A Man is Finished When He Quits - The Presidency of Richard M. Nixon (Redux)
- Thread starter SargentHawk
- Start date
Inauguration and Cabinet
Inauguration:
President Richard Nixon during his Inaugural Address at the US Capitol Building - January 20th 1961
With Richard Nixon victorious in the 1960 election, the nation would continue on course until January to see their next President take the oath of office. The Inauguration Parade, having become an American tradition nearly as valued as fireworks on the Fourth of July, would be one for the history books. On the day of the inauguration a massive snowstorm would blanket Washington D.C., causing many to fear of a potential cancellation of the day’s events and celebrations. Storms across the nation were so severe that former President Herbert Hoover proved unable to attend the Inauguration due to the cancellation of his flight. But as in a last minute grace from God, the worst of the weather subsided and soldiers of the United States Army were tasked with clearing the streets to allow for the parade route to continue on unopposed by mounds of snow. Once the obstructions were cleared and the roads deemed passable, the events were allowed to continue and the inauguration ceremonies began and proceeded smoothly on from its early issues; the omens of bad weather passing on without further implicating themselves with the day’s events. In an inaugural first, Richard Nixon would invite the poet Robert Penn Warren to recite a newly written poem before those who had gathered to see the swearing in of the President. Warren, who had recently begun swinging towards heavy support of Civil Rights, was selected by Nixon in hopes of bringing in the support of the African American community who had been angered over Lodge’s statements during the campaign. Reciting the poem, ‘Chances’, a work the poet had written precisely for the occasion. The poem contained strong patriotic tones of hope for the future and the chances that ought to be held by every American. Following the recitation of the poem and words and prayers from other speakers, Richard Nixon would approach the podium himself to take the Oath of Office and to deliver his Inaugural Address, which would go on for roughly forty-five minutes. The nation warmly and loudly applauded their new President that would sit in the seat as the most powerful man in the world for at least the next four years.
“…let us look into the awaiting years with the cautiousness warranted of the unknown but as well with the optimism of a bright and fulfilling future. In holding true to our faith and trust in God, let us stay firm in our purpose and let us fulfill the promise of this nation in leading the free world through the dangers that await with a calm and guiding hand. Let us bring our grand nation into an era of progress that will surely come should we remain on the course of our destiny….” – Richard Nixon (Inaugural Address excerpt; 1961)
Another view of Nixon's Address - 1961
Following the Inauguration ceremony itself the Inauguration Parade would commence which had become just as expected an event as the swearing in itself. Numerous celebrities and personalities blended in with hundreds of regular civilians as they rode on the inaugural floats. Then as the day came to a steady close, the United States would say goodbye to President Eisenhower for the last time, and would say hello to President Nixon for the first, the honored tradition of passing the torch would transpire as it had when Washington passed the duties onto Adams, and Hoover had done the same with Roosevelt. Much of the public unaware that as they slept after watching the day’s events unfold on television, that Nixon would begin to act almost immediately once he sat in the chair behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. As the new President adjusted to the walls of the office and the overbearing weight of the free world on his shoulders, the White House Staff began eliminating their mental connections and routines they had formed with the last first family.President Nixon began the work that would define the next four years, his legacy, and the world at large.
"I did not sleep very well in those first nights. There was too much to do and even more to think about. There were several nights when I caught myself asking just how did Ike perform this job so smoothly. It took me roughly two weeks before I think I truly acclimated to the reality of my situation. While I never once regretted my decision to run for the Presidency, even less so in winning the office; I have no shame in saying that I was afraid. The fear that I had in those First Days was a great mixture of fears I think anyone in their right mind would have had. That I would let the people down. That I would let my family down... that I would let those who trusted me the most down. It was that fear that kept me on the straight and narrow. That fear that inspired me to never allow the notion of quitting into my mind. You see, a man is finished when he quits. Someone is never truly defeated until they allow themselves to accept that defeat, life can be full of setbacks... but you are not defeated until you quit striving for victory. In those nights I stood in the footsteps of a great number of men who had come before me. I hoped that their example would aid me in anything that I would face, and they did a great many times." -'A Man is Finished When He Quits' - The Memoirs of President Richard M. Nixon
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The First Days
Recorded Conversation between President Nixon and Chief of Staff Robert Finch; January, 1961:
Nixon: About this promise made by my Vice President… who are we looking at to fill that position? And what position…
Finch: it’s up to you Mr. President. I did have some staff members draft up this list of what we believe to be potential suitors… Might I make the suggestion in particular of Ralph Bunche, I had him placed at the top of the list of candidates.
Nixon: I see he’s at the top. Remind me again of his qualifications if you can Bob... I've been staring at names all morning.
Finch: He's the member of the board and a trustee at several schools… he was involved with the formation and administration of the United Nations… was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950 and he's a supporter of Civil Rights. He fits incredibly well, especially in the ways of education. Health Education and Welfare seems to be screaming his name.
Nixon: yeah… He's overqualified if anything.
Finch: should I keep going down the list?
Nixon: No Bob, I think you and your boys hit the head of the nail with this one. Bunche sounds like the right choice to me. But let me know if there's anyone else that jumps out in the event that he declines.
Finch: The confirmation will be like trying to walk through machine gun fire, but in the end I think we should be able to get him confirmed…
Nixon: Well if we can’t even do this we can damn sure hang up anything involving Civil Rights for the next decade or so. Not that it would necessarily be a bad thing... not to hit that hornets nest I mean. no matter when that happens it’s a guaranteed bald spot and a head full of gray hair on whoever is sitting behind this desk.
Finch: Have you made a decision on who you’re going to for Attorney General?
Nixon: Ford.
Finch: The Representative from Michigan?
Nixon: Yes….. I’m calling him later to offer him the job.
Finch: Oh… Have you had any contact with Bush yet?
Nixon: Prescott? He assured me that he would rather remain in the Senate. Which I can’t hold him against. He's been talking about retiring recently, so he wouldn't want to be trapped into a position over here. He did send over a list of candidates for certain positions, which was appreciated.
Finch: Well at least we have a large lake with a lot of suitable fish in it.
Nixon: Damn right.
*End Conversation*
Secretary Ralph Bunche after confirmation - 1961
----------
Telephone Recording Between President Nixon and Gerald Ford (January, 1961):
Secretary: Yes Mr. President?
Nixon: Rose Mary, Patch me through to Representative Gerald Ford’s office please.
Secretary: Right away Mr. President, thank you.
Nixon: Thank you
Ford’s Secretary: Hello, Representative Ford’s office, Michigan’s 5th district office.
Nixon: Hello, I'm calling for Representative Ford
Ford’s Secretary: May I ask who's calling?
Nixon: The President
:Line changes:
Ford: Hello.
Nixon: Hello. This is Richard Nixon, I was calling you Jerry..... you don't mind if I call you Jerry?
Ford: No, go right ahead.
Nixon: Well Jerry.... I was calling to gauge your interest in taking the position of Secretary of Justice.... I'd like you to be my Attorney General.
Ford: I guess then that we are getting right to the point.
Nixon: Of course this would mean you would have to resign from your current House position.
Ford: That’s what has me on the fence, the people of my state elected me to serve them. And serve them is what I had planned to do.
Nixon: Well, I'll give you some time to think it over, I'm not expecting you to jump on the train without any consideration, that wouldn't be what I'd be looking for in an attorney general.
