Topic: 50 Years ago this week...

This was the day, 50 years ago, that President Kennedy announced to the world, via a national TV address, that the Soviets had placed mid-range missiles and nuclear warheads in Cuba. I remember the abject terror I felt for the ensuing week, and only realized, years later, how very close the world came to ending on October 27, 1962.

Despite Kennedy's faults, he and his brother Robert should be remembered for saving the world from Armageddon, with clear thinking and against all the military advice of the day, so that to this day, no matter what "juicy" bits of info come out about those two men, I will always hold them in absolute high regard.

Does anyone else remember those two weeks in October, 1962?

Randy

Hank's prosepctive gutiar player said: "Mr Williams, I'm not sure I can play for you, the onliest chords I know are C D & G"
Hank repleis, after a short pause: "Well, what else is there?"

Re: 50 Years ago this week...

A bit before my time.

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3 (edited by bensonp 2012-10-24 15:10:48)

Re: 50 Years ago this week...

I remember them.  I was 11 at the time, but can remember the news.

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Re: 50 Years ago this week...

I remember them pretty well,I did not know the details but I do remember being very scared and our teachers and school ran us througe emergency drills.

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Re: 50 Years ago this week...

I remember going through drills at school and my dad regretting that he had not built a fall-out shelter as suggested in the civil defense folders we received.

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Re: 50 Years ago this week...

I looked at buying a house once that had turned the fall-out shelter into a wine cellar.  We did the put your head between your knees and kiss your butt goodbye drills in school, but by then the Soviets were too busy fighting amongst themselves to allow us to be as much of a threat as they considered us in 1961.  I'm fairly sure that radiation could have gotten past my stamped sheet steel and formica desk anyway. 

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

Re: 50 Years ago this week...

I was -13 in 1962.

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Re: 50 Years ago this week...

-6 LOLOLOL But got to stay in GTMO for a year LOLOLOL

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Re: 50 Years ago this week...

In kindergarten and first grade they did the drills a couple times. It kind of faded away. That was back in 1965-66. A piece of trivia. Old radios from the 50s and early 60s had two triangles on the AM dial. They were where you would tune in for further instructions after the bomb was dropped. As late as 1980. The Worcester Telegram posted where the evacuation points were for certain cities. Worcester`s was  Gardner, Mass. When I heard that I said I think I will get blown up instead.

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10 (edited by whitewater55 2012-10-25 11:56:13)

Re: 50 Years ago this week...

I was 13 at the time, just starting high school. It was very frightening. I can remember being glued to the radio as the first Soviet transport ships were approached by the U.S. navy quarantine. It was very, very tense. That was October 27, 1961. The same day, an American U-2 accidently overflew Soviet territory and was fired upon and severly damaged. A low altitude recci plane was also shot down over Cuba that same day. The world came extremely close to annhilation that Saturday.

I credit the Kennedy brothers and Kruschev for ignoring the hot-headed military advice given to both parties by their military advisors. Curtis Lemay, in particular, was almost treasonous in his vigor to invade Cuba, and bomb it into submission. Lesser leaders may have gotten us all killed. It was, really, that close.

I suppose this event will be what it has become, simply a footnote in the Cold War. It seems, though that we learned from this. It was after this event that the "hot line" between Washington and Moscow was installed, so that leaders could communicate directly to head off escalations. In 1961, it took about 12 hours for communications between the two capitals, and no "live" link at all. This, of course, predated satellite communication by about 5 or 6 years.

For quite awhile, the brinkmanship was put on the backburner, resulting in the "detente" era of the late 60's and through the 70's. I believe that both sides were shaken badly by the experience, and were reminded how easy it would have been for this to get beyond control.

If you can't tell, I am a retired history teacher, and I was deeply affected by the events of those 13 day in October, 1961.

Randy

Hank's prosepctive gutiar player said: "Mr Williams, I'm not sure I can play for you, the onliest chords I know are C D & G"
Hank repleis, after a short pause: "Well, what else is there?"

Re: 50 Years ago this week...

-14, but we still did some of the drills in early elementary school.  Sad thing is, today they do drills in the event some local comes into the school on a shooting spree instead.  My parents have recounted the day when JFK was shot and how school let out, without much of a word that it even was; teachers just left.  I'll have to ask them if they remember this day as well and what they heard about it.

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Re: 50 Years ago this week...

i was also 11 at the time. i remember it well as i recall my mother saying "that's it then, world war 3" she was wrong, thank god

i don't remember much else about 1962, except my father taking us on a trip to the gower peninsular and on the way back the road was flooded due to spring tides so we had to take the long way round. if it wasn't for that i might have missed the only playing of "my bonnie" on radio luxemburg or any other station till the beatles got famous....my claim to fame

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Re: 50 Years ago this week...

I was 5 and remember only the fear as my parents compared concerns with friends.   Some were building shelters - in central Alberta.  Strange time.

Re: 50 Years ago this week...

Another piece of trivia. The creator of Rocky and Bullwinkle had a campaign to make Moosylvania a state. The plan was a lighthearted press oppurtunity to have President Kennedy sign a bill to pass it. When they went to the white house they werent allowed in. It was on the same day as The Cuban Missle Crisis. Stupid little things like that stick in my mind for some reason.

Enjoy Every Sandwich
Nothing In Moderation  -- Live Fast. Love Hard. Die Young And Leave A Beautiful Corpse. -- Buy It Today. Cry About It Tomorrow.

Re: 50 Years ago this week...

I was 21 got drunk and got a tattoo smile

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Re: 50 Years ago this week...

Russell_Harding wrote:

I was 21 got drunk and got a tattoo smile

Hot dog!  That was probably the most sensible approach to take.  That said, I like our sober and less wild Russell.

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude