was from other eyewitnesses and in my post to you, I did not say the cameraman saw it for eight minutes
You never do address the points I raised regarding the different characteristics between missiles: “The speed of the object was a great give away: if traveling at moderate speed (i.e., low Mach for a missile), there is no way it would have remained in view as long as it did. Further, missiles/rocket motors have a short burn time and never burn for “8 minutes” (that was observed), and that includes ICBMs as they have a boost phase that takes them vertical into a ballistic flight profile, peaking around 700 miles or higher. . .that is why they are “ballistic” missiles. Cruise missile do not fly a ballistic profile and they do not fly very high, as it is tactically unsound for a sub-sonic missile to do so. They also do not leave a smoke trail as they use an air-breathing motor. Besides, a smoke trail makes interception by a fighter soooo darned easy.”
Who observed it moving for 8 minutes? That's new information or misinformation.