Ford:*slight chuckle*
Nixon: You would still be serving the people of your state Gerry, only you would be serving law and order for the entire nation along with the people of Michigan
Ford: Why the interest in me Mr. President?
Nixon: You’re qualified… and you’re likeable, and with the things in this country we need an Attorney General that appears and is trustworthy. One that I can know will get the job done. and I think that man is you.
Ford: Mr. President…
Nixon: Yes Gerry?
Ford: I still need to sleep on this, and consult the wife… but I am fairly certain you have your Attorney General, please give me the rest of the day to consider before you offer the position to anyone else.
Nixon: I’m happy to hear that.
Ford:Thank you, Mr. President
Nixon: Thank you Jerry, Bye.
*END RECORDING*
Attorney General Gerald Ford in his office - 1961
With Richard Nixon formally sworn in, a new aura could be felt in the White House, one of quickened and heightened progress, and a trained eagerness to keep America moving. The first motions of the Nixon Administration would be the appointing of the Presidential Cabinet. Attempting to follow through on the promise made by the Vice President that the new administration would appoint, “A Black Man” to a position on the Cabinet, Richard Nixon with the advice of several men including Robert Finch, would ultimately select Ralph Bunche as the Secretary of Health Education and Welfare due to Bunche’s carrying of a Nobel Peace Prize, and his work in the areas of Education and Civil Rights. Upon his confirmation, Bunche would become the first man of color to hold the position of a cabinet secretary in United States History. The path to such a milestone would prove incredibly difficult, with Bunche being brought under a Senate investigation into his past and an investigation into his competence and personal character, as well as several other hearings that were brought into existence on the sole reason of the color of the man’s skin. Senators Strom Thurmond, James Eastland, and Robert Byrd led the crusade against Bunche’s confirmation with Thurmond threatening to filibuster should it be required to prevent Bunche’s confirmation.
“The President’s attempt to have Ralph Bunche confirmed as the Secretary of Health Education and Welfare is in a lack of a better term misguided. He is letting the opinion of a few voices dictate how he is going to manage this government. Not to mention that I personally do not feel Bunche is by any means the best nor is he the right choice for the position that we are discussing here today.” – Strom Thurmond (January, 1961)
Despite the efforts of these Senators among others, Ralph Bunche would be confirmed for the Secretarial position by a confirmation vote of 68-32, a full two weeks after the confirmation of every other cabinet position.
To allow for uninterrupted continuation, Robert Anderson would return as the Secretary of the Treasury as he had served under President Eisenhower, Christian Herter, the former Secretary of State, would be relocated to the position of the Secretary of Commerce. Gerald R. Ford, who had made his presence well known in Congress, and who had attracted Nixon’s attention for his loyalty and likeability was offered the position of Secretary of Justice, which he accepted after a personal phone call made from Nixon himself. Paul Nitze, a father of US Foreign Policy tactics would be given the role of Secretary of Defense based on his experience in the fields necessary to his subject matter. Among others appointments, Margaret Smith would be appointed to the Secretary of Labor, Meyner would be approved as the Secretary of the Interior, Joseph Holt would be appointed to Postmaster General, and Alfred Driscoll would become the Secretary of Agriculture.
Nelson Rockefeller, as many suspected, was positioned to become the Secretary of State for the Nixon Administration, just a year after he had been defeated for the nomination and subsequently rejected Nixon’s Vice Presidential offer. George F. Keenan, the “Father of Containment” and former ambassador to the Soviet Union was tapped to be the National Security Adviser.
Looking towards the West Wing, Nixon would award several men on his campaign staff with positions. Robert Finch, his campaign manager for the 1960 election, would be given the role of Nixon’s Chief of Staff, a position that was deemed too public for Murray Chotiner, another Nixon adviser and aide to the campaign. Chotiner, who had recently been plagued with investigations with dealings regarding two Atlantic Clothing Manufactures who had previously been barred from government contracts due to fraud, was still deemed too controversial to have a position in such a public area of the Administration, and was instead slated to become Counselor to the President. Herbert Klein would also be moved in to represent the Presidency as Press Secretary.
However, there was one name on the list of appointments few figured would ever appear in national politics again, let alone appear internationally. Thomas E. Dewey, who had played a massive role in securing the Vice Presidential nomination for Richard Nixon in 1952 and worked tirelessly for the Republicans in the election of the same year was offered the position of Ambassador to the United Nations. Even Dewey was skeptical about accepting the position at first and it took the Nixon Administration a sizeable effort to persuade and secure the former Governor of New York into the position and away from his profitable law practice.
While some appointments were debated before approval, in time all of Nixon’s choices requiring Congressional approval were approved. While a large number of senators, nearly all from the southern states were against the appointment of Bunche as a member of the Cabinet, some also viewed Nixon’s actions as a major step in Civil Rights and viewed the action in itself as highly respectable, which earned him some support in the African American community for following through on a promise they were sure was simply going to be a political empty promise. In time, many viewed the President in a positive manner with his decisions on who would fill the positions for the new decade.
The Cabinet of the Richard Nixon Administration (1961-)
Vice President - Henry C. Lodge
Secretary of State - Nelson Rockefeller
Treasury - Robert B. Anderson
Defense – Paul Nitze
Justice – Gerald R. Ford
Postmaster General – Joseph F. Holt
Interior – Robert B. Meyner
Agriculture – Alfred E. Driscoll
Commerce- Christian Herter
Labor- Margaret Chase Smith
H.E.W. – Ralph Bunche
Chief of Staff – Robert Finch
Counselor to the President- Murray Chotiner
Press Secretary- Herbert G. Klein
United States Ambassador to the United Nations- Thomas Dewey
National Security Advisor- George F. Kennan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Robert Penn Warren is the first poet to recite at the inaugural address
2. Richard Nixon names the first african american cabinet member (years before OTL)
3. Rockefeller agrees to join the administration as the Secretary of State.
4. Representative Gerald Ford agrees to be Attorney General (RFK's spot OTL)
President Richard Nixon during his Inaugural Address at the US Capitol Building - January 20th 1961
With Richard Nixon victorious in the 1960 election, the nation would continue on course until January to see their next President take the oath of office. The Inauguration Parade, having become an American tradition nearly as valued as fireworks on the Fourth of July, would be one for the history books. On the day of the inauguration a massive snowstorm would blanket Washington D.C., causing many to fear of a potential cancellation of the day’s events and celebrations. Storms across the nation were so severe that former President Herbert Hoover proved unable to attend the Inauguration due to the cancellation of his flight. But as in a last minute grace from God, the worst of the weather subsided and soldiers of the United States Army were tasked with clearing the streets to allow for the parade route to continue on unopposed by mounds of snow. Once the obstructions were cleared and the roads deemed passable, the events were allowed to continue and the inauguration ceremonies began and proceeded smoothly on from its early issues; the omens of bad weather passing on without further implicating themselves with the day’s events. In an inaugural first, Richard Nixon would invite the poet Robert Penn Warren to recite a newly written poem before those who had gathered to see the swearing in of the President. Warren, who had recently begun swinging towards heavy support of Civil Rights, was selected by Nixon in hopes of bringing in the support of the African American community who had been angered over Lodge’s statements during the campaign. Reciting the poem, ‘Chances’, a work the poet had written precisely for the occasion. The poem contained strong patriotic tones of hope for the future and the chances that ought to be held by every American. Following the recitation of the poem and words and prayers from other speakers, Richard Nixon would approach the podium himself to take the Oath of Office and to deliver his Inaugural Address, which would go on for roughly forty-five minutes. The nation warmly and loudly applauded their new President that would sit in the seat as the most powerful man in the world for at least the next four years.
