The ExComm meeting of October 27 The most dangerous 24 hours of the Cuban Missile Crisis happened 60 years ago today, October 27, 1962. It was the closest to nuclear holocaust the Cold War ever got. It was a day of rapid escalation that convinced both John Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev to strike the deal that would stop events from further spiraling out of control.
Departing from this stirring and very frightening 60-years-ago-today step by step account of the most dangerous 24 hours of the Cuban Missile Crisis to warzone, Ukraine, where our treasured subscriber friend, Allen Hingston, traveled in order to take his wife, Tanya, and dog, Lucky, to Canada for safety.
'Arrived home yesterday tired and happy to be here. Got many hugs and kisses from Tanya. Lucky was glad to see me too but no kisses. He hates kisses. Tell the folks from LFAA that I am fine and also 83 emails behind in my reading including two LFAA.'
Allen or I will let you know when the family is in Canada, so that you can make contact with him. Who knows, he may drop by himself. We'll see.
PS In addition to being a nervous wreck reading this account, I was transfixed by the looks of The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady". It is an American single-jet engine, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and ‘... remains the supreme, go-to jet for high-altitude reconnaissance. U-2s have been around since the 1950s and the US Air Force fleet maintains more than 30 of the spy planes.’
This is chilling yet fascinating. I was 9 when the Cuban missile crisis occurred. We had frequent bomb drills at school and I remember these ridiculous bomb shelters for sale around town. They looked like a fiberglass igloo and would have melted tout suite. That said, it was an incredibly frightening time and as a child did not understand what or why it was happening. Thank you TC for this comprehensive explanation and history lesson. Looks like we had good reason to be very frightened.
At the time, the news covered very little of what was actually happening. My memory of the crisis consists mostly of being frustrated with my 7th grade history teacher, who insisted that we watch the TV news and read the newspaper articles and discuss them in class. I remember him being “hair-on-fire” worried and upset about it and not understanding why.
Reading this account makes me see how incredibly serious it was and how lucky we are that none of those bits and pieces went the wrong way.
The day before was Friday, and at the Catholic school I was attending, it was test and quiz day to review all the lessons of the week. The only good thing was that after lunch, it was usually Art class day, a break from all the lessons that were being crammed into our heads, but this Friday, the whole school went to the parish church for a special novena and recital of the rosary. I remember the priest asking the kids to pray for blessings and guidance for the President (a Catholic POTUS) and for our military. But for a 12 year old kid…what was going on? Why were all the adults so somber…it didn’t register until years laters in college when one of the History department professors walked the class through the events leading up to the crisis in Cuba that it clicked into focus how close the world was to Armageddon that weekend in October. That was some really scary stuff but most of those lessons have been forgotten since. I tell my niece and nephews about it and the seriousness of it doesn’t register.
I was 17 and driving 90 miles a day with my sister to our Catholic High School in St.Leo, Florida, not far from McCoy in Orlando, and very close to MacDill AFB, which became a Strike Command base as a result of the Cuban crisis.
I watched the news and was old enough to know we were in serious trouble. My Spanish teacher was a young Cuban woman who had fled her country and told us stories of dodging bullets on her way to University in Havana. The Pedro Pan airlift of children out of Cuba brought many young refugees into our lives who could not get in contact with their parents. Havana , which had been a place of music, casinos and tourism for Floridians, was now a threat and its former dictator had fled for his life and lived among us in Florida, still fearing for his life.
Our drive to school was on US98, then a completely rural road for a good 30 miles of it-- just the fields and the cows! I was petrified that we would be in the middle of nowhere when missiles started flying. I just wanted either to be home or at school but not by ourselves in between if war started and if we were to die.
So, this is my report of what was happening to us on the ordinary level to go along with your gripping description of all that was happening on the decision making levels. TY
I was young in 1962 and had no clue about what was happening. But I knew that we had a close call, and I became more than aware of political shenanigans. They were no longer abstract threats. That didn’t change when “we” elected a clown with flamethrowers. There are still plenty of morons who are itching for another go round, or are they more interested in capitulation. Thank you for the play by play. It is painfully instructive.
I was 4 then. We lived in a suburb of San Diego. Not quite 12 miles east from the 32nd St Naval Station. To think I was that close to not making it to 5.
Terrific recounting of that moment. TCinLA. One if best. Was 11. Remember it well. (Particularly the NYT headlines - back in the day - before they became subtle and not so subtle Republican propagandists.) Although I don’t know Allan Hingston, I’m sending my prayers and congratulations and wrapping them in hugs for all he’s experienced and the ultimate success he’s enjoyed. What a world we live in. Wish it weren’t so. ❤️🤍💙
There is a difference in knowing it was a crucial crisis, and knowing precisely how and what. Thank you for the record TC.
Are the missiles not back in Turkey? Wasn't that why the Turks shot down a Russian jet that came too close during the war in Syria? German journalist Jürgen Todenhöfer reported that IS was using the area to pass between Turkey and Syria, "under the US nuclear umbrella". Now that there are nukes in Poland one would think it was not necessary to have any in Turkey.
This was during my first semester, freshman year in college. I remember sitting around a table in the Commons with friends discussing this, waiting to hear more, but doubt we knew very many details. My main concern was for my "uncle-in-law" who was Information Officer board USS Roosevelt; never knew how close his ship was to annihilation but worried all the same.
