The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Cuban Missile Crisis (Oct-1962)

A Short Chronology of the Cuban Missile Crisis

JULY 1962. Raul Castro, brother of Cuban Premier Fidel Castro, visits Moscow. The Soviet Union begins large-scale shipments of technicians and military aid to Cuba.

AUGUST 1962. Soviet shipments continue. U.S. intelligence establishes the presence of air defense missiles in Cuba. Rumors of offensive missiles in Cuba spark Republican attacks on the Kennedy administration. Senators Keating and Capehart call for action against Cuba.

SEPTEMBER 1962. The U.S. and the U.S.S.R. trade warnings of a nuclear confrontation if Cuba becomes a base for Soviet offensive weapons or if the United States should invade Cuba. Rumors of offensive missiles in Cuba persist without hard evidence to substantiate them. Red Army troops begin arriving secretly in Cuba. The Kennedy administration is unaware of a force which will eventually reach 40,000 men. American intelligence assumes that there are about 2,000 or 3,000 troops in Cuba to guard the missile sites. Nearly three decades will pass before the presence of this large Soviet force is revealed.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14. Major Richard Heyser completes a U-2 photo reconnaissance flight over Cuba, the first without cloud cover in nearly two weeks.

October 14, 1962. Maj. Steve Heyser flies first U-2 mission

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15. Intelligence analysts at the National Photographic Interpretation Center "read out" the U-2 film and identify a medium range ballistic missile site near San Cristobal.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16. The thirteen days marking the most dangerous period of the Cuban missile crisis begin. President Kennedy and principal foreign policy and national defense officials are briefed on the U-2 findings. Discussions begin on how to respond to the challenge. Two principal courses are offered: an air strike and invasion, or a naval quarantine with the threat of further military action.

This U-2 reconnaissance photo showed concrete evidence of missile assembly in Cuba. Shown here are missile transporters and missile-ready tents where fueling and maintenance took place.

Soviet Premier Khrushchev tells U.S. Ambassador, Foy Kohler, that the USSR is helping the Cubans build a “fishing port” and has no military interests in Cuba

8:45 am: President Kennedy is told that the CIA has "hard photographic evidence" of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. He selects 14 advisors from the National Security Council. The group becomes known as the ExComm.

11:50 am: The ExComm discusses alternatives. Some favor a blockade of Cuba, but most prefer some sort of military action. Robert Kennedy passes this note to his brother, the President, "I now know how Tojo felt when he was planning Pearl Harbor."

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17. Military units begin moving to bases in the Southeastern U.S. Photos from another U-2 flight show additional sites and 16 to 32 missiles. Kennedy attends a brief service at St. Matthew's Cathedral in observance of the National Day of Prayer. He has lunch with Crown Prince Hasan of Libya, and then makes a political visit to Connecticut in support of Democratic congressional candidates.

Low altitude view of missile preparation area. The pilot taking this shot flew at an altitude of about 250 feet, and at the speed of sound.

U2 flights identify the first of three Soviet SS-5 missile sites. The SS-5s have ranges of up to 2,200 nautical miles. The military estimates that as many as 32 medium range missiles could be made operational in under a week.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18. Kennedy is visited by Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, who asserts that Soviet aid to Cuba is purely defensive and does not represent a threat to the United States. Kennedy, without revealing what he knows of the existence of the missiles, reads to Gromyko his public warning of September 4 that the "gravest consequences" would follow if significant Soviet offensive weapons were introduced into Cuba.

President Kennedy meets in the Oval Office with General Curtis LeMay and reconnaissance pilots who flew the Cuban missions. Third from the left is Major Richard Heyser who took the photos on which the Cuban missiles were first identified.

11:00 am: The ExComm starts to deliberate the moral acceptability of air strikes against the Cuban bases. Robert Kennedy fears that strikes would be viewed by the world as, "Pearl Harbor in reverse." He continues to stress that the U.S. has missiles in Turkey.

5:00 pm: Andrei Gromyko meets with President Kennedy and assures him that Soviet military actions in Cuba are purely defensive. Kennedy decides not to tell Gromyko that the U.S. knows about the missiles.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19. President Kennedy leaves for a scheduled campaign trip to Ohio and Illinois. In Washington, his advisers continue the debate over the necessary and appropriate course of action.

President Kennedy prepares two speeches; one about air-strikes, the other about a blockade. The ExComm now favors a blockade. President Kennedy abandons the air-strike speech. The press begins to publish reports of missiles in Cuba. The reports are denied by the Defense Department.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20. Kennedy returns suddenly to Washington and after five hours of discussion with top advisers decides on the quarantine. Plans for deploying naval units are drawn and work is begun on a speech to notify the American people.

U2 Spy Plane

2:30 pm: President Kennedy informs the ExComm that any military action against Cuba would involve the use of atomic weapons. He thus opts for a blockade and schedules his address to the nation for October 22 at 7:00 pm

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21. After attending Mass at St. Stephen's Church with Mrs. Kennedy, the President meets with General Walter Sweeney of the Tactical Air Command who tells him that an air strike could not guarantee 100% destruction of the missiles. Kennedy informs British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan of the situation by telephone.