“…let us look into the awaiting years with the cautiousness warranted of the unknown but as well with the optimism of a bright and fulfilling future. In holding true to our faith and trust in God, let us stay firm in our purpose and let us fulfill the promise of this nation in leading the free world through the dangers that await with a calm and guiding hand. Let us bring our grand nation into an era of progress that will surely come should we remain on the course of our destiny….” – Richard Nixon (Inaugural Address excerpt; 1961)
Another view of Nixon's Address - 1961
Following the Inauguration ceremony itself the Inauguration Parade would commence which had become just as expected an event as the swearing in itself. Numerous celebrities and personalities blended in with hundreds of regular civilians as they rode on the inaugural floats. Then as the day came to a steady close, the United States would say goodbye to President Eisenhower for the last time, and would say hello to President Nixon for the first, the honored tradition of passing the torch would transpire as it had when Washington passed the duties onto Adams, and Hoover had done the same with Roosevelt. Much of the public unaware that as they slept after watching the day’s events unfold on television, that Nixon would begin to act almost immediately once he sat in the chair behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. As the new President adjusted to the walls of the office and the overbearing weight of the free world on his shoulders, the White House Staff began eliminating their mental connections and routines they had formed with the last first family.President Nixon began the work that would define the next four years, his legacy, and the world at large.
"I did not sleep very well in those first nights. There was too much to do and even more to think about. There were several nights when I caught myself asking just how did Ike perform this job so smoothly. It took me roughly two weeks before I think I truly acclimated to the reality of my situation. While I never once regretted my decision to run for the Presidency, even less so in winning the office; I have no shame in saying that I was afraid. The fear that I had in those First Days was a great mixture of fears I think anyone in their right mind would have had. That I would let the people down. That I would let my family down... that I would let those who trusted me the most down. It was that fear that kept me on the straight and narrow. That fear that inspired me to never allow the notion of quitting into my mind. You see, a man is finished when he quits. Someone is never truly defeated until they allow themselves to accept that defeat, life can be full of setbacks... but you are not defeated until you quit striving for victory. In those nights I stood in the footsteps of a great number of men who had come before me. I hoped that their example would aid me in anything that I would face, and they did a great many times." -'A Man is Finished When He Quits' - The Memoirs of President Richard M. Nixon
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The First Days
Recorded Conversation between President Nixon and Chief of Staff Robert Finch; January, 1961:
Nixon: About this promise made by my Vice President… who are we looking at to fill that position? And what position…
Finch: it’s up to you Mr. President. I did have some staff members draft up this list of what we believe to be potential suitors… Might I make the suggestion in particular of Ralph Bunche, I had him placed at the top of the list of candidates.
Nixon: I see he’s at the top. Remind me again of his qualifications if you can Bob... I've been staring at names all morning.
Finch: He's the member of the board and a trustee at several schools… he was involved with the formation and administration of the United Nations… was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950 and he's a supporter of Civil Rights. He fits incredibly well, especially in the ways of education. Health Education and Welfare seems to be screaming his name.
Nixon: yeah… He's overqualified if anything.
Finch: should I keep going down the list?
Nixon: No Bob, I think you and your boys hit the head of the nail with this one. Bunche sounds like the right choice to me. But let me know if there's anyone else that jumps out in the event that he declines.
Finch: The confirmation will be like trying to walk through machine gun fire, but in the end I think we should be able to get him confirmed…
Nixon: Well if we can’t even do this we can damn sure hang up anything involving Civil Rights for the next decade or so. Not that it would necessarily be a bad thing... not to hit that hornets nest I mean. no matter when that happens it’s a guaranteed bald spot and a head full of gray hair on whoever is sitting behind this desk.
Finch: Have you made a decision on who you’re going to for Attorney General?
Nixon: Ford.
Finch: The Representative from Michigan?
Nixon: Yes….. I’m calling him later to offer him the job.
Finch: Oh… Have you had any contact with Bush yet?
Nixon: Prescott? He assured me that he would rather remain in the Senate. Which I can’t hold him against. He's been talking about retiring recently, so he wouldn't want to be trapped into a position over here. He did send over a list of candidates for certain positions, which was appreciated.
Finch: Well at least we have a large lake with a lot of suitable fish in it.
Nixon: Damn right.
*End Conversation*
Secretary Ralph Bunche after confirmation - 1961
----------
Telephone Recording Between President Nixon and Gerald Ford (January, 1961):
Secretary: Yes Mr. President?
Nixon: Rose Mary, Patch me through to Representative Gerald Ford’s office please.
Secretary: Right away Mr. President, thank you.
Nixon: Thank you
Ford’s Secretary: Hello, Representative Ford’s office, Michigan’s 5th district office.
Nixon: Hello, I'm calling for Representative Ford
Ford’s Secretary: May I ask who's calling?
Nixon: The President
:Line changes:
Ford: Hello.
Nixon: Hello. This is Richard Nixon, I was calling you Jerry..... you don't mind if I call you Jerry?
Ford: No, go right ahead.
Nixon: Well Jerry.... I was calling to gauge your interest in taking the position of Secretary of Justice.... I'd like you to be my Attorney General.
Ford: I guess then that we are getting right to the point.
Nixon: Of course this would mean you would have to resign from your current House position.
Ford: That’s what has me on the fence, the people of my state elected me to serve them. And serve them is what I had planned to do.
Nixon: Well, I'll give you some time to think it over, I'm not expecting you to jump on the train without any consideration, that wouldn't be what I'd be looking for in an attorney general.
Ford:*slight chuckle*
Nixon: You would still be serving the people of your state Gerry, only you would be serving law and order for the entire nation along with the people of Michigan
Ford: Why the interest in me Mr. President?
Nixon: You’re qualified… and you’re likeable, and with the things in this country we need an Attorney General that appears and is trustworthy. One that I can know will get the job done. and I think that man is you.
Ford: Mr. President…
Nixon: Yes Gerry?
Ford: I still need to sleep on this, and consult the wife… but I am fairly certain you have your Attorney General, please give me the rest of the day to consider before you offer the position to anyone else.
Nixon: I’m happy to hear that.
Ford:Thank you, Mr. President
Nixon: Thank you Jerry, Bye.
*END RECORDING*
Attorney General Gerald Ford in his office - 1961
With Richard Nixon formally sworn in, a new aura could be felt in the White House, one of quickened and heightened progress, and a trained eagerness to keep America moving. The first motions of the Nixon Administration would be the appointing of the Presidential Cabinet. Attempting to follow through on the promise made by the Vice President that the new administration would appoint, “A Black Man” to a position on the Cabinet, Richard Nixon with the advice of several men including Robert Finch, would ultimately select Ralph Bunche as the Secretary of Health Education and Welfare due to Bunche’s carrying of a Nobel Peace Prize, and his work in the areas of Education and Civil Rights. Upon his confirmation, Bunche would become the first man of color to hold the position of a cabinet secretary in United States History. The path to such a milestone would prove incredibly difficult, with Bunche being brought under a Senate investigation into his past and an investigation into his competence and personal character, as well as several other hearings that were brought into existence on the sole reason of the color of the man’s skin. Senators Strom Thurmond, James Eastland, and Robert Byrd led the crusade against Bunche’s confirmation with Thurmond threatening to filibuster should it be required to prevent Bunche’s confirmation.
