In October 1962, several American newspaper editors were guests of the U.S. Navy aboard a flotilla of ships at sea near Fidel Castro-ruled Communist Cuba.
The newsmen had been invited by the Navy to view a practice U.S. Marine landing operation planned at Vieques Island.
But suddenly, in the dark of night, the newspaper guests were surprised to find that the North Star appeared to have “turned around” in the sky.
Actually, the U.S. ships had turned around. All outside lights on the ships were blacked out! What was happening?
In mid-October 1962, American reconnaissance aircraft had detected Soviet-built missile installations in Cuba.
If the missiles were fired from Cuba, they could strike the United States!
President John F. Kennedy ordered U.S. Navy ships on Oct. 22, to impose a naval blockade of Cuba. Hundreds of U.S. Air Force and Navy bombers and fighter aircraft were rushed to Florida and other Southern U.S. air bases, in preparation for possible air attacks to prevent delivery of additional Soviet missiles to Communist Cuba.
Those were tense days. Would there be war between the Soviet Union and the United States?
The United States demanded the offensive Russian weaponry be removed and that the Russian missile bases in Cuba be abandoned.
The confrontation did not end until 6:45 p.m. EDT, on Nov. 20, 1962. The Soviets removed their missile systems aboard eight Soviet ships in early November, and Soviet Il-28 bombers were later loaded on Soviet ships to be returned to Russia as well.
Kennedy, in return, secretly agreed to remove U.S. Thor and Jupiter missiles from Italy and Turkey.
Thus ended what was perhaps the most tense confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union in the days of the Cold War.