So what was, and is, the difference between a blockade and a quarantine, the public surely wanted to know? In keeping with Franklin D. Roosevelt's Quarantine Speech of 1937, a blockade is an act of war. A Quarantine is not considered an act of war. Perhaps it was a moot point but it served, for publicity purposes, to stress that war had not been declared by America against Cuba or the Soviet Union.
Preperations For Possible Invasion
In addition to this decision to place a "blockade" around Cuba, U.S. military began moving soldiers and equipment into position for a possible invasion of Cuba. The possibility of a second invasion by the United States on Cuba was an additional step in backing up President Kennedy's demand that Khrushchev remove the missiles from the island. The naval quarantine zone around Cuba would serve to allow U.S. naval forces to intercept and inspect ships to determine if they were carrying weapons.
What About the Boys?
The real-life and human story of what took place in the waters around Cuba between October 22 and 28 of 1962 has mostly been left unrevealed to the general public. The fate of one airborne serviceman was, however, more publicized. On October 27, pilot Rudolph Anderson, piloting a U-2 mission over Cuba was shot down. Another U-2 flight pilot nearly experienced the same fate. While flying a mission over Russia, his plane strayed over Siberia and was nearly intercepted. This later incident was due to U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Curtis LeMay's neglect to enforce the President's orders to suspend all overflights.
Blockade or Quarantine: The Cuba Missile Crisis, continues with: Farewell Husbands and Lovers: The 1962 Naval Blockade of Cuba.
Previous: A Presidential Decision: The Cuba Missile Crisis.