“The President’s attempt to have Ralph Bunche confirmed as the Secretary of Health Education and Welfare is in a lack of a better term misguided. He is letting the opinion of a few voices dictate how he is going to manage this government. Not to mention that I personally do not feel Bunche is by any means the best nor is he the right choice for the position that we are discussing here today.” – Strom Thurmond (January, 1961)
Despite the efforts of these Senators among others, Ralph Bunche would be confirmed for the Secretarial position by a confirmation vote of 68-32, a full two weeks after the confirmation of every other cabinet position.
To allow for uninterrupted continuation, Robert Anderson would return as the Secretary of the Treasury as he had served under President Eisenhower, Christian Herter, the former Secretary of State, would be relocated to the position of the Secretary of Commerce. Gerald R. Ford, who had made his presence well known in Congress, and who had attracted Nixon’s attention for his loyalty and likeability was offered the position of Secretary of Justice, which he accepted after a personal phone call made from Nixon himself. Paul Nitze, a father of US Foreign Policy tactics would be given the role of Secretary of Defense based on his experience in the fields necessary to his subject matter. Among others appointments, Margaret Smith would be appointed to the Secretary of Labor, Meyner would be approved as the Secretary of the Interior, Joseph Holt would be appointed to Postmaster General, and Alfred Driscoll would become the Secretary of Agriculture.
Nelson Rockefeller, as many suspected, was positioned to become the Secretary of State for the Nixon Administration, just a year after he had been defeated for the nomination and subsequently rejected Nixon’s Vice Presidential offer. George F. Keenan, the “Father of Containment” and former ambassador to the Soviet Union was tapped to be the National Security Adviser.
Looking towards the West Wing, Nixon would award several men on his campaign staff with positions. Robert Finch, his campaign manager for the 1960 election, would be given the role of Nixon’s Chief of Staff, a position that was deemed too public for Murray Chotiner, another Nixon adviser and aide to the campaign. Chotiner, who had recently been plagued with investigations with dealings regarding two Atlantic Clothing Manufactures who had previously been barred from government contracts due to fraud, was still deemed too controversial to have a position in such a public area of the Administration, and was instead slated to become Counselor to the President. Herbert Klein would also be moved in to represent the Presidency as Press Secretary.
However, there was one name on the list of appointments few figured would ever appear in national politics again, let alone appear internationally. Thomas E. Dewey, who had played a massive role in securing the Vice Presidential nomination for Richard Nixon in 1952 and worked tirelessly for the Republicans in the election of the same year was offered the position of Ambassador to the United Nations. Even Dewey was skeptical about accepting the position at first and it took the Nixon Administration a sizeable effort to persuade and secure the former Governor of New York into the position and away from his profitable law practice.
While some appointments were debated before approval, in time all of Nixon’s choices requiring Congressional approval were approved. While a large number of senators, nearly all from the southern states were against the appointment of Bunche as a member of the Cabinet, some also viewed Nixon’s actions as a major step in Civil Rights and viewed the action in itself as highly respectable, which earned him some support in the African American community for following through on a promise they were sure was simply going to be a political empty promise. In time, many viewed the President in a positive manner with his decisions on who would fill the positions for the new decade.
The Cabinet of the Richard Nixon Administration (1961-)
Vice President - Henry C. Lodge
Secretary of State - Nelson Rockefeller
Treasury - Robert B. Anderson
Defense – Paul Nitze
Justice – Gerald R. Ford
Postmaster General – Joseph F. Holt
Interior – Robert B. Meyner
Agriculture – Alfred E. Driscoll
Commerce- Christian Herter
Labor- Margaret Chase Smith
H.E.W. – Ralph Bunche
Chief of Staff – Robert Finch
Counselor to the President- Murray Chotiner
Press Secretary- Herbert G. Klein
United States Ambassador to the United Nations- Thomas Dewey
National Security Advisor- George F. Kennan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Robert Penn Warren is the first poet to recite at the inaugural address
2. Richard Nixon names the first african american cabinet member (years before OTL)
3. Rockefeller agrees to join the administration as the Secretary of State.
4. Representative Gerald Ford agrees to be Attorney General (RFK's spot OTL)
Last edited:
Robert C. Weaver became the first African American to hold a Cabinet-level position when he was appointed United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
The Vietnam Situation
The Vietnam Situation
President Nixon in the Oval Office early in his Presidency - The Nixon Library
Richard Nixon’s first actions as President of the United States would focus themselves around foreign policy. Most evident would be Nixon’s decision regarding the situation in Vietnam. With issues stemming back to the Second World War and the Truman Administration, many viewed it as inevitable that further U.S. involvement would come to be due to the U.S. practice of containment. With approximately 900 United States personnel serving as advisors already stationed in Vietnam, and with the prospect of diving in head first on the table, National Security Advisor George F. Kennan, a staunch opponent of involvement in Vietnam, turned the spotlight in a different direction. Arguing the fact that Vietnam was of absolute no importance to US interests and that should it fall to Communism it would serve little incentive to other nations of importance to follow likewise, Kennan advised the President that it was simply not worth the American lives it would take to deepen American troop involvement.
Conversation between George Keenan, Secretary of Defense Nitze, and President Nixon; 1961:
Nixon: Alright George… Paul… about Vietnam, I want your opinions on the handling of the situation over there. What is it that you both think… I want both sides here. I want to go ahead and say it here now, that I never want either of you to tell me just what I want to hear. You're here to advise me, not appease me.
Keenan: Mr. President, you have many options on the table. Now, Diem is losing support from his own men… he’s facing assassination attempts left and right… We have already sent advisors over to Vietnam with the Eisenhower Administration as you already know. And from a removed point of view, the United States, meaning you, have two broad options. Those two options are diving in head first and the other is remaining removed from the situation. And I, Mr. President, would have to sincerely prefer the latter option of those two.
Nixon: If the Diem leadership fails… We could see the entire nation go under… Communists in control of the entire country… that doesn’t serve well to the… our practice of containment or the welfare of any nation in the Orient…
Nitze: Exactly….
Keenan: To be brutally honest, Vietnam outside of the few major cities… is nothing but huts and farms if that… most of the people in that country couldn’t care less about what leadership they fall under because it simply just does not affect their existence. Vietnam… it serves little incentive for other nations to decide their fates based on the actions of some thin nation pointless nation.. and whomever it may serve an interest to…. it certainly isn’t the United States. The only thing Vietnam offers us, is a potential embarrassment.
Nixon: So you’re suggesting we just leave them high and dry then? We have to fight the Russians politically unless we want to do it militarily. And letting them have a victory there… it doesn’t help us, it hurts our credibility. And that is something we… I… simply cannot allow to happen George.
Keenan: That is why I have this option Mr. President. We cap off our manned military presence and we only send in a maximum number of advisers. But, we continuously supply, arm and give political backing to the government of South Vietnam. We send them armor, rifles, and whatever else we see fit…We.. We back their endeavors publicly in the United Nations and other diplomatic talks, and we go no further. Doing this… we appear to give them maximum support, while not getting us involved in manpower. It should even keep our initiatives popular with public opinion, something we wouldn’t be able to have if we committed to what would be a short war... but followed by a embarrassingly long occupation and policing role. Casualties could be much much higher than anticipated in something like that.
