Cuban Missile Crisis and Aftermath
1. Briefing Paper
Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Box 14, Cuba, Cuba Intelligence. Top Secret. Prepared by Colonel John R. Wright, Jr., USA. A note on the source text indicates that it was prepared initially for a briefing given on September 28 and that material from the paper was included in the briefing given the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on October 1.
2. Memorandum From Acting Secretary of State Ball to President Kennedy
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, NSAM 194. Confidential. No drafting information appears on the source text.
3. National Security Action Memorandum No. 194
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, NSAM 194. Confidential; Sensitive.
4. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Taylor)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files:FRC 66 A 3542, Cuba 1962. Top Secret. The source text is undated, but a copy found ibid., OASD/ISA Files:FRC 65 A 3501, Cuba 1962, 381 Jan-Oct, is dated October 2.
5. Memorandum From the Director of Intelligence and Research (Hilsman) to the Under Secretary of State (Ball)
Source: Kennedy Library, Hilsman Papers, Cuba, 1962. No classification marking. No drafting information appears on the source text.
7. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to President Kennedy
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Cuba, General, 10/1-10/14/62. Top Secret.
8. Memorandum by Director of Central Intelligence McCone
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Cuban Files, Job 80-B01676R, Box 17, Folder 12. Secret; Eyes Only. A memorandum for the record of this meeting, by Thomas A. Parrott, is ibid., Walter Elder Recop. Also reproduced in CIA Documents on the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962, pp. 111-113.
9. Memorandum of Discussion With the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI/McCone Files, Job 80-B01285A, Memos for the Record. Secret. Drafted by McCone. Also reproduced in CIA Documents on the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962, pp. 115-117.
10. Memorandum From the Central Intelligence Agency Project Officer for Operation Mongoose (Harvey) to the Chief of Operations, Operation Mongoose (Lansdale)
Source: Department of State, ARA/CCA Files: Lot 66 D 501, Operation Mongoose. Top Secret; Sensitive.
12. Memorandum by Director of Central Intelligence McCone
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI/McCone Files, Job 80-B01285A, Meetings with the President. Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by McCone. Also reproduced in CIA Documents on the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962, pp. 123-125.
13. Memorandum From the Director for Operations of the Joint Staff (Unger) to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Nitze)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD (C) A Files:FRC 71 A 2896, Historical File, Cuba, November 1962. Top Secret.
14. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Martin) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson)
Source: Department of State, S/S Files: Lot 65 D 438, Mongoose. Top Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Hurwitch.
15. Memorandum From the Ambassador at Large (Bowles) to President Kennedy
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 601.6111/10-1562. Secret. Drafted by Bowles on October 14.
18. Transcript of a Meeting at the White House
Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Presidential Recordings, Transcripts. No classification marking. The source text is a 35-page transcript of audiotape 28.1. Identifying footnotes in the source text are not included. For Taylor’s draft account of this meeting, October 16, including a list of participants, and Carter’s memorandum for the record, dictated on October 17, see the Supplement. Carter’s memorandum is also reproduced in CIA Documents on the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962, pp. 145-147. McGeorge Bundy had informed the President about the U-2 photographs of the missile sites at 8:45 a.m. October 16, and Kennedy immediately called for a meeting of his principal advisers at 11:45.
19. Memorandum for the Record
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Cuban Files, Job 80-B1676R, Box 17, Walter Elder Recop. Secret; Eyes Only. Prepared by Helms. Another memorandum for the record of this meeting, drafted by Parrott, is ibid. Also reproduced in CIA Documents on the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962, pp. 153-154.
20. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.3722/10-1662. Secret; Priority; Eyes Only. Received in the Department of State at 2:35 p.m. October 16.
21. Off the Record Meeting on Cuba
Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Presidential Recordings, Transcripts. No classification marking. The source text is a 52-page transcript of audiotapes 28.2 and 28A.1. Identifying footnotes in the source text are not included. Following the first meeting at the White House (see Document 18) the JCS and the commanders involved with Cuba planning met at 4:30 p.m. They were joined by McNamara at 5:40 p.m., and agreed that all significant military targets in Cuba and not just the missiles should be attacked. (History of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, vol. VIII, Part II, p. 246) At the same time Rusk, Ball, Martin, U. Alexis Johnson, Bohlen, Thompson, and Stevenson met to discuss Cuba. No record of these discussions has been found but they are cited in Rusk’s Appointment Book. (Johnson Library) Following the 6:30 p.m. meeting many of the participants went to the Department of State for further discussions, which ended at approximately 11 p.m. (Chronology of the Cuban Crisis, November 14; Washington National Records Center, OASD/ISA Files:FRC 65 A 3501, Cuba, 1962) No other record of these discussions has been found.
22. Memorandum of Meeting
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI/McCone Files, Job 80-B01285A, Memo for the Record. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by McCone. Also reproduced in CIA Documents on the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962, pp. 159-160.
23. Memorandum for the File
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI/McCone Files, Job 80-B01285A, Memo for the Record. No classification marking. Drafted by McCone on October 19. Also reproduced in CIA Documents on the Cuban Missile Crisis, pp. 169-173.
25. Letter From the Representative to the United Nations (Stevenson) to President Kennedy
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Cuba. Secret; Eyes Only. The source text indicates it was written during the morning. A copy of Stevenson’s handwritten notes, “Cuba—Memo to Self for Conf—Dept—Oct. 17,” which seem to be the basis for this letter, are at Princeton University, Stevenson Papers, Box 846, Selected Correspondence, Cuba.
26. Memorandum for Discussion
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI/McCone Files, Job 80-B01285A, Meetings with the President. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by McCone. The memorandum indicates it was prepared for discussion on October 17. Also reproduced in CIA Documents on the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962, pp. 161-162.
27. Memorandum by Director of Central Intelligence McCone
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI/McCone Files, Job 80-B01285A, Meetings with the President. Also reproduced in CIA Documentson the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962, pp. 163-165.
28. Memorandum for the File
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI/McCone Files, Job 80-B01285A, Meetings with the President. Top Secret. Drafted by McCone. The source text bears the handwritten notation “1100 AM-10-18-62 w/the President et al.” Also reproduced in CIA Documents on the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962, pp. 183-186. A tape recording of this meeting is available in the Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Presidential Recordings, No. 30.2 and 30a.1. The recording makes it clear that McCone’s account is a summarized version that excludes his own comments and observations.
29. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, USSR, Gromyko Talks. Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by Akalovsky on October 21 and approved by the White House on October 23. The meeting was held at the White House. The President and the Foreign Minister also discussed Berlin, a test ban agreement, and U.S.-Soviet bilateral relations; memoranda of these conversations are printed in vols. XV, pp. 370–376; VII, pp. 589–592; and V, respectively. An October 17 briefing memorandum for the conversation is in Department of State, Central Files, 033.6111/10-1762.