Episode 08: Nuclear Tension: The Cuban Missile Crisis
It’s ironic that the capriciousness of Kennedy and Khrushchev kicked off the Cuban Missile Crisis, but the sanity and clarity of both men ultimately led to a peaceful resolution. But the idea of a peaceful solution was not what most US and Soviet hardliners wanted. Instead of de-escalation, they were pushing for ways to confront each other through different military scenarios, each of which could have easily led to another world war.
It’s also important to note that the blockade was meant to prevent nuclear missiles from reaching Cuba, but in fact, they were already there. The launch pads and supporting systems were still under construction, but only weeks away from completion. Kennedy was not aware of that crucial fact, but that is about to change.
In our What If Scenario, we imagine that Kennedy has learned of the presence of nuclear weapons through the CIA’s network of Cuban spies. The intelligence was backed up by low-level aerial reconnaissance and Kennedy is forced to make a decision.
The Joint Chiefs are pushing for a full-scale invasion, but the Secretary of Defense, McNamara, has another idea. Unlike the Bay of Pigs, which was carried out by civilian exiles hastily trained in military tactics, McNamara believes an elite team of Green Berets could land undetected, infiltrate the nuclear missile storage area, and sabotage them to render them inoperable and safe.
Kennedy knows the nuclear issue is something he has to confront. And diplomacy has not yet worked. Faced with the prospect of killing Russians and Cubans, which would certainly escalate tensions, he chooses the covert option.
The next night, which happened to be a moonless cycle, a team of 45 Green Berets, under his orders, would invade the beaches of Cuba. And the secret weapon they would use to eliminate the nuclear option from Cuba’s arsenal is Cranberry Juice.