Nixon: George…. Truman lost his legacy because of Korea. We lost Korea because we were blinded by the victory we had less than 10 years before that. I could lose Vietnam… and my legacy… by being blinded by the defeat we had less than ten years ago.
Keenan: If the people of South Vietnam truly want democracy, they will die for it like Americans do. If we give them the firepower, they can provide the manpower. But if you want my opinion… my opinion is to keep our military manpower out of Vietnam.
Nitze: My opinion is that we go in and commit to this thing. We crush North Vietnam with the weight of the bombs alone…. We secure South Vietnamese independence with the barrel of a gun. And we make Vietnam an example to the Soviets what waits for them and their allies the next time they try this guerilla style movement.
Keenan: There’s no viable reason we should really commit and the lives we would put in the crossfire for something that doesn’t really have any benefit is ridiculous to even consider.
Nitze: It’s the military, men die.
Nixon: *sighs* thank you both… Paul… George… I’ll get back to you tomorrow on this. I’ll have to think of my decision, but I am pretty sure which way I’m going to carry this.
*End Conversation*
Deciding to carry out the handling of Vietnam more akin to the ideas of George Keenan, Nixon announced that the United States would begin sending Air Force and Army personnel to support South Vietnamese war efforts in non-combat roles. In public, Nixon made it no secret that the people of South Vietnam had the full backing of the United Nations, and the President also instructed UN Ambassador Dewey to make several statements at the United Nations in strong support of the South Vietnamese.
Days later, President Nixon announced the operation of selling several million dollars’ worth of war materials to their war effort and that the approximated 900 military advisors in Vietnam would be reorganized to further help train South Vietnamese military forces for the foreseeable future and that the US advisory force would be bolstered with a final 1,000 additional personnel. These men were also to be strictly confined to non-active-combat roles. Nixon was careful in insuring that South Vietnam had full United States support in their endeavors, and that should such an event occur the United States would condemn foreign actions of any kind in support of North Vietnam.
“President Nixon announced from the White House today that a cap on the amount of American men that will be sent into South Vietnam has been set after discussions today with the Secretary of Defense and other members of the Administration. Following a raise today of another 1,000 advisers for the region, the President stated that no further involvement can be expected in the foreseeable future. This announcement comes shortly after Thomas Dewey’s statements at the United Nations that were in support of the South Vietnamese government and the Diem leadership of the nation.” -Douglas Edwards –(CBS News; 1961)
President Nixon during a press interview over Vietnam - February 1961
“I want it to be made known today, that the United States with all its strength and military might supports the South Vietnamese state in its fight to remain independent from unwanted and unwarranted communist expansion and aggression. Today we have increased our number of military advisers to aid the South Vietnamese in training and utilizing its military to protect their sovereignty against potential aggressors. The United States will supply and aid their nation in protecting the quest for national freedom.” –Richard Nixon speaks on Vietnam
President Nixon in the Oval Office early in his Presidency - The Nixon Library
Richard Nixon’s first actions as President of the United States would focus themselves around foreign policy. Most evident would be Nixon’s decision regarding the situation in Vietnam. With issues stemming back to the Second World War and the Truman Administration, many viewed it as inevitable that further U.S. involvement would come to be due to the U.S. practice of containment. With approximately 900 United States personnel serving as advisors already stationed in Vietnam, and with the prospect of diving in head first on the table, National Security Advisor George F. Kennan, a staunch opponent of involvement in Vietnam, turned the spotlight in a different direction. Arguing the fact that Vietnam was of absolute no importance to US interests and that should it fall to Communism it would serve little incentive to other nations of importance to follow likewise, Kennan advised the President that it was simply not worth the American lives it would take to deepen American troop involvement.
Conversation between George Keenan, Secretary of Defense Nitze, and President Nixon; 1961:
Nixon: Alright George… Paul… about Vietnam, I want your opinions on the handling of the situation over there. What is it that you both think… I want both sides here. I want to go ahead and say it here now, that I never want either of you to tell me just what I want to hear. You're here to advise me, not appease me.
Keenan: Mr. President, you have many options on the table. Now, Diem is losing support from his own men… he’s facing assassination attempts left and right… We have already sent advisors over to Vietnam with the Eisenhower Administration as you already know. And from a removed point of view, the United States, meaning you, have two broad options. Those two options are diving in head first and the other is remaining removed from the situation. And I, Mr. President, would have to sincerely prefer the latter option of those two.
Nixon: If the Diem leadership fails… We could see the entire nation go under… Communists in control of the entire country… that doesn’t serve well to the… our practice of containment or the welfare of any nation in the Orient…
Nitze: Exactly….
Keenan: To be brutally honest, Vietnam outside of the few major cities… is nothing but huts and farms if that… most of the people in that country couldn’t care less about what leadership they fall under because it simply just does not affect their existence. Vietnam… it serves little incentive for other nations to decide their fates based on the actions of some thin nation pointless nation.. and whomever it may serve an interest to…. it certainly isn’t the United States. The only thing Vietnam offers us, is a potential embarrassment.
Nixon: So you’re suggesting we just leave them high and dry then? We have to fight the Russians politically unless we want to do it militarily. And letting them have a victory there… it doesn’t help us, it hurts our credibility. And that is something we… I… simply cannot allow to happen George.
Keenan: That is why I have this option Mr. President. We cap off our manned military presence and we only send in a maximum number of advisers. But, we continuously supply, arm and give political backing to the government of South Vietnam. We send them armor, rifles, and whatever else we see fit…We.. We back their endeavors publicly in the United Nations and other diplomatic talks, and we go no further. Doing this… we appear to give them maximum support, while not getting us involved in manpower. It should even keep our initiatives popular with public opinion, something we wouldn’t be able to have if we committed to what would be a short war... but followed by a embarrassingly long occupation and policing role. Casualties could be much much higher than anticipated in something like that.
Nixon: George…. Truman lost his legacy because of Korea. We lost Korea because we were blinded by the victory we had less than 10 years before that. I could lose Vietnam… and my legacy… by being blinded by the defeat we had less than ten years ago.
Keenan: If the people of South Vietnam truly want democracy, they will die for it like Americans do. If we give them the firepower, they can provide the manpower. But if you want my opinion… my opinion is to keep our military manpower out of Vietnam.
Nitze: My opinion is that we go in and commit to this thing. We crush North Vietnam with the weight of the bombs alone…. We secure South Vietnamese independence with the barrel of a gun. And we make Vietnam an example to the Soviets what waits for them and their allies the next time they try this guerilla style movement.
Keenan: There’s no viable reason we should really commit and the lives we would put in the crossfire for something that doesn’t really have any benefit is ridiculous to even consider.
Nitze: It’s the military, men die.
Nixon: *sighs* thank you both… Paul… George… I’ll get back to you tomorrow on this. I’ll have to think of my decision, but I am pretty sure which way I’m going to carry this.
*End Conversation*
Deciding to carry out the handling of Vietnam more akin to the ideas of George Keenan, Nixon announced that the United States would begin sending Air Force and Army personnel to support South Vietnamese war efforts in non-combat roles. In public, Nixon made it no secret that the people of South Vietnam had the full backing of the United Nations, and the President also instructed UN Ambassador Dewey to make several statements at the United Nations in strong support of the South Vietnamese.
