John F. Kennedy
Naval Quarantine of Cuba
by
On October 22, 1962, President John F. Kennedy addressed the nation about the Cuban missile crisis and announced a naval quarantine of Cuba. This recording presents a consequential presidential address, as Kennedy explains the discovery of Soviet missile installations and the danger they posed to the United States and the wider world.
Listeners hear Kennedy lay out the administration’s response, including the quarantine and its purpose, while urging the Soviet Union to withdraw the missiles. The speech combines a direct account of the crisis with a case for measured action, and makes clear the stakes of a confrontation between nuclear powers.
The experience is that of a formal, historically significant radio address rather than a dramatized story: Kennedy’s own voice carries the message, with its careful explanations and grave, controlled tone. It offers a close listen to a defining moment in the crisis as it was presented to the public.
This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.
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