Rooms Crisis Center Summary Causes Build-up Discovery Secrecy Decision Public Phase Eye to Eye Ends of a Rope On the Brink Conclusion Other Info Communication Bay of Pigs Timeline CMC Weblinks References

The Secret Build-Up Throughout the late-summer and early-fall of 1962 the Soviets ferried launch equipment and personnel necessary for the preparation of missiles to Cuba. For fear of being discovered, they could not use military ships. Therefore civilian vessels were used. In one instance, troops rode on a cruise liner posing as tourists. In all, sixty missiles and their warheads were transported to Cuba. As the U.S. monitored the increased shipping activity to Cuba, rumors began to circulate in Washington. On August 10, 1962 John McCone, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, sent the president a memorandum indicating his belief that the Soviets would place medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) in Cuba. On the 29th, a U-2 reconnaissance flight over Cuba revealed the presence of SA-2 SAM (Surface-to-Air-Missile) sites. In an attempt to reassure the Congress and the public, Kennedy announced on September 4 the presence of Soviet defensive missiles in Cuba (SA2-SAMs), but stated that there were no offensive weapons. On the same day, Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin assured Attorney General Robert Kennedy that no offensive missiles would be placed in Cuba. Eleven days later, however, the first Soviet MRBMs arrived. Under increasing pressure from Congressmen and intelligence officers, Kennedy ordered another U-2 flight over Cuba for October 9. Due to bad weather the flight was delayed until Sunday, October 14. Richard Heyser took off in a U-2 from Texas and headed over Cuba. When he landed in Florida, a one-star general was there to receive the film. Heyser, a veteran pilot, immediately sensed something urgent -- one-star generals do not normally run errands. Goto: Top of Document Goto: Causes of the Crisis Goto: Discovery

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