Days later, President Nixon announced the operation of selling several million dollars’ worth of war materials to their war effort and that the approximated 900 military advisors in Vietnam would be reorganized to further help train South Vietnamese military forces for the foreseeable future and that the US advisory force would be bolstered with a final 1,000 additional personnel. These men were also to be strictly confined to non-active-combat roles. Nixon was careful in insuring that South Vietnam had full United States support in their endeavors, and that should such an event occur the United States would condemn foreign actions of any kind in support of North Vietnam.
“President Nixon announced from the White House today that a cap on the amount of American men that will be sent into South Vietnam has been set after discussions today with the Secretary of Defense and other members of the Administration. Following a raise today of another 1,000 advisers for the region, the President stated that no further involvement can be expected in the foreseeable future. This announcement comes shortly after Thomas Dewey’s statements at the United Nations that were in support of the South Vietnamese government and the Diem leadership of the nation.” -Douglas Edwards –(CBS News; 1961)
President Nixon during a press interview over Vietnam - February 1961
“I want it to be made known today, that the United States with all its strength and military might supports the South Vietnamese state in its fight to remain independent from unwanted and unwarranted communist expansion and aggression. Today we have increased our number of military advisers to aid the South Vietnamese in training and utilizing its military to protect their sovereignty against potential aggressors. The United States will supply and aid their nation in protecting the quest for national freedom.” –Richard Nixon speaks on Vietnam
Last edited:
The Barrier Still Stands
The Barrier Still Stands
Vostok 1 rocketing off of launch pad - 1961 - Listed as "Instrumental Test Flight"
"Gagarin looked more pale than usual. He was unsociable and quiet, which was not like him at all. He would answer by nodding or a short 'yes' to all questions. Sometimes he would start humming some tunes. This was a different Gagarin. We geared him up, and hugged. And I said, "Yuri, everything will be fine." And he nodded back." -Soviet Doctor
"Dear friends, you who are close to me, and you whom I do not know, fellow Russians, and people of all countries and all continents: in a few minutes a powerful space vehicle will carry me into the distant realm of space. What can I tell you in these last minutes before the launch? My whole life appears to me as one beautiful moment. All that I previously lived through and did, was lived through and done for the sake of this moment." - Yuri Gagarin (shortly before liftoff)
"Preliminary stage..... Intermediate..... Main..... Lift off! We wish you a good flight. Everything is all right." – Sergei Korolev; April 12th 1961
In April 1961, the Soviet Union would once again test the great final frontier that had tested and seduced man’s mind and intelligence for millennia. Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet Cosmonaut, was selected from numerous candidates by Nikolai Kamanin, the head of the Soviet Space Program’s Cosmonaut Training. In the early morning of April 12th, Yuri Gagarin was transported to the launch pad, along with his backup Gherman Titov, both of which had received no sleep the night before. After several setbacks involving seals on the capsule were resolved and the final okay for launch was received, Vostok 1 ascended across the clear blue sky in a fiery trail of glory and Soviet patriotism to its final destination which left it in Earth’s orbit. Yuri Gagarin had become the first human being to escape the bonds of Earth and Gagarin was a Soviet.
The victory and early celebrations for the men of the Soviet space program were short lived. As the flight approached its final minutes, a serious malfunction would hit Vostok 1 upon the initiation of its reentry. Roughly an hour into the flight when the capsule was scheduled to begin its descent back to Earth, it was discovered that the reentry engines were failing to respond, completely eliminating the chance of a retrofire. At mission control, leaders of the program did their best to remain calm and collected despite the information they were receiving and were desperately racking their brains for any solution to the problem. Although they had succeeded in sending a man into space, they had absolutely no way of getting the man back down before the capsules life support system ceased in its ability to keep Gagarin alive.
In the case of such an emergency, Vostok 1 had been prepped with a life support system capable of extending the capsules lifespan, and therefore Gagarin’s for an estimated 10 days. This would allow Gagarin to survive within the capsule while it returned to Earth through natural descent brought on by gravity. Knowing this, many simply viewed it with optimism that now the Soviet Union would have a massive head start in the record for the longest manned spaceflight.
Even this optimism quickly disappeared when it was discovered minutes later that the flight of Vostok 1 had differed from what had originally been planned, and instead it would take a minimum of 20 days for the capsule to begin natural descent due to orbital decay. There was little hope left for Gagarin, who would likely day from asphyxiation due to a lack of oxygen half way through the necessary 20 days for re-entry. On April 23rd, 11 days into the unintentionally extended flight, Gagarin’s last transmission was received by Soviet ground stations.
The only photo actually depicting Gagarin in flight; it was discovered, as well as the existence of the actual flight in 1998.
Last Transmission Received From Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin – April 23rd, 1961:
Gagarin: I see everything, just as I have seen everything… The Earth, the clouds, the mountains. The flight continues… but all instruments are beginning their failure. I am at peace. And shall die in peace. I cannot breathe well…………………Farewell Comrades…
*end transmission*
Following his last transmission, it is unknown for just exactly how long Yuri Gagarin remained alive. It is commonly believed that after his last transmitted words, he fell into a state of unconsciousness due to lack of oxygen and remained so until he passed away. Based on the confusion and weakness heard in Gagarin's voice it is possible that he was already in the severe stages of asphyxiation and would have suffered brain damage and subsequent death as close to 5-6 minutes after his last transmission.
Photo taken of the remains of Yuri Gagarin after they were recovered -1961
On May 2nd, 1961, Vostok 1 began its descent from orbit due to natural orbital decay. Because of the loss of operation in the capsule, the hatch failed to fire, and Gagarin’s corpse was not ejected from the capsule during the landing. Vostok 1, careened through the sky and was obliterated as it crashed into a rural field in the eastern Soviet Union. The mission although successful in sending a man into space had failed in the objective of returning Gagarin to the Earth alive. Although attempts of a complete cover-up were initially attempted, word leaked through unknown sources that Gagarin had been killed during some sort of operation involving the Soviet Space Program and soon the mission was made partially public despite the Kremlin’s efforts. Denying at first that Gagarin was even deceased or that there had been a flight at all, the Soviet leadership released the ‘facts’ several days later that Gagarin had died during a non-space-test flight of the Soviet Union’s Space Program’s new capsule; with its focus being on the capsule’s reentry procedures. The news of Gagarin’s death in an apparent ‘test flight’ would go around the world in the days before his actual re-entry. The realization for the American public that the Soviet Union was in fact testing and incredibly close to its own manned missions into space raised alarms in the minds of members of the US space program and made many realize that the Soviet Union was more dangerous than ever in terms of their role in the Space Race. In Russia, Gagarin’s death was from that moment on stricken from conversation, all his files hidden or destroyed, and death certificates and other documents were falsified. The cover-up of his true death were so deep and effective that even the American Government would not know that the man had actually succeeded in space flight and had been in orbit for 20 days until the late 1990’s.
