The weekend was coming up, and I should have been excited. Normally at age nine, the prospect of a birthday party in the city with a movie and lunch at a fancy restaurant would have had me dancing. Instead, I was afraid.
What if a bomb fell on my parents while I was at the party? Who would take care of me? What would I do?
Mom and Dad tried to shield me and my sisters from world events. In their bathrobes and slippers after breakfast, they’d peruse sections of the Inquirer and Sunday Bulletin, strewing spent pages on the floor of the den. We girls would shuffle through them to find the Funnies, interested only in Blondie, Peanuts, and Beetle Bailey. If the news was troubling, we might detect some tension, but nothing was said.
Still, it was October of 1962, and at school, Duck-and-Cover drills sent us scurrying under desks, and some of our parents’ friends had excavated fallout shelters in their yards. Well-stocked with supplies, they were cool and cave-like to visit, but the thought of living there? Crazy claustrophobic, but for kids, the stuff of fantasy, as imaginable as life in a fort or submarine.
Children with less protective parents spoke ominously about our enemy, the U.S.S.R, so we weren’t oblivious. The bomb scare clues were glaring, though not the specifics: that Soviet missiles with nuclear capabilities were being installed in Cuba and aimed at American cities. For me, lying rigid with fear in bed at night, every plane passing overhead held potential threat. Was that whining sound a bomb hurtling toward us?
Now, I am the parent concerned for children and grandkids of my own. Although I try to resist, I scroll through my newsfeed every day striving to quell panic. Bad idea. On Sundays, the sections of the Boston Globe are strewn about our floor, and I still turn to the Funnies - Pickles, Doonsbury, Foxtrot, and Family Circus – seeking a lift.
I am reading Bobby Kennedy’s 1967 memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Thirteen Days. He describes President John Kennedy’s calm in the face of the nuclear threat, and his belief in the necessity for debate and consideration of opposing opinions among Cabinet members and military advisors in deciding a course of action. Despite pressure from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to invade, the President chose prudence, a blockade as an initial step. Further, in recognizing the importance of allowing the Soviet leader to save face, he exchanged respectful letters with Premier Khrushchev urging a peaceful resolution.
At 7:00 PM, Tuesday, October 22, the president appeared on television to inform his fellow Americans of the crisis. He told those watching that all branches of the military were in position and ready should the blockade be ineffective. Our NATO allies had been alerted and were ready to support us.
In his book, Attorney General Kennedy reflected, “We went to bed that night filled with concern and trepidation, but also with a sense of pride in the strength, the purposefulness, and the courage of the President of the United States. No one could predict what was in store in the days ahead, but we all felt that the President, because of his own wisdom and personal dignity, would have the support of a unified country.” (1.)
A unified country: a wistful dream in this time of partisan division. There are currently no missiles on our doorstep aimed our way, but leadership – the leadership that would determine our course in such a crisis – is up to the voters. Incredibly, millions of my fellow Americans support an erratic man who has invited aggression on our NATO allies – those who stood with us in 1962 and after 9/11 – if they don’t “pay up;” a man whose influence on Congress has successfully blocked essential aide to Ukraine despite the importance to our national security; a man convicted of fraud and sexual assault; a man charged with insurrection.
In 1962, my parents, the country, and the world waited, terrified, to see what the U.S.S.R would do. And because the President was cautious, well-informed, mindful of ramifications, and respectful in negotiating with Khrushchev, an agreement was reached. The missiles in Cuba were dismantled.
In November of 2024, I will wait, terrified, to see what future my fellow Americans envision for our children and grandchildren: Democracy; rational, experienced leadership; and the NATO alliance preserved … or chaos under Trump.
1. Robert F. Kennedy, Thirteen Days, A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis,
W.W. Norton & Co., New York, pg. 43-44.
10 comments:
I don’t remember duck and drill in my school, although it may have happened, and I just don’t remember. And I certainly don’t remember anything about the Cuban missile crisis. Didn’t learn about it until years later. Heather Cox Richardson is helping me to stay more balanced on this whole subject of what if… especially her latest, if you didn’t read it.
Yes, the "what if..." is alarming to consider. The world (and climate!) is volatile, and prudence, and the ability to listen and value others' input, is/will be essential.
This post struck a chord with me - I am dreading this year's election and all the vitriol that will come with it.
If we truly want to listen and value others' input, don't we have a responsibility to inquire about how people come to their decisions and opinions, even if we don't agree with them? Radical acceptance.
As a high school kid in the 1960's I always imagined the words on the "Love it or Leave it" bumperstickers as being shouted from the florid, bloated face of a bully; a person devoid of the ability to listen to, understand or empathize with the moral stance of the Viet Nam war protesters. Stereotypical thinking of a still-evolving 17 year old? Guilty. Your piece reminds me of the inestimable value of leaders who in crisis situations do not resort to such shallow reasoning. Leaders who can understand with nuance, act with prudence and accept responsibility with courage with the future of our nation on the line. And it underscores the critical importance of these November elections, wherein we can choose leaders who have demonstrated the qualities of our leaders during Cuban Missile Crisis or ONE WHO THINKS AND ACTS AND BOASTS ABOUT RULING RUTHLESSLY IN ALL CAPS and his ilk. The choice is up to us indeed.
I remember being afraid of bombs, but I do not think that I was aware of how dangerous the Cuban Missile Crisis was. I do think that the danger to this country from the radical right is more dangerous than any bombs could be. We are being torn apart, and the folks who are more moderate in both parties are being marginalized. I hope that I am wrong.
I fully agree, Katie, but I hope the bombs don't become an issue as well!
As to the reader who wrote about radical acceptance - I fully agree there too. I WOULD like to know the elements that have led to unwavering MAGA support, even in the face of evidence, actions, and statements by the candidate himself?
I remember being taught to hide under our desks, and being afraid of being far from home. I was grateful for this to understand the fear level of children. I love the movie of 13 hours...never read the book. We were fortunate not to be aware of the flaws of the Kennedys—can you imagine how they'd be hounded now?
I am very anxious now for the future. There seems to be a dwindling will for peace.
I was reflecting on that this morning: how have we not evolved past killing each other as an answer despite centuries of grieving parents and the loss of art and accumulated wisdom (ex: the burning of the Library of Alexandria)? Humanity's terrible tragic flaw.
Thank God Kennedy had the strength to withstand the more hawkish men in his cabinet. That took great wisdom. I remember my mother brought my new brother Eric home from the hospital at that time. I was oblivious to everything, but mom said later it was a very tense time, especially with a new baby.
Post a Comment