Richard F Kaufman is the author of A One-Way Trip to Death A Survivor’s View of Cruise Missiles in the Cuban Missile Crisis

In the 1950s he served in the Korean War, where he was shot down and provides a vivid snapshot of flying in that conflict.

On his way to Korea Richard meets a Japanese Kamikaze pilot. The pilot’s reflections on life and death left a lasting impact on Richard, shaping his perspective as he began training for effectively suicide missions guiding nuclear missiles to the Soviet Union.

He describes the fear and uncertainty surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis and the belief that war was imminent as the Last Rites are read to him while preparing for what he believed was his final mission.

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