Somewhat extraordinary audio I just came across...

http://www.kennedylibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/Archives/JFKPOF-TPH-30.aspx

Fascinating. Thanks for posting. Kennedy and Eisenhower discuss the Soviets shooting those things off (nuclear weapons) as if they're talking about firecrackers. Kennedy chuckles as Eisenhower bets against it, but cautions Kennedy to keep his people alert and 'hang on tight'.

Cool, calm, and collected, all of them.

Also had to smile listening to Kennedy calling (Presidential Advisor John) McCloy back from Frankfurt to 'sustain', 'stiffen', and 'support' Adlai (Stevenson) at the U. N.

Interesting how Kennedy refers to Ike as "General." The showdown was an incremental affair, and didn't quite reach the levels where nuclear war was likely. As the recording shows, the invasion of Cuba was certainly an option on the table. Our pledge not to invade, along with other consideration, got the missiles out of Cuba and ended the crisis. I think Ike was right; it didn't seem likely that an invasion, if and of itself, would have triggered nuclear war. I think that factored into everyone's calculations to settle the dispute. Thankfully the Soviets and the US chose not to escalate even further and roll the die over this.

Maybe I'm misremembering all this, but I believe that Soviet era archives released in the 90's revealed that warheads had been installed on a few of the missiles and the local Soviet commander had been authorized by Moscow to use them against the Second Fleet deployed around Cuba if the US attempted to destroy the missiles with a surprise air strike.

At the time the Pentagon and the CIA were advising Kennedy that the missiles were not yet fully operational and could be safely taken out with a surprise air strike. Many in Kennedy's cabinet were pressing for an air strike as the safest, least provocative way to destroy the missiles. From such intelligence failures wars are born.

Just saying...