Reply #30: Kennedy kept the World out of World War III.

[Octafish]

Castro and Kruschev, no doubt out of "national security" necessity, set up nuclear weapons on missiles that could reach Washington, among other places.

The Joint Chiefs were screaming at Kennedy to knock them out and invade Cuba. The Congressional leadership was telling JFK "Now's the time for the big showdown." The majority of the cabinet were stating war was the only alternative. I can only imagine what Vice President Johnson, once known as "the Senator from the Pentagon," counseled.

Anyway, Kennedy, his brother the AG and too few members of the government were doing all they could to go against their advice and find a peaceful solution. And for that, all of us today are in their debt.