Departing from this stirring and very frightening 60-years-ago-today step by step account of the most dangerous 24 hours of the Cuban Missile Crisis to warzone, Ukraine, where our treasured subscriber friend, Allen Hingston, traveled in order to take his wife, Tanya, and dog, Lucky, to Canada for safety.
'Arrived home yesterday tired and happy to be here. Got many hugs and kisses from Tanya. Lucky was glad to see me too but no kisses. He hates kisses. Tell the folks from LFAA that I am fine and also 83 emails behind in my reading including two LFAA.'
Allen or I will let you know when the family is in Canada, so that you can make contact with him. Who knows, he may drop by himself. We'll see.
PS In addition to being a nervous wreck reading this account, I was transfixed by the looks of The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady". It is an American single-jet engine, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and ‘... remains the supreme, go-to jet for high-altitude reconnaissance. U-2s have been around since the 1950s and the US Air Force fleet maintains more than 30 of the spy planes.’
So many moments when emotions and/or a simple mistake could have ended life on Earth as we know it.
Nuclear weapons are nuts. They exist because we are a dysfunctional species toying with planetary destruction.
This is chilling yet fascinating. I was 9 when the Cuban missile crisis occurred. We had frequent bomb drills at school and I remember these ridiculous bomb shelters for sale around town. They looked like a fiberglass igloo and would have melted tout suite. That said, it was an incredibly frightening time and as a child did not understand what or why it was happening. Thank you TC for this comprehensive explanation and history lesson. Looks like we had good reason to be very frightened.
At the time, the news covered very little of what was actually happening. My memory of the crisis consists mostly of being frustrated with my 7th grade history teacher, who insisted that we watch the TV news and read the newspaper articles and discuss them in class. I remember him being “hair-on-fire” worried and upset about it and not understanding why.
Reading this account makes me see how incredibly serious it was and how lucky we are that none of those bits and pieces went the wrong way.
The day before was Friday, and at the Catholic school I was attending, it was test and quiz day to review all the lessons of the week. The only good thing was that after lunch, it was usually Art class day, a break from all the lessons that were being crammed into our heads, but this Friday, the whole school went to the parish church for a special novena and recital of the rosary. I remember the priest asking the kids to pray for blessings and guidance for the President (a Catholic POTUS) and for our military. But for a 12 year old kid…what was going on? Why were all the adults so somber…it didn’t register until years laters in college when one of the History department professors walked the class through the events leading up to the crisis in Cuba that it clicked into focus how close the world was to Armageddon that weekend in October. That was some really scary stuff but most of those lessons have been forgotten since. I tell my niece and nephews about it and the seriousness of it doesn’t register.
I really have some PTSD from that Crisis.
I was 17 and driving 90 miles a day with my sister to our Catholic High School in St.Leo, Florida, not far from McCoy in Orlando, and very close to MacDill AFB, which became a Strike Command base as a result of the Cuban crisis.
I watched the news and was old enough to know we were in serious trouble. My Spanish teacher was a young Cuban woman who had fled her country and told us stories of dodging bullets on her way to University in Havana. The Pedro Pan airlift of children out of Cuba brought many young refugees into our lives who could not get in contact with their parents. Havana , which had been a place of music, casinos and tourism for Floridians, was now a threat and its former dictator had fled for his life and lived among us in Florida, still fearing for his life.
Our drive to school was on US98, then a completely rural road for a good 30 miles of it-- just the fields and the cows! I was petrified that we would be in the middle of nowhere when missiles started flying. I just wanted either to be home or at school but not by ourselves in between if war started and if we were to die.
So, this is my report of what was happening to us on the ordinary level to go along with your gripping description of all that was happening on the decision making levels. TY
I was young in 1962 and had no clue about what was happening. But I knew that we had a close call, and I became more than aware of political shenanigans. They were no longer abstract threats. That didn’t change when “we” elected a clown with flamethrowers. There are still plenty of morons who are itching for another go round, or are they more interested in capitulation. Thank you for the play by play. It is painfully instructive.
Holy f…
I was 4 then. We lived in a suburb of San Diego. Not quite 12 miles east from the 32nd St Naval Station. To think I was that close to not making it to 5.
Terrific recounting of that moment. TCinLA. One if best. Was 11. Remember it well. (Particularly the NYT headlines - back in the day - before they became subtle and not so subtle Republican propagandists.) Although I don’t know Allan Hingston, I’m sending my prayers and congratulations and wrapping them in hugs for all he’s experienced and the ultimate success he’s enjoyed. What a world we live in. Wish it weren’t so. ❤️🤍💙
Another great compilation of the “news of the day”. I had no idea we came that close, fascinating.
There is a difference in knowing it was a crucial crisis, and knowing precisely how and what. Thank you for the record TC.
Are the missiles not back in Turkey? Wasn't that why the Turks shot down a Russian jet that came too close during the war in Syria? German journalist Jürgen Todenhöfer reported that IS was using the area to pass between Turkey and Syria, "under the US nuclear umbrella". Now that there are nukes in Poland one would think it was not necessary to have any in Turkey.
This was during my first semester, freshman year in college. I remember sitting around a table in the Commons with friends discussing this, waiting to hear more, but doubt we knew very many details. My main concern was for my "uncle-in-law" who was Information Officer board USS Roosevelt; never knew how close his ship was to annihilation but worried all the same.
Thanks Fern!!!