JFK REAFFIRMS DECISION ON CUBA
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On Sunday, October 21, 1962, President John F. Kennedy, instead of spending his traditional weekend at Hyannis Port or Palm Beach, was at the White House involved in serious discussions with his advisers and preparing to speak to the nation about his response to the Soviet Union placement of nuclear missile sites in Cuba.
The Washington Post reported...
"The sudden appearance of Marines (in Miami, Florida) spark wide speculation as to their ultimate objective in this Cuba-conscious city just 90 miles from Havana."
The President, who first attended morning mass at St. Stephen's Church*, reaffirmed the decision he made yesterday to order a naval blockade of Cuba.
The Executive Committee of the National Security Council, or EXCOM, reviewed a draft of the speech prepared by Theodore Sorensen for delivery by President Kennedy on Monday night.
Because members of EXCOM agreed that any comparison with the Soviet blockade of Berlin of 1948 should be avoided, the term blockade was replaced with "quarantine."
One of the factors perhaps influencing JFK to stay with his decision was the report by General Walter Sweeney, Jr.*, head of USAF Tactical Air Command, that a U.S. airstrike on the missiles would take out only a maximum of 90% leaving some operational.
*Saint Stephens Martyr Catholic Church, located at 2436 Pennsylvania Avenue, was founded in 1867. The current building was first used on June 11 1961 & was a favorite place of worship for President & Mrs. Kennedy.
**Walter C. Sweeney, Jr. (1909-1965) Born in Wheeling, WVA was commander of the US Army AF Task Group during the Battle of Midway in WWII. The Four Star General, who became Director of Plans of Strategic Air Command, died in December 1965.
SOURCE
"TWE Remembers: JFK Prepares to Tell the Nation About Soviet Missiles in Cuba (Cuban Missile Crisis, Day 6)," by James M. Lindsay, www.blogs.cfr.org/
General Walter C. Sweeney, Jr.
United States Air Force
USAF Photo