Photographed from an RF-101 Voodoo, this view of a Soviet SA-2 (surface-to-air) missile pattern provided additional evidence of the Russian arming of Cuba.

Although he is committed to the blockade, President Kennedy directs the Tactical Air Command to be ready to carry out an airstrike against Cuban bases any time after the morning of October 22, 1962.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 22. Kennedy phones former Presidents Hoover, Truman and - Eisenhower to brief them on the situation. Meetings to coordinate all actions continue. Kennedy formally establishes the Executive Committee of the National Security Council and instructs it to meet daily during the crisis. Kennedy briefs the cabinet and congressional leaders on the situation.

President Kennedy writes to Nikita Khrushchev, Premier of the Soviet Union, prior to addressing the American public on live television: ... I have not assumed that you or any other sane man would In this nuclear age, deliberately plunge the world into war which it is crystal clear no country could win and which could only result in catastrophic consequences to the whole world. Including the aggressor.

A Soviet Il-28 "Beagle" bomber on the San Julian, Pinar del Reo, air base

12:00 noon: SAC initiates a massive alert of its B-52 nuclear bomber force. B-52 flights begin around the clock, with a new bomber taking off each time another lands. For the first time in history, all aircraft are armed with nuclear weapons

2:14pm: President Kennedy orders that U.S. Military forces worldwide go to DEFCON-3 -- an increased alert posture -- as of 7:00 pm, the time of his speech to the nation.

7:00 pm: President Kennedy, in a 17-minute televised speech, informs the nation of the presence of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. he states that as one of his "initial steps," a "strict quarantine on all offensive military equipment" is being put into effect. Kennedy warns the Soviet government that the United States will "regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response against the Soviet Union." U.S. military forces worldwide, with the exception of the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), are placed on DEFCON 3. ICBM missile crews are alerted and Polaris nuclear submarines in port are dispatched to stations at sea. During the president's speech, twenty-two interceptor aircraft go airborne in the event the Cuban government reacts militarily.

Approximately one hour before the speech, Secretary of State Dean Rusk formally notifies Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin of the contents of the President's speech.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23. Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs Edwin Martin seeks a resolution of support from the Organization of American States. Ambassador to the United Nations Adlai Stevenson lays the matter before the U.N. Security Council. The ships of the naval quarantine fleet move into place around Cuba. Soviet submarines threaten the quarantine by moving into the Caribbean area. Soviet freighters bound for Cuba with military supplies stop dead in the water, but the oil tanker Bucharest continues towards Cuba. In the evening Robert Kennedy meets with Ambassador Dobrynin at the Soviet Embassy.

8:00 am: In a letter to President Kennedy, Chairman Khrushchev reaffirms his contention that Soviet military actions in Cuba are defensive and concludes, "I hope that the United States Government will display wisdom and renounce the actions pursued by you, which may lead to catastrophic consequences for world peace."

October 23, 1962. JFK signing the quarantine order in the Oval Office

5:40 pm: Fidel Castro places Cuba’s 270,000-man military on its highest state of alert.

7:06 pm: President Kennedy signs Proclamation 3504 formally declaring the blockade of Cuban sea ports. Orders are issued to begin enforcing the blockade at 10:00 am the next morning.

8:35 pm: Fidel Castro, in a 90 minute speech, tells the Cuban people that Cuba will never disarm while the United States persists in its policy of aggression and hostility. He refuses to allow outside inspection of Cuban territory warning that any inspectors had, "better come ready for combat."

Results of a Gallup pole show that 84 percent of the U.S. public favor the blockade while only 4 percent oppose it. At the same time, roughly one out of every five Americans believe the quarantine will lead to World War III.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24: Chairman Khrushchev replies indignantly to President Kennedy's October 23 letter stating in part:

"You, Mr. President, are not declaring a quarantine, but rather are setting forth an ultimatum and threatening that if we do not give in to your demands you will use force. Consider what you are saying! And you want to persuade me to agree to this! What would it mean to agree to these demands? It would mean guiding oneself in one's relations with other countries not by reason, but by submitting to arbitrariness. You are no longer appealing to reason, but wish to intimidate us."

At the direction of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, SAC increases its alert posture to DEFCON 2 for the first time in history.

10:00 am: Two Soviet ships, the Gagarin and the Komiles, are within a few miles of the line. Naval intelligence then reports that a Soviet submarine has moved into position between the two ships. At 10:25A.M., a new intelligence message arrives indicating that some of the Russian ships have stopped dead in the water. Dean Rusk leans over to McGeorge Bundy and says, "We're eyeball to eyeball and I think the other fellow just blinked."

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25. Soviet freighters turn and head back to Europe. The Bucharest, carrying only petroleum products, is allowed through the quarantine line. U.N. Secretary General U Thant calls for a cooling off period, which is rejected by Kennedy because it would leave the missiles in place.

