Cuban Missile Crisis, October 1962

[Viking1]

I was a 17 year old in USCG boot camp during the Cuban Missile Crisis and all I remember is that we were told that it was a close call. Now more than 40 years later and a lot of reading about it, it was indeed the closest (I think) we have been to an all out nucleur war. Does anyone have any experiences during this time.

Bob

[usmcsgt65]

I was in Junior High School during the crisis. We practiced duck and cover a lot in Cincinnati. :D

[delta1/28]

I was a 19 year old Sp4 gunner on an 81mm mortar squad with the 1st Infantry Division at Ft. Riley, Kansas. My unit, 1st Battle Group, 28th Infantry "Lions of Cantigny," had just returned from a Navy/Marine Corps Amphibious Assault Course at Little Creek, Virginia and thought we'd get the opportunity to practice our new skills on Cuban shores. All Big Red One units were pulled out of the field and their troops set about packing every bit of equipment we had. Trucks with trailers loaded with weapons, ammunition, and equipment were parked on Company Streets ready to carry us south. The Division's 121st Communication Battalion deployed to Florida to establish communication for the pending Cuban invasion. We slept in shifts, in our clothes awaiting the call to move out. Our morale soared -- we were excited and rearing to go. When the whole thing was fortunately called off we felt let down. Not long ago, I read that the Soviets had five nuclear weapons ready to employ against a US invasion force (which would have included me). In my old age, I feel fortunate that we didn't go.

[MORTARDUDE]

I believe you are the first other mortar person on here. I was getting lonesome... :e: :ah:

Welcome Home !

Larry

[delta1/28]

Hey, Larry, we old mortar-men gotta' stick together!
I trained on the 4.2" and 81mm -- gun crew, FO and FDC -- was assigned to an 81mm squad in a rifle company. After about a year & a half, I was assigned to an anti-tank squad -- gunner and later squad leader on a M-40A1 106mm recoilless rifle. In those days that MOS code was 112 -- Heavy Weapons Infantryman (I think it's now 11C). I enjoyed the mortar/anti-tank role better than I would have being a rifleman although that 81mm and ammo got a little heavy on long humps. Also, we dug a lot of BIG holes. :h:

[MORTARDUDE]

when I first got to Vietnam I was assigned to a leg unit, the 3/22,
and went out in the field for about a week to FSB Crook. Then they transferred several of us to a mech unit, the 2/22(M). Not sure why. I guess there was a shortage of our MOS. It was in the middle of December, so I got lost in the rear for almost two weeks and got to see the Bob Hope show. I also missed a trek up Nui Ba Den mountain by the legs. From what I understand the mortar equipment was flown out on choppers for them. I always wondered about humping the baseplate ! In the mech unit we were part of everything. They had us out on ambushes, LPs, and OPs, plus I had to man the .50 on our track. All our mortar tracks had big white squares on the side to mark 4th platoon. The 3rd platoon had triangles I believe. Anyway it made us good targets. The 3 gun tracks carried something like 60+ rounds including illum and white-phosporus. I always wondered what would have happened if an RPG hit one of them. I worked in FDC for the last 6 months. I posted a picture of me working with the "computer".
Did you ever use the recoiless rifle in combat ?

Larry

[reconeil]

Regarding it being: "The closest we've come (I think) to all out nuclear war", I (maybe The History Channel and where I get much true info from also?) see things differently.

I figured that The Cuban Missile Crisis was purposefully orchestrated, and a masterful way of getting America's Missiles off of The Soviet Union's doorstep in Turkey. Beautiful Poker Playing.

All the phoniness of Kennedy facing The Soviets down aside,...Kennedy folded a pat hand in Turkey for a hand that hadn't even been delt-out yet in Cuba. I still wonder to this day whether The Missiles on the Soviet Ship that turned around and went back after the secret agreement, actually had REAL missiles on board (or not). I guess we'll never know?

Still, getting existing missiles off of your doorstep simply by pretending to place missiles in Cuba,...is some pretty-shrewd negotiating. It's no wonder that The Russians can waltz-us-around-so-good to this very day.

Neil

[delta1/28]

Not only did the US remove its missiles from Turkey, our President promised to not invade Cuba.

[reconeil]

More politically appeasing and/or caving-in than I thought.

Would you know if that any other time in history The USA made such an agreement of NOT TO INVADE with any other country?
Just curious.

Neil

[delta1/28]

Here's a link to a good document on the Cuban Missile Crisis:

http://www.hpol.org/jfk/cuban/

[BLUEHAWK]

Fascinating...

[A.B]

Sir's!

I know.... This post-thread was started as far back as in 2003. But after reading it, I just wanted to share a little "info-sources". This, since I personally also am Very interrested about The Cuban Missile Crisis.

"Info-sources" are:
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mtholyoke US International Relations, US-Gov. declassified documents,...-Cuba:
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/cuba.htm

Globalsecurity.org -Cuba (Superb infosource!):
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/cuba.htm

Wikipedia -Cuba:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Pigs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Pigs_Invasion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mongoose
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cuban_Project
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Missile_Crisis

HPOL -Cuban missile crises:
http://www.hpol.org/jfk/cuban/

George Washington Univ. / The National Security Archive
-main + documents + Cuban Missile Crisis main + Chronology + Vet meeting + air + naval (Superb infosource!):
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/audio.htm
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/vetslist.htm
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB74/
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB75/

JFK Lib -Cuban missile crisis -old x2 + new:
http://web.archive.org/web/20041010001919/www.jfklibrary.org/cmc_intro.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20041015144204/www.jfklibrary.org/cmc_calendar_map.html
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/JFK+in+History/Cuban+Missile+Crisis.htm

JFK.org -Cuba and other subjects:
http://www.jfk.org/Research/Cuba/Intro.htm
http://www.jfk.org/Research/Cuba/index.htm
http://www.jfk.org/Research/Cuba/Missile_Crisis.htm

Cuban Missile Crisis -various other sites for info and research:
http://www.whitehousetapes.org/pages/trans_jfk2.htm
http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2002_11/cubanmissile.asp#mcnamara
http://library.thinkquest.org/11046/
http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/key-issues/nuclear-weapons/history/cold-war/cuban-missile-crisis/

The Sky Spies -Cuban missile crises:
http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/lae/html/sky_cuba.htm

Mj Rudolf Anderson Jr photograph (KIA):
http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/lae/images/LE284L6.jpg

Cmdr William B Ecker USN VFP-62 "Boomerangs" -photograph + RF-8G Vought:
http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/lae/images/LE284L5.jpg
http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/specs/vought/rf-8g.htm
(Note by A.B: When executing photo-rec.-missions over Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crises,
Lt. Bruce Wilhemy flew "wingman" for the Cmdr. End note by A.B)

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This post-thread being as "old" as it is, perhaps noone will read my reply of now. But just incase anyone is also interrested about the Cuban Missile Crisis, as I am, I hope the above links will be something he or she will find to be "usefull".

Take Good Care!

Sincerely
A.B