Malmstrom remembers Cuban missile crisis

10/23/2003 - MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. (AFPN) -- Forty-one years ago, people here played a role in one of the most dangerous events of the Cold War.

For 14 days during October 1962, the world held its breath as President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev tried to reach a compromise and avoid nuclear war.

In May 1962, Khrushchev, realizing the Soviet Union was desperately behind in the arms race, conceived the idea of placing intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Cuba. The failed Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961 motivated Fidel Castro to approve this plan in an effort to defend his nation from a second U.S. attack. In the summer of 1962, the Soviet Union began to secretly build its missile installation in Cuba.

Early Oct. 16, Kennedy's national security assistant, McGeorge Bundy, brought the president high-altitude photographs taken from U-2 planes flying over Cuba. They showed Soviet soldiers quickly and secretly setting up nuclear-armed missiles.

That day the president formed the executive committee of the National Security Council, which was the key decision-making body governing U.S. responses and actions during the crisis that lasted Oct. 15 to 28. Kennedy led the council.

In the first day's debates, everyone favored bombing Cuba. By the third day, another option was presented by George Ball, the undersecretary of state. The president would publicly announce the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba, ordering a blockade to prevent the introduction of more missiles, and demand that the Soviets withdraw the missiles already there.

On Oct. 22, Kennedy made the announcement. Meanwhile, people from the 341st Strategic Missile Wing here prepared for possible war.

Maintenance crews worked at a frenzied pace Oct. 23 within the 10th Strategic Missile Squadron's alpha flight area to install much-needed communications and get alpha flight ready to go. Alpha's launch-control console was manned the next day, along with a full emergency war order configuration. Strategic Air Command officials ordered alpha flight to generate as soon as possible.

At 6:16 p.m., launch facility Alpha 6 was placed on strategic alert with an emergency launch capability from launch-control center Alpha 1.

Within the next four days, four more missiles were placed on strategic alert. The 341st SMW was prepared and on the highest state of readiness.

Finally, on Nov. 20, after weeks of tense negotiations, the Soviet Union agreed to dismantle and remove all missiles from Cuba when the United States pledged not to invade Castros country. (Courtesy of Air Force Space Command News Service)