During the debate in the Security Council, U.S. Ambassador Adlai Stevenson confronts his Soviet U.N. counterpart Valerian Zorin with photographic evidence of the missiles.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26. A Soviet-chartered freighter is stopped at the quarantine line and searched for contraband military supplies. None are found and the ship is allowed to proceed to Cuba. Photographic evidence shows accelerated construction of the missile sites and the uncrating of Soviet IL-28 bombers at Cuban airfields.

In a private letter, Fidel Castro urges Nikita Khrushchev to initiate a nuclear first strike against the United States in the event of an American invasion of Cuba.

John Scali, ABC News reporter, is approached by Aleksander Fomin of the Soviet embassy staff with a proposal for a solution to the crisis.

Later, a long, rambling letter from Khrushchev to Kennedy makes a similar offer: removal of the missiles in exchange for lifting the quarantine and a pledge that the U.S. will not invade Cuba.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27. A second letter from Moscow demanding tougher terms, including the removal of obsolete Jupiter missiles from Turkey, is received in Washington. An American U-2 plane is shot down over Cuba by a Soviet-supplied surface-to-air missile and the pilot, Major Rudolph Anderson, is killed.

Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr.
On 27 October 1962, a U-2A (S/N 56-7611) flown by USAF Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr. was shot down while flying high over Cuba conducting a reconnaissance mission during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Anderson was killed in the crash of his plane and was the only man killed during the crisis.

At a tense meeting of the Executive Committee, President Kennedy resists pressure for immediate military action against the SAM sites. At several points in the discussion, Kennedy insists that removal of the American missiles in Turkey will have to be part of an overall negotiated settlement. The Committee ultimately decides to ignore the Saturday letter from Moscow and respond favorably to the more conciliatory Friday message. Air Force troop carrier squadrons are ordered to active duty in case an invasion is required.

October 27, 1962: Cuban anti-aircraft gunners open fire on low-level reconnaissance planes over San Cristobal site no. 1 (a Soviet SA-2 missile shoots down Maj. Rudolf Anderson’s U-2 on this day).

That night, Robert Kennedy meets secretly with Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin. They reach a basic understanding: the Soviet Union will withdraw the missiles from Cuba under United Nations supervision in exchange for an American pledge not to invade Cuba. In an additional secret understanding, the United States agrees to eventually remove the Jupiter missiles from Turkey.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28. The thirteen days marking the most dangerous period of the Cuban missile crisis end. Radio Moscow announces that the Soviet Union has accepted the proposed solution and releases the text of a Khrushchev letter affirming that the missiles will be removed in exchange for a non-invasion pledge from the United States.

The fuselage of Maj. Anderson's U-2 shot down on October 27, 1962

Over the next two weeks, the seriousness of the crisis changed hourly. While no Soviet ships crossed the blockade, 23 Cuban missile sites still became fully operational. A U2 was shot down over Cuba, the pilot killed. Plans were prepared for an invasion of Cuba. Fidel Castro himself went to a Cuban air base and climbed into a MIG, determined to shoot down an American spy plane himself. (No planes came over that day.) A U2 from a base in Alaska accidentally flew over Russia and was chased by Soviet MIGs. When Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara hears of the incident, he exclaims, "... this means war with the Soviet Union!" President Kennedy calmly says, "There's always some son-of-a-bitch who doesn't get the message."

Finally, although Castro remained strongly opposed, the Soviet Union agreed to dismantle and remove all missiles from Cuba.

P2V Neptune of VP-18 shadows Soviet ship.

By Thanksgiving of 1962, we had backed off from the edge far enough to eat turkey in the dining room instead of survival biscuits in the bomb shelters, and thanks was truly given.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21. Just over a month after the crisis began, the President terminates the quarantine after the conclusion of tense discussions at the United Nations over the disposition of Soviet nuclear bombers and submarine bases. The U.S. is satisfied with the progress made in dismantling and withdrawing the missiles. Three decades later a Soviet military spokesman would reveal that tactical nuclear weapons, nine Luna missiles and six mobile launchers with a range of thirty miles and the explosive power of half the Hiroshima bomb, had been available for use at the discretion of Soviet field commanders in the event of an American invasion.

Was Kennedy a hero or a villain?

Hero: Praise of Kennedy's handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis

President Kennedy during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis

No event in the Kennedy era tested the President more fully than the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. Kennedy's management of this Crisis remains highly controversial. When the crisis ended many observers applauded Kennedy for standing up to the Soviets. Kennedy's insistence that the Soviet missiles be dismantled and taken away from Cuba earned him widespread support. More recently, some historians have admired Kennedy's restraint. They have praised the fact that Kennedy ruled out the options of an American air strike against the missile bases or a military invasion of Cuba. They have claimed that had Kennedy given into the strong pressure exerted by his generals and taken military action, a full-scale exchange of nuclear weapons between the USSR and the USA would probably have followed.

