The World Stood Still

October 15, 1962  Aircraft photography revealed missile launchers under construction on the island of Cuba.

October 22, 1962  President John F. Kennedy announced their existence to the American public.  He also declared a quarantine of the island, a blockade, nothing in, nothing out.  He further stated to the Soviet Union to remove their missiles from Cuba.  Low-level photo flights were ordered every two hours over Cuba.

October 25, 1962  As the entire world held its breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop, the United States military, mightiest in the world, was placed on the highest status possible.

October 26, 1962  The Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) Premier Nikita Khrushchev wrote President Kennedy that the USSR would remove the missiles if the United States would promise never to attack the Cuban island.

October 27, 1962  A United States U2 photo aircraft was shot down over Cuba.

October 28, 1962  Premier Khrushchev agreed to the United States demands and the excruciatingly tense threat of the unthinkable nuclear war was staved off for at least a short period of time.  The collective world breathed a sigh of relief as tensions slightly relaxed.

As was true of  the later experience of the twin tower disaster, millions of people can relate where they were during the missile crisis.  I was in a U S Navy fighter training squadron in Jacksonville, Florida.  At the very beginning of the crisis our status was shifted from training to a full-fledged aircraft fighter squadron.  All aircraft guns were loaded and tested for readiness.  Their wings fairly bristled with live missiles of various types.  All leaves were cancelled immediately.  Some aircraft were on the runways with engines idling at all times.  Others were ready for backup at a moment’s notice.

Much later it was learned that Fidel Castro, leader of Cuba, recommended to Premier Khrushchev that nuclear missiles be fired at the United States.  He fumed mightily when it was not done.  The madman knew not how stupid that would have been.  Had a single missile been launched from Cuba at that time the world stood a grave danger of being annihilated.