Yuri Gagarin’s remains were collected from the wreckage, and shipped to Moscow. From there, the body was studied and tested before being laid to rest. The date of his death was misrepresented.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Freedom 7 Prayer
Alan Shepard preparing to embark on the first American Manned Space Mission - 1961
Mere days before Yuri Gagarin’s re-entry, the United States was making the final steps on its own space-flight attempt. With planning and preparation stemming back to before chimp Ham’s successful flight on board the MR-2 mission, Alan Shepard had been slated to be NASA’s man to attempt the first successful sub-orbital space flight of a human being. On May 2nd, Gagarin’s reentry day, the Mercury-Redstone 3 sat on the Launchpad due to overcast skies and inclement weather. With many believing the Russians were mere weeks if not days away from their own success, the American Public as well as those in NASA bit their nails in the hopes that no Soviet Mission went ahead before the flight, a worry that was mostly subsided by the news that Gagarin had died during a ‘test flight’ failure that would obviously push back any planned Soviet mission by at least several weeks. After several more days on the launchpad due to inclement weather, NASA announced that the flight was finally rescheduled to occur three days later on May 5th, 1961.
On the morning of the flight with slight cloud cover already setting in, Alan Shepard was kept in the capsule until the weather cleared some fearing that if the weather did not clear, the flight would once again be delayed. An obviously annoyed Shepard, waited for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes before cloud cover was deemed clear enough for flight and photographs. At this point, Shepard had been inside of his suit for several hours, and due to the day’s delays, he had been unable to exit the capsule during this period on the off chance the weather cleared quickly enough to open the window up for launch. Upon the flight procedures being run down, Shepard requested an immediate exit from the capsule in order to relieve his bladder. Mission Control denied this request due to the complexity of opening the capsule and undoing the restraints, resulting in Shepard relieving himself inside of his suit while waiting on the launchpad. Another hour would pass before the countdown rang from the loudspeakers and the rockets flared up sending the rocket climbing into the sky.
When the Mercury capsule reached its peak altitude the escape tower was jettisoned and the flight was underway. During the flight, Shepard tested the yaw and pitch of the spacecraft to check its performance and reaction to control from the capsule’s pilot. Furthermore, he was able to make detailed observations of the appearance of landmasses as they appeared to him, which ended up being the first openly released recordings of the descriptions of the continents as they appeared from space.
With the short flight nearing its end, the capsule began reentry, with everything proceeding smoothly. Changing back and forth from manual to automated control, and enduring the intense heat of re-entry Shepard and his capsule splashed down successfully. Effectively making Alan Shepard mankind’s first recognized “Man in Space”. With pickup taking no more than 14 minutes, Alan Shepard’s 15 minute and 40 second flight ended as he set foot on the U.S.S. Lake Champlain, the outline of his feet being painted onto its deck as he stepped away from the helicopter.
Helicopter recovering the Freedom 7 after splashdown - 1961
The free world cheered and celebrated as 45 million people watched on their television sets captivated by the scientific achievement, including President Richard Nixon himself. The flight’s success was nearly instantly broadcasted across the globe, and landed upon envious and disappointed eyes in the Soviet Union, who were just weeks away from launching another manned mission to counter the Mercury Program’s successes.
After the flight, the United States welcomed Shepard with open arms as he was engulfed in the fame of a celebrity and lauded as a national hero. The first man in space was awarded hundreds of small accolades and awards by nearly every group or organization dealing with space, engineering, or scientific progress. Shepard had become, as Nixon quoted, “America’s favorite Son.” He was personally invited by the President to visit the White House with his wife and family. Following a tour and an official ceremony, Shepard was bestowed the Navy Medal of Honor, and the Distinguished Flying Cross by the President in a formal White House ceremony.
Nixon Presenting Awards to Alan Shepard - The First Man in Space - 1961 - LIFE
"The United States has proven through this impressive and world changing action that this nation's minds and scientific ability are of significant might. This achievement is merely just the beginning of the United States’ mission in space. I want it said here today that those in NASA have the White House's full support when it comes to developing our advancements in both space and aeronautics. It is the dawn of a new day, one that will be determined by the actions of those brave enough to carry it forward and dream big enough to harness the ability for said dreams to see their fruition. The United States has always been a nation that sees adventure as a challenge and is people have always been eager to grasp discovery in their hands. Space is America's Infinite Frontier, and we have proven our dedication to it…. That is why, I would like to bestow upon Alan Shepard the Distinguished Flying Cross as well as the additional title of America’s Favorite Son." -Richard M. Nixon - (Alan Shepard Medal Ceremony - May 10th 1961)
But as the ticker tape fell on the streets of New York City, and Shepard glowed in the limelight of American passion, NASA as well as the USSR were already looking towards the not so distant future of their space programs, and the men that would embrace the challenges and many dangers that lay ahead.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Gagarin dies in space as his retrofire rockets do not go off. he orbits for 20 days, and re-enters.
2. Gagarin's death and the actuality that he was in space is covered up deeply by the Kremlin.
3. Alan Shepard becomes the first man in space (as far as records and actual knowledge go)
4. Shepard is awarded the medal of honor as at this time, the Navy Medal of Honor was still available for non-military actions.
Vostok 1 rocketing off of launch pad - 1961 - Listed as "Instrumental Test Flight"
"Gagarin looked more pale than usual. He was unsociable and quiet, which was not like him at all. He would answer by nodding or a short 'yes' to all questions. Sometimes he would start humming some tunes. This was a different Gagarin. We geared him up, and hugged. And I said, "Yuri, everything will be fine." And he nodded back." -Soviet Doctor
"Dear friends, you who are close to me, and you whom I do not know, fellow Russians, and people of all countries and all continents: in a few minutes a powerful space vehicle will carry me into the distant realm of space. What can I tell you in these last minutes before the launch? My whole life appears to me as one beautiful moment. All that I previously lived through and did, was lived through and done for the sake of this moment." - Yuri Gagarin (shortly before liftoff)
"Preliminary stage..... Intermediate..... Main..... Lift off! We wish you a good flight. Everything is all right." – Sergei Korolev; April 12th 1961
In April 1961, the Soviet Union would once again test the great final frontier that had tested and seduced man’s mind and intelligence for millennia. Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet Cosmonaut, was selected from numerous candidates by Nikolai Kamanin, the head of the Soviet Space Program’s Cosmonaut Training. In the early morning of April 12th, Yuri Gagarin was transported to the launch pad, along with his backup Gherman Titov, both of which had received no sleep the night before. After several setbacks involving seals on the capsule were resolved and the final okay for launch was received, Vostok 1 ascended across the clear blue sky in a fiery trail of glory and Soviet patriotism to its final destination which left it in Earth’s orbit. Yuri Gagarin had become the first human being to escape the bonds of Earth and Gagarin was a Soviet.
The victory and early celebrations for the men of the Soviet space program were short lived. As the flight approached its final minutes, a serious malfunction would hit Vostok 1 upon the initiation of its reentry. Roughly an hour into the flight when the capsule was scheduled to begin its descent back to Earth, it was discovered that the reentry engines were failing to respond, completely eliminating the chance of a retrofire. At mission control, leaders of the program did their best to remain calm and collected despite the information they were receiving and were desperately racking their brains for any solution to the problem. Although they had succeeded in sending a man into space, they had absolutely no way of getting the man back down before the capsules life support system ceased in its ability to keep Gagarin alive.
In the case of such an emergency, Vostok 1 had been prepped with a life support system capable of extending the capsules lifespan, and therefore Gagarin’s for an estimated 10 days. This would allow Gagarin to survive within the capsule while it returned to Earth through natural descent brought on by gravity. Knowing this, many simply viewed it with optimism that now the Soviet Union would have a massive head start in the record for the longest manned spaceflight.
