The revisonist history that Kennedy stood up to Khrushchev and forced the Soviets to backdown is BS. There was a quid pro quo that JFK fanatics refuse to acknowledge.
The revisionist history that Kennedy stood up to Khrushchev and forced the Soviets to back down is BS........................................ If USA removes missiles from Turkey, USSR will remove missiles from Cuba. OK? Agreed! Da! JFK, the big myth continues.
Not as much a cave as it seems. in the 1962 timeframe Jupiter missiles were already obsolete (liquid fueled
requiring lengthy on obvious launch prep). The Polaris
was tested in 1960 and provided much more flexible basing
(a boomer) and was able to shoot and scoot..
It was a smart move, getting something for retiring an
obsolete system and removing from Turkey a cause for friction with the Soviets.