Villain: Criticisms of Kennedy's handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis

Fidel Castro

On the other hand Kennedy's handling of Cuba has also attracted severe criticism. Kennedy's disastrous attempt to overthrow Castro in the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion brought humiliation to the White House. Some historians have actually blamed Kennedy for the Missile Crisis developing in the first place, claiming that the President presented a weak, inexperienced image to the Soviet Union. Finally, some historians have accused Kennedy of over-reacting, claiming that he needlessly raised the stakes and took the world to the brink of war by over-dramatising matters. Throughout the crisis Kennedy had one eye on the important mid-term elections which were due in November. His priority, it is alleged, was to win domestic support by taking a tough line against the Soviets. Kennedy risked everything for political gain.

The Death of a President

Friday 22 November 1963
Dallas, Texas
12.30 Central Standard Time

The Presidential motorcade had almost reached its destination. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the President of the USA was due to arrive at a special luncheon at the Dallas Trade Mart. One of the secret servicemen deployed to protect the President called ahead to say that 'Lancer' - the code word used for the President - would arrive in five minutes. In his shift report he made a brief note, '12.35 p.m. President Kennedy arrived at Trade Mart'.

Moments later several shots rang out. An initial bullet which wounded the President was followed by a devastating shot to the head. Amid a halo of blood and brain tissue the life of John F. Kennedy came to an end.

Hero

The shocking circumstances of President Kennedy's death played a vital role in shaping historians' initial views. Writing in the painful period after the assassination, most writers agreed that he had so much unfulfilled promise. As one historian put it:

"In many respects how Kennedy died is as important as how he lived".

In his short life Kennedy had attracted many admirers because of his good looks, intelligence, charm and sense of humour.

During a glorious 'thousand days' in the White House, the Harvard educated President had attracted the 'best and the brightest' to work with him. Kennedy's beautiful wife, Jacqueline Bouvier had brought a sense of grace and style to the position of First Lady. The sheer intellectual quality of the people around him and the sense of energy and purpose which Kennedy brought to the presidency led people to compare the White House to Camelot, the glittering court in the legend of King Arthur. With Kennedy's death, historians mourned the passing of 'a brief shining moment' in American History. Above all, many observers felt that had he lived Kennedy would have become a truly great President.

Villain

Almost forty years have now passed since Kennedy's death. Historians writing more recently about Kennedy, have been much more critical than those who made their judgements in the traumatic aftermath of Dallas.

US Destroyer intercepts a Soviet freighter

Whereas Kennedy used his wife and children to project an image of a happily married man, historians have drawn attention to Kennedy's reckless affairs with a host of women. While Kennedy was portrayed in the 1960 election campaign as a healthy, sporty young man, in reality he suffered from a potentially fatal condition known as Addison's disease. He came to rely on increasingly powerful drugs to control the pain of a serious back injury. This recent emphasis on sex and drugs has led some historians to question Kennedy's character and to draw attention to 'the dark side of Camelot'.

Why did the Cuban Missile Crisis arise?

Cuba is an island in the Caribbean, just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. Between 1933-1958 the island was under the rule of a corrupt dictator , Fulgencio Batista. Under Batista, businesses in the USA exploited Cuba's industries especially its sugar plantations. However, a revolution in 1958 overthrew Batista and replaced him with a popular leader named Fidel Castro. Castro's promises to restore 'freedom' and 'national pride' to the people of Cuba caused alarm in the USA where his slogans sounded like communism to some observers.

When Castro visited the USA he was told that the President was too busy to see him. By contrast, Castro was given a warm welcome by Khrushchev when he visited the USSR. Cuba's proximity to the USA meant that these developments were watched with mounting concern in the White House.

Khrushchev was worried by the fact that the USA had nuclear weapons based in Italy and Turkey which were aimed at targets in the USSR. He felt that this provided justification for the USSR to place its nuclear missiles abroad. In the summer of 1962 Khrushchev personally issued an order for Soviet missiles to be shipped to the island of Cuba.

As early as September 1962, politicians in America were raising concerns about Soviet military activity in Cuba. Just before midnight on 13 October 1962 an American U2 spy plane set off for Cuba, and took a series of photographs.

When the photographs were developed, they revealed a nuclear missile site that was clearly being built by the Soviets. With the exception of Seattle virtually every major American city was within range of nuclear oblivion launched from Cuba. On 16 October, Kennedy was in the Cabinet Room when his advisers entered the room bearing the photographs which would test his powers of judgement to the limit.

From the outset Kennedy recognised that the stakes could not be higher. Within moments of staring at the enlarged photos Kennedy seemed 'absolutely determined' that the missiles would have to be returned to the USSR. Kennedy's dramatic response brought the world the closest it had ever been to the point of nuclear war. He was only 45 years old. Responsibility for the future of the entire planet now rested in his hands.

Why didn't the Cuban Missile Crisis lead to a nuclear war?

While Kennedy deliberated about what to do, his government informed Harold Macmillan, the British Prime Minister, of the disturbing developments.

For six days between 16-22 October, Kennedy and his advisers discussed the options open to the United States.

Then Kennedy went on national television to alert the people of the USA to the crisis in Cuba. He also signalled exactly what he had decided to do to bring the Soviet build-up to an end. He would impose a blockade or quarantine zone around Cuba. The USA defined a whole list of items that were considered 'Offensive Weapons' which would not be shipped to Cuba.

RF-101 Voodoo

Most significantly it is now clear that the British felt that Kennedy's blockade could not be justified under international law.

More than any other crisis in world history, the Cuban Missile Crisis instilled a real fear that a massive nuclear exchange was imminent. In the USA a cartoon figure, 'Burt the Turtle', was used to remind viewers to 'duck and cover'. In schools, children were put through an emergency drill in which they took cover under their desks. In Massachusetts, a schoolgirl wrote a letter to a friend saying, 'Can you imagine not seeing another Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, birthday, dance, or even Halloween? We're just too young to die'.

The sense of danger was also felt across the Atlantic in Britain. Most historians would agree that it was precisely because the consequences would have been so catastrophic that a nuclear exchange was avoided.

Yet at the same time Kennedy was acutely aware that the crucial mid-term elections for Congress were to be contested in November. A weak presidential performance in a crisis in October would lead to a disaster for the Democratic Party in the November election.

Most historians agree that Khrushchev had under-estimated President Kennedy. Faced with a firm response, Khrushchev realised that the Soviet Union had little choice but to back down. Both sides knew that they had nothing to gain from a missile exchange. They had both had time to appreciate the catastrophic consequences of making the wrong move. Kennedy's skill came in offering Khrushchev a way out. When Khrushchev ordered his ships to stop, Kennedy made certain that his government did not sound triumphant. Kennedy's undertaking not to invade Cuba was also critical.

The final piece of the bargain was the secret deal in which Kennedy agreed to remove American missiles from Turkey. Neither side was prepared to risk nuclear oblivion

Did President Kennedy use the lessons of the Crisis to bring about an improvement in international relations?

As Kennedy set off for mass, he was told that the Soviet leader had backed down and the missile crisis was effectively over. The President called his 12 advisers together, thanked them for their work and warned them when speaking to the press 'not to rub it in'. He told his advisers that he did not want to give the impression that they had 'triumphed over the Soviets' and that Khrushchev had 'backed down'.

November 1962
The United States removes its nuclear missiles from Turkey.

June 1963: The Hot-Line

Both sides agreed to the creation of a 'hot-line' between the White House and the Kremlin This would avoid the communication difficulties that had occurred during the missile crisis, when it had sometimes taken several hours for messages to be transmitted. From now on, coded messages on issues of international security could be passed between the leaders without delay.

July 1963 - The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

Britain joined the two superpowers in signing a nuclear test ban treaty. This ruled out future testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere and underwater. However, the test ban did not cover underground testing. It was approved by the Senate in September and represented the most significant improvement in international relations in a decade.

Khrushchev's Dismissal

A further consequence of the Cuban Missile Crisis can be seen with the removal of Khrushchev in August 1964. Whereas Khrushchev had been in a very powerful position during the missile crisis itself, the hard-line generals within the Kremlin saw his climb-down at the end of October as a humiliation.

Difficulties within the USSR, most notably a serious harvest failure in 1963, also undermined his position. Ironically, before he was dismissed the very leader who had instigated the missile crisis was able to witness a rapid improvement in international relations.

Additional Sources:

learningcurve.pro.gov.uk
usgovinfo.about.com
www.cosmos-club.org
pilger.carlton.com
www.cnn.com
www.nasm.si.edu
www.gwu.edu
www.wpafb.af.mil
www.cubacrisis.net
www.verslo.is
www.flygplan.info
www.digitaljournalist.org

'At the height of the crisis, John F. Kennedy mobilized a vast army of men and materiel that stood poised to attack Cuba and perhaps trigger a nuclear holocaust. The invasion plan called for the largest drop of paratroopers since the battle for Normandy in 1944; the Pentagon estimated that 18,500 Americans would be killed or wounded in the first 10 days of battle.

The Strategic Air Command's fleet of 1,436 B-52 and B-47 bombers and 172 intercontinental ballistic missiles was moved to DEFCON 2, the highest military alert short of all-out war. One-eighth of the bombers were in the air at all times for 30 days, prepared to drop nuclear weapons on the targets in Cuba and the Soviet Union.

The 579 fighters of the air force's Tactical Air Command were programmed to fly 1,190 combat sorties in the invasion's first 24 hours. ... More than 100,000 combat-ready army infantrymen were deployed to ports along the East Coast.

A huge navy fleet, backed by 40,000 marines, was steaming, moments away from battle stations, through international waters in the Caribbean and the South Atlantic.

The American war machine was at its ‘highest state of readiness,' according to military documents made public years later, and awaited only a go signal from the White House. '

Seymour Hersh,
The Dark Side of Camelot

Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization. The primary area of concern to all VetsCoR members is that our national and local educational systems fall short in teaching students and all American citizens the history and underlying principles on which our Constitutional republic-based system of self-government was founded. VetsCoR members are also very concerned that the Federal government long ago over-stepped its limited authority as clearly specified in the United States Constitution, as well as the Founding Fathers' supporting letters, essays, and other public documents.

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Good Thursday Morning Everyone

If you would like added to our ping list let us know.

Good morning Snippy.

1911 Stewart = 1pOB; twin-prop pusher motor. Boxkite type with multi-paneled wings.

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.

We're watching for storms today. We're already under a t-storm and flood watch this morning. Active weather day in store for Oklahoma.

Good morning Sam. Good read today. I'm still undecided on this.

His priority, it is alleged, was to win domestic support by taking a tough line against the Soviets. Kennedy risked everything for political gain.

I will admit it was my first thought reading the article but then I am untrusting of our politicians, especially the democrats.

I'm disappointed we didn't take some retalitory action when our pilot was killed.

Good morning Aeronaut. It doesn't look like it would go very far.

Good morning EGC. We have a chance for rain and T-storms for the next few days. It's going to be near 70 degrees on Friday....with snow expected on Monday. I knew it wouldn't last. Stay safe.

Count it all joy when you fall into various trials

Be assured beyond all doubting,
In the trial you're passing through,
That the Lord's great love and mercy
Is at work for good in you.

Life's burdens are designed not to break us but to bend us toward God.

Good morning Mayor.

Good morning snippy!

Only thing I remember about the Missile Crisis is that my dad and his buddies bought out all the ammunition and all the reloading components in every gun store in Atlanta! At that point, the WWII vets were still young and full of fire (dad was still in his 30s), and by golly they were going to be ready!

B-52s loaded with nuclear weapons were in the air at all times.

That was standard procedure in 1962. I believe it was called "Chrome Dome." Nowadays, it takes a Presidential order to put nukes airborne.

My father was stationed at an AFB in the southeastern US in 1962 and I remember riding my bike past hundreds of soldiers camped out on the golf course on their way to Florida.

Good morning AAM. LOL. I'll bet folks were fired up.

I was living near Nellis AFB at the time but I really don't remember anything about it and we always had a lot of plane traffic and sonic booms so I don't recall if it was more active or not.

On This Day In History

Birthdates which occurred on March 04:
1394 Prince Henry the Navigator sponsors Portuguese voyages of discovery
1678 Antonio Vivaldi Venice, Baroque violin virtuoso/composer (4 Seasons)
1747 Casimir Pulaski Count/American Revolutionary War general
1754 Benjamin Waterhouse physician (smallpox vaccine pioneer)
1798 John Joseph Abercrombie Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1877
1826 John Buford Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1863
1828 Elisha Franklin "Bull" Paxton Brigadier General (Confederate Army)
1835 Giovanni Schiaparelli Italy, astronomer (discovered canals of Mars)
1875 Alberto Vaccari Italian Jesuit/old testament scholar/interpreter
1888 Knute Rockne Norwegian/US football player/coach (Notre Dame)
1891 Dazzy Vance hall of fame pitcher (led National League in strike-outs 7-years)
1897 Francis "Lefty" O'Doul baseball player/organized Japanese baseball
1912 John Garfield New York NY, actor (Air Force, Destination Tokyo, Juarez)
1923 Patrick Moore England, astronomer/writer (A-Z of Astronomy)
1934 Jane van Lawick-Goodall ethologist/chimp expert (1974 Walker Prize)
1937 Ron Carter jazz bassist (Ron Carter Meets Bach)
1937 Yuri Aleksandrovich Senkevich Russian cosmonaut
1944 Bobby Womack Cleveland OH, R&B singer/guitarist (Woman's Got to Have It)
1948 Billy Gibbons rock guitarist (ZZ Top-Cheap Sunglasses, Legs, Fandango)
1950 Emilio Estefan Cuba, rocker (Miami Sound Machine-1 2 3)
1954 Irina Ratushinskaya USSR, poet (Grey is the color of hope)
1961 Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini boxer (killed a boxer in the ring)
1969 Chastity Bono Los Angeles CA, daughter of Sonny & Cher
1977 Anna Baitchik Miss Russia-Universe (1997)

Deaths which occurred on March 04:
1172 Stephan III King of Hungary (1162-72), dies
1484 Kazimierz the Saint, Polish ruler/saint, dies at 25
1595 Robert Southwell English poet, hanged for becoming a Catholic priest
1852 Nikolai Gogol writer, dies at 43
1866 Alexander Campbell Irish/US founder Disciples of Christ, dies at 77
1883 Alexander H Stephens Vice President Confederate States, dies at 71
1933 Willie Walker US jazz singer/guitarist (Dupree Blues), dies at 36
1948 Elsa Brändström [Angel of Siberia], Swedish philanthropist, dies at 59
1953 Sergei S Prokoviev Russian composer (Peter & the wolf), dies at 61
1974 Adolph Gottlieb US painter, dies at 71
1992 Arthur Babbitt Disney animator (Mr Magoo, Goofy), dies at 84 of heart failure
1994 John Candy actor (SCTV, Uncle Buck), dies from a heart attack at 43
1996 Minnie Pearl country comedienne (Grand Ole Opry), dies at 84

Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1963 JACOBSON ELLWOOD L.
[REMAINS RECOVERED]
1963 MAKEL JANIE A.
[03/06/63 REMAINS RECOVERED]
1966 ANDREWS STUART M---STAMFORD CT.
1966 CONLON JOHN F.---WILKES BARRE PA.
1967 CARLOCK RALPH L.---DES PLAINES IL.
1969 GUFFEY JERRY
[03/04/69 ESCAPED]
1970 PARKER JOHN J.---TALLAHASSEE FL.
1971 ALLWINE DAVID R.---PHOENIX AZ.
[03/27/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1971 ALGAARD HAROLD L.---FOSSTON MN.
["RADIO CONTACT LOST, SAR NEG"]
1971 HENTZ RICHARD J.---OSHKOSH WI.
["RADIO CONTACT LOST, SAR NEG"]
1971 MARKER MICHAEL W.---WICHITA FALLS TX.
["RADIO CONTACT LOST, SAR NEG"]
1971 OSBORNE RODNEY D.---KENT WA.
["RADIO CONTACT LOST, SAR NEG"]
1971 STRAWN JOHN T.---SALEM OR.
["RADIO CONTACT LOST, SAR NEG"]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

On this day...
1152 Frederik I Barbarossa elected Roman-German king
1461 Battle at Towton: Duke Edward of York beats English queen Margaretha Edward IV recognized as king of England
1570 King Philip II bans foreign Dutch students
1665 English King Charles II declares war on Netherlands
1675 John Flamsteed appointed 1st Astronomer Royal of England
1681 King Charles II grants William Penn royal charter for Pennsylvania
1699 Jews are expelled from Lubeck Germany
1774 1st sighting of Orion nebula (William Herschel)
1789 1st Congress declares constitution in effect (9 senators, 13 representatives)
1791 1st Jewish member of US Congress, Israel Jacobs (Pennsylvania), takes office
1791 President Washington calls the US Senate into its 1st special session
1791 Vermont admitted as 14th state (1st addition to the 13 colonies)
1792 Oranges introduced to Hawaii
1793 President Washington's 2nd inauguration, shortest speech (133 words)
1797 John Adams inaugurated as 2nd President of US
1798 Catholic women force to do penance for kindling sabbath fire for Jews
1801 1st President inaugurated in Washington DC (Thomas Jefferson)
1809 Madison becomes 1st President inaugurated in American-made clothes
1825 John Quincy Adams inaugrated as 6th President
1826 1st US RR chartered, Granite Railway in Quincy MA
1829 Andrew Jackson inaugurated as 7th President
1829 Unruly crowd mobs White House during President Jackson inaugural ball
1837 City of Chicago incorporates
1837 Martin Van Buren inaugrated as 8th President
1837 Weekly Advocate changes its name to the Colored American
1841 Longest inauguration speech (8,443 words), William Henry Harrison
1845 James K Polk inaugrated as 11th President
1849 US had no President, Polk's term ends on a Sunday, Taylor couldn't be sworn-in, Senator David Atchison (pres pro tem) term ended March 3rd
1861 Confederate States adopt "Stars & Bars" flag
1861 Lincoln inaugurated as 16th President; 1st time US has 5 former Presidents living
1861 President Lincoln opens Government Printing Office
1863 Battle of Thompson's Station, Tennessee
1863 Territory of Idaho established
1865 Confederate congress approves final design of "official flag"
1865 President Lincoln inaugurated for his 2nd term as President
1869 Ulysses Grant inaugurated as 18th President
1873 New York Daily Graphic, 1st illustrated daily newspaper in US, published
1881 California becomes 1st state to pass plant quarantine legislation
1881 Holmes & Watson begin "A Study in Scarlet", 1st case together
1881 James A Garfield inaugurated as 20th President
1885 Grover Cleveland inaugrated as 1st Democratic President since Civil War
1889 Benjamin Harrison inaugurated as 23rd President
1893 Grover Cleveland (D) inaugrated as 24th US President (2nd term)
1894 Great fire in Shanghai; over 1,000 buildings destroyed
1895 Gustav Mahler's 2nd Symphony, premieres in Berlin
1897 William McKinley inaugurated as 25th President of US
1901 1st advanced copy of inaugural speech (Jefferson-National Intelligencer)
1901 President William McKinley inaugurated for 2nd term as President
1901 Term of George H White, last of post-Reconstruction congressmen, ends
1902 American Automobile Association (AAA) founded in Chicago
1909 President Taft inaugrated as 27th President during 10" snowstorm
1909 US prohibits interstate transportation of game birds
1911 Victor Berger (Wisconsin) becomes 1st socialist congressman in US
1913 1st US law regulating the shooting of migratory birds passed
1913 Department of Commerce & Labor split into separate departments
1913 Woodrow Wilson inaugurated as 28th President
1917 Jeannette Rankin (Representative-Republican-MT) becomes 1st female member of Congress
1921 Hot Springs National Park created in Arkansas
1923 Lenin's last article in Pravda (about Red bureaucracy)
1924 "Happy Birthday To You" published by Claydon Sunny
1925 President Coolidge's inauguration broadcast live on 21 radio stations
1929 Charles Curtis (R-Kansas) becomes 1st native American Vice President
1929 Herbert Hoover inaugurated as 31st President
1930 Coolidge Dam in Arizona dedicated
1930 Mrs Charles [Emma] Fahning is 1st woman to bowl a santioned perfect [300] game
1933 FDR inaugrated as 32nd President, pledges to pull US out of Depression & says "We have nothing to fear but fear itself"
1934 Easter Cross on Mount Davidson (San Francisco) dedicated
1936 1st flight of airship Hindenburg, Germany
1943 Transport nr 50 departs with French Jews to Maidanek/Sobibor
1944 1st US bombing of Berlin
1945 Finland declares war on Nazi-Germany
1949 Andrei Vishinsky succeeds Molotov as Soviet Foreign minister
1949 Security Council of UN recommends membership for Israel
1952 Ronald Reagan marries Nancy Davis
1959 US Pioneer IV misses Moon & becomes 2nd (US 1st) artificial planet
1960 Lucille Ball files divorce from Desi Arnaz
1964 Jimmy Hoffa convicted of jury tampering
1966 John Lennon says "We (Beatles) are more popular than Jesus"
1968 Joe Frazier TKOs Buster Mathis in 11 for heavyweight boxing title
1968 Orbiting Geophysical Observatory 5 launched
1970 French submarine "Eurydice" explodes
1970 Jacksonville is 1st college basketball team to average 100+ points per game
1977 1st CRAY 1 supercomputer shipped, to Los Alamos Laboratories, New Mexico
1978 Chicago Daily News, founded in 1875, publishes last issue
1979 US Voyager I photo reveals Jupiter's rings
1984 Pee Wee Reese & Rick Ferrell elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame
1985 War veterans returned to the "Bridge over the River Kwai"
1991 Iraq releases 6 US, 3 British & 1 Italian POW

1994 4 Arab terrorist founded guilty of bombing the World Trade Center

1995 George Foreman loses WBA boxing title, refusing to fight Tony Tucker
1997 Comet Hale-Bopp directly above the Sun (1.04 AU)
1997 President Clinton bans federally funded human cloning research
1997 For the third time in as many years, the Senate rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to require the federal government to balance its budget.
2001 President George W. Bush dedicated a $4 billion aircraft carrier in honor of former President Reagan.

Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Pennsylvania : Charter Day (1681)
Thailand : Magka Puja
US : Constitution Day (1789)
Vermont : Admission Day (1791)
US : Bad Weather Week (Day 4)
US : TV Turn-Off Week (Day 4)
US : National Procrastinators Week (Starts Tomorrow)
Irish-American Heritage Month

Religious Observances
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Lucius I, pope, martyr
Roman Catholic : Memorial of St Casimir, king of Poland, confessor (optional)

Religious History
1738 Moravian missionary Peter Bohler, 26, advised future English founder of Methodism John Wesley, 34: 'Preach faith until you have it; and then, because you have it, you will preach faith.'
1804 The British and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS) was founded at a large interdenominational meeting in London. Its purpose was "to promote the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, without note or comment, both at home and in foreign lands."
1850 Future statesman James A. Garfield, at age 18, was "buried with Christ in baptism." Thirty_one years, to the day! after his conversion, Garfield took the oath of office as 20th President of the United States.
1942 Birth of Gloria Gaither, wife of songwriter Bill Gaither, and female vocalist in the Bill Gaither Trio. Gloria is also coÂauthor of the contemporary Christian songs, "Because He Lives," "Something Beautiful" and "The King is Coming."
1966 London's "Evening Standard" newspaper published an interview with Beatle John Lennon in which he remarked: 'Christianity will... vanish and shrink... We're more popular than Jesus Christ right now.' The quote touched off a storm of international protest, resulting in burnings and boycotts of the Beatles' records.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

Thought for the day :
"Better three hours too soon than a minute too late."

You know you're getting old when...
...."getting a little action" means I don't need to take any fiber today.

New State Slogans...
Nebraska: Ask About Our State Motto Contest.

Astounding fact #873...
The Lone Ranger's "real" name is John Reid.

Good afternoon Matthew. They underestimated us as do most of our enemies!

Good morning Cholera Joe. We had just moved to Vegas so whatever may have been going on I probably thought was "normal".