Even this optimism quickly disappeared when it was discovered minutes later that the flight of Vostok 1 had differed from what had originally been planned, and instead it would take a minimum of 20 days for the capsule to begin natural descent due to orbital decay. There was little hope left for Gagarin, who would likely day from asphyxiation due to a lack of oxygen half way through the necessary 20 days for re-entry. On April 23rd, 11 days into the unintentionally extended flight, Gagarin’s last transmission was received by Soviet ground stations.
The only photo actually depicting Gagarin in flight; it was discovered, as well as the existence of the actual flight in 1998.
Last Transmission Received From Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin – April 23rd, 1961:
Gagarin: I see everything, just as I have seen everything… The Earth, the clouds, the mountains. The flight continues… but all instruments are beginning their failure. I am at peace. And shall die in peace. I cannot breathe well…………………Farewell Comrades…
*end transmission*
Following his last transmission, it is unknown for just exactly how long Yuri Gagarin remained alive. It is commonly believed that after his last transmitted words, he fell into a state of unconsciousness due to lack of oxygen and remained so until he passed away. Based on the confusion and weakness heard in Gagarin's voice it is possible that he was already in the severe stages of asphyxiation and would have suffered brain damage and subsequent death as close to 5-6 minutes after his last transmission.
Photo taken of the remains of Yuri Gagarin after they were recovered -1961
On May 2nd, 1961, Vostok 1 began its descent from orbit due to natural orbital decay. Because of the loss of operation in the capsule, the hatch failed to fire, and Gagarin’s corpse was not ejected from the capsule during the landing. Vostok 1, careened through the sky and was obliterated as it crashed into a rural field in the eastern Soviet Union. The mission although successful in sending a man into space had failed in the objective of returning Gagarin to the Earth alive. Although attempts of a complete cover-up were initially attempted, word leaked through unknown sources that Gagarin had been killed during some sort of operation involving the Soviet Space Program and soon the mission was made partially public despite the Kremlin’s efforts. Denying at first that Gagarin was even deceased or that there had been a flight at all, the Soviet leadership released the ‘facts’ several days later that Gagarin had died during a non-space-test flight of the Soviet Union’s Space Program’s new capsule; with its focus being on the capsule’s reentry procedures. The news of Gagarin’s death in an apparent ‘test flight’ would go around the world in the days before his actual re-entry. The realization for the American public that the Soviet Union was in fact testing and incredibly close to its own manned missions into space raised alarms in the minds of members of the US space program and made many realize that the Soviet Union was more dangerous than ever in terms of their role in the Space Race. In Russia, Gagarin’s death was from that moment on stricken from conversation, all his files hidden or destroyed, and death certificates and other documents were falsified. The cover-up of his true death were so deep and effective that even the American Government would not know that the man had actually succeeded in space flight and had been in orbit for 20 days until the late 1990’s.
Yuri Gagarin’s remains were collected from the wreckage, and shipped to Moscow. From there, the body was studied and tested before being laid to rest. The date of his death was misrepresented.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Freedom 7 Prayer
Alan Shepard preparing to embark on the first American Manned Space Mission - 1961
Mere days before Yuri Gagarin’s re-entry, the United States was making the final steps on its own space-flight attempt. With planning and preparation stemming back to before chimp Ham’s successful flight on board the MR-2 mission, Alan Shepard had been slated to be NASA’s man to attempt the first successful sub-orbital space flight of a human being. On May 2nd, Gagarin’s reentry day, the Mercury-Redstone 3 sat on the Launchpad due to overcast skies and inclement weather. With many believing the Russians were mere weeks if not days away from their own success, the American Public as well as those in NASA bit their nails in the hopes that no Soviet Mission went ahead before the flight, a worry that was mostly subsided by the news that Gagarin had died during a ‘test flight’ failure that would obviously push back any planned Soviet mission by at least several weeks. After several more days on the launchpad due to inclement weather, NASA announced that the flight was finally rescheduled to occur three days later on May 5th, 1961.
On the morning of the flight with slight cloud cover already setting in, Alan Shepard was kept in the capsule until the weather cleared some fearing that if the weather did not clear, the flight would once again be delayed. An obviously annoyed Shepard, waited for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes before cloud cover was deemed clear enough for flight and photographs. At this point, Shepard had been inside of his suit for several hours, and due to the day’s delays, he had been unable to exit the capsule during this period on the off chance the weather cleared quickly enough to open the window up for launch. Upon the flight procedures being run down, Shepard requested an immediate exit from the capsule in order to relieve his bladder. Mission Control denied this request due to the complexity of opening the capsule and undoing the restraints, resulting in Shepard relieving himself inside of his suit while waiting on the launchpad. Another hour would pass before the countdown rang from the loudspeakers and the rockets flared up sending the rocket climbing into the sky.
When the Mercury capsule reached its peak altitude the escape tower was jettisoned and the flight was underway. During the flight, Shepard tested the yaw and pitch of the spacecraft to check its performance and reaction to control from the capsule’s pilot. Furthermore, he was able to make detailed observations of the appearance of landmasses as they appeared to him, which ended up being the first openly released recordings of the descriptions of the continents as they appeared from space.
With the short flight nearing its end, the capsule began reentry, with everything proceeding smoothly. Changing back and forth from manual to automated control, and enduring the intense heat of re-entry Shepard and his capsule splashed down successfully. Effectively making Alan Shepard mankind’s first recognized “Man in Space”. With pickup taking no more than 14 minutes, Alan Shepard’s 15 minute and 40 second flight ended as he set foot on the U.S.S. Lake Champlain, the outline of his feet being painted onto its deck as he stepped away from the helicopter.
Helicopter recovering the Freedom 7 after splashdown - 1961
The free world cheered and celebrated as 45 million people watched on their television sets captivated by the scientific achievement, including President Richard Nixon himself. The flight’s success was nearly instantly broadcasted across the globe, and landed upon envious and disappointed eyes in the Soviet Union, who were just weeks away from launching another manned mission to counter the Mercury Program’s successes.
After the flight, the United States welcomed Shepard with open arms as he was engulfed in the fame of a celebrity and lauded as a national hero. The first man in space was awarded hundreds of small accolades and awards by nearly every group or organization dealing with space, engineering, or scientific progress. Shepard had become, as Nixon quoted, “America’s favorite Son.” He was personally invited by the President to visit the White House with his wife and family. Following a tour and an official ceremony, Shepard was bestowed the Navy Medal of Honor, and the Distinguished Flying Cross by the President in a formal White House ceremony.
Nixon Presenting Awards to Alan Shepard - The First Man in Space - 1961 - LIFE
"The United States has proven through this impressive and world changing action that this nation's minds and scientific ability are of significant might. This achievement is merely just the beginning of the United States’ mission in space. I want it said here today that those in NASA have the White House's full support when it comes to developing our advancements in both space and aeronautics. It is the dawn of a new day, one that will be determined by the actions of those brave enough to carry it forward and dream big enough to harness the ability for said dreams to see their fruition. The United States has always been a nation that sees adventure as a challenge and is people have always been eager to grasp discovery in their hands. Space is America's Infinite Frontier, and we have proven our dedication to it…. That is why, I would like to bestow upon Alan Shepard the Distