Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
American History
Related: About this forumOn the evening of October 22, 1962, Pres. Kennedy announced the discovery of Russian missiles in Cuba to the US public.
Cuban Missile Crisis
{snip}
Speech to the nation
President Kennedy signing the Proclamation for
Interdiction of the Delivery of Offensive Weapons
to Cuba at the Oval Office on October 23, 1962
At 3:00 pm EDT on October 22, President Kennedy formally established the executive committee (EXCOMM) with National Security Action Memorandum (NSAM) 196. At 5:00 pm, he met with Congressional leaders, who contentiously opposed a blockade and demanded a stronger response. In Moscow, US Ambassador Foy D. Kohler briefed Khrushchev on the pending blockade and Kennedy's speech to the nation. Ambassadors around the world gave notice to non-Eastern Bloc leaders. Before the speech, US delegations met with Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, French President Charles de Gaulle and Secretary-General of the Organization of American States, José Antonio Mora to brief them on this intelligence and the US's proposed response. All were supportive of the US position. Over the course of the crisis, Kennedy had daily telephone conversations with Macmillan, who was publicly supportive of US actions.
Shortly before his speech, Kennedy telephoned former President Dwight Eisenhower. Kennedy's conversation with the former president also revealed that the two had been consulting during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The two also anticipated that Khrushchev would respond to the Western world in a manner similar to his response during the Suez Crisis, and would possibly wind up trading off Berlin.
{snip the address}
At 7:00 pm EDT on October 22, Kennedy delivered a nationwide televised address on all of the major networks announcing the discovery of the missiles. He noted:
Kennedy described the administration's plan:
During the speech, a directive went out to all US forces worldwide, placing them on DEFCON 3. The heavy cruiser USS Newport News was the designated flagship for the blockade, with USS Leary as Newport News's destroyer escort. Kennedy's speech writer Ted Sorensen stated in 2007 that the address to the nation was "Kennedy's most important speech historically, in terms of its impact on our planet."
{snip}
{snip}
Speech to the nation
President Kennedy signing the Proclamation for
Interdiction of the Delivery of Offensive Weapons
to Cuba at the Oval Office on October 23, 1962
At 3:00 pm EDT on October 22, President Kennedy formally established the executive committee (EXCOMM) with National Security Action Memorandum (NSAM) 196. At 5:00 pm, he met with Congressional leaders, who contentiously opposed a blockade and demanded a stronger response. In Moscow, US Ambassador Foy D. Kohler briefed Khrushchev on the pending blockade and Kennedy's speech to the nation. Ambassadors around the world gave notice to non-Eastern Bloc leaders. Before the speech, US delegations met with Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, French President Charles de Gaulle and Secretary-General of the Organization of American States, José Antonio Mora to brief them on this intelligence and the US's proposed response. All were supportive of the US position. Over the course of the crisis, Kennedy had daily telephone conversations with Macmillan, who was publicly supportive of US actions.
Shortly before his speech, Kennedy telephoned former President Dwight Eisenhower. Kennedy's conversation with the former president also revealed that the two had been consulting during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The two also anticipated that Khrushchev would respond to the Western world in a manner similar to his response during the Suez Crisis, and would possibly wind up trading off Berlin.
{snip the address}
At 7:00 pm EDT on October 22, Kennedy delivered a nationwide televised address on all of the major networks announcing the discovery of the missiles. He noted:
It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union.
Kennedy described the administration's plan:
To halt this offensive buildup, a strict quarantine on all offensive military equipment under shipment to Cuba is being initiated. All ships of any kind bound for Cuba, from whatever nation or port, will, if found to contain cargoes of offensive weapons, be turned back. This quarantine will be extended, if needed, to other types of cargo and carriers. We are not at this time, however, denying the necessities of life as the Soviets attempted to do in their Berlin blockade of 1948.
During the speech, a directive went out to all US forces worldwide, placing them on DEFCON 3. The heavy cruiser USS Newport News was the designated flagship for the blockade, with USS Leary as Newport News's destroyer escort. Kennedy's speech writer Ted Sorensen stated in 2007 that the address to the nation was "Kennedy's most important speech historically, in terms of its impact on our planet."
{snip}
Oval Office Address on the Cuban Missile Crisis - John F. Kennedy - Oct. 22, 1962
Pax Americana
1.06K subscribers
198,813 views Oct 13, 2018
A week after Kennedy had been presented with evidence of the Soviet deployment of 'offensive' missiles in Cuba, at 7:00PM ET on October 22, 1962, the President delivered a nationwide televised address on all of the major networks announcing the discovery of the missiles.
Transcript of President Kennedy's remarks: https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkcubanmissilecrisis.html
Transcript
Follow along using the transcript.
Show transcript
{snip}
Pax Americana
1.06K subscribers
198,813 views Oct 13, 2018
A week after Kennedy had been presented with evidence of the Soviet deployment of 'offensive' missiles in Cuba, at 7:00PM ET on October 22, 1962, the President delivered a nationwide televised address on all of the major networks announcing the discovery of the missiles.
Transcript of President Kennedy's remarks: https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkcubanmissilecrisis.html
Transcript
Follow along using the transcript.
Show transcript
{snip}
From elleng:
Tue Oct 22, 2024: Remember???
Sun Oct 22, 2023: On this day, October 22, 1962, President Kennedy announced the discovery of Russian missiles in Cuba to the American public.
Hat tip, RickHworth
Tue Oct 22, 2019: On this date, 22 October, 1962, a sobering thought.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
1 replies, 244 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (5)
ReplyReply to this post
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
On the evening of October 22, 1962, Pres. Kennedy announced the discovery of Russian missiles in Cuba to the US public. (Original Post)
mahatmakanejeeves
Oct 22
OP
NNadir
(34,751 posts)1. I have always considered JFK my least favorite Democratic President of...
...the 20th century, excepting maybe Woodrow Wilson, because of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
It shouldn't have happened in the first place.