Author: Charles Rollin Buffington V

Interviewer: Drew Holt

During October of 1962, the United States came close to thermonuclear war. The Soviet Union placed missiles on the "imprisoned island" of Cuba and Fidel Castro aligned himself with the communist regime, which of course raised concerns for the United States. President John F. Kennedy faced a multiplicity of solutions to resolve the crisis and threat of offensive weaponry in the U.S. backyard during these thirteen days of October. President Kennedy's decision is seen as one of the greatest decisions in history, and with good reason.