We must do more!

Sensing newly elected U.S. President John Kennedy’s vulnerability and wanting to strengthen the Russia-Cuba relationship while deterring further U.S. invasions, Soviet Chairman Nikita Khrushchev agreed in a July 1962 secret meeting with Cuban President, Fidel Castro, to provide Cuba ballistic missiles. By summer’s end, missile installation was underway — 90 miles from Florida.

On October 15, aerial reconnaissance photos caught the Soviets red-handed. No plan existed to confront this emergency because U.S. intelligence professionals were convinced the Soviets would never make this move!

Cuba- an aerial view of the San Cristobal medium range ballistic missile launch site November 1, 1962 (U.S. Air Force Photo)

President Kennedy gave Khrushchev 24 hours to respond. Attorney General Robert Kennedy delivered back-channel messages to Soviet ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin, pledging not to attack Cuba if the missiles were removed. By October 25. Khrushchev informed Kennedy the missiles would be withdrawn. World War III was averted.

“You will never know how much bad advice I received in those days,” JFK said afterward.