October 23: ON THIS DAY in 1962, JFK orders Navy to blockade Cuba

October 23, 2019 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1946, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “New York today gave the arriving delegates to the United Nations General Assembly a rousing welcome. Along the built-up canyons of lower Broadway as the delegates drove by in a long cavalcade of cars, they were welcomed by the cheering New Yorkers, who lined up eight and ten deep along the sidewalks of Broadway and tossed ticker-tape from high buildings, in the traditional manner of New York welcomes to honor the visiting delegates. Then they were officially welcomed on the plaza in front of City Hall by Deputy Mayor Thomas L.J. Corcoran on behalf of the City of New York, and by Warren Austin, himself a General Assembly delegate, head of the U.S. delegation, on behalf of the United States. Mr. Corcoran, in his address of welcome, expressed New York City’s wish to see the United Nations established in New York as its permanent home.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1949, the Eagle reported, “Sixteen American and Canadian jet fighter planes successfully defended New York against an attempted mock atomic bomb attack yesterday, ‘shooting down’ 12 B-26 bombers twice each before the big ships gave up and returned to their base. Not one of the Royal Canadian Air Force, New York State Guard or New Jersey State Guard fighter planes was ‘damaged’ by the ‘enemy’ force, authorities in charge of ‘Operation Metropolis’ reported. The practice maneuver was considered more of a test of the cooperation between American and Canadian forces than on atomic bomb defenses, but officials representing both countries were pleased that the attacking bombers didn’t get within striking distance of the nation’s biggest city.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1960, the Eagle reported, “Sen. Jack Kennedy returns this week to pivotal Brooklyn in an attempt to clinch enough votes in the borough to swing New York State over to his column in the Electoral College. He will make six speeches here in strategic spots. Riding high, after what Brooklyn Democrats called a ‘tremendous visit,’ the presidential contender from Massachusetts will deliver an address at the Eastern Parkway Arena Thursday night. Kennedy spoke to an estimated 30,000 persons on a quick swing through Brooklyn. Several times during the ride through the borough’s streets, he was almost pulled from the rear of his open convertible by well-wishers. In a new development, President [Dwight] Eisenhower announced yesterday that he and Vice President [Richard] Nixon would make major campaign speeches in New York Nov. 2. Nixon had previously canceled his single scheduled appearance in the boro. Kennedy, campaigning yesterday through Missouri and Kansas, called on Nixon to abide by Eisenhower’s code of ‘face to face’ settlement of differences by agreeing to a fifth ‘Great Debate.’ Vice President Nixon, on a campaign swing in Eastern Pennsylvania, broadened his attack on Kennedy on the Cuban issue.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1962, the Eagle reported, “Washington (UPI) — President Kennedy last night clamped a Naval blockade on Cuba because Soviet intermediate range missiles and other arms had turned the island into an armed camp capable of hurling destruction into the heart of America. The blockade on shipment of offensive weapons to the Fidel Castro regime was part of a seven-step program ordered by the president to meet the ‘threat to hemispheric security’ posed by the Soviet arms buildup. The president said the Naval blockade would not deny Cubans the civilian necessities of life. The buildup, the president said in a nationwide radio and television report to the people, now includes medium range ballistic missiles capable of firing nuclear warheads for more than 1,000 miles … The United States, the president said, was asking for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council where this country will introduce a resolution calling for prompt dismantling and withdrawal of all offensive weapons in Cuba under U.N. supervision. The president said the offensive weapons would have to be removed before the quarantine could be lifted. He called on Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev ‘to halt and eliminate this clandestine, reckless and provocative threat to world peace and to stable relations between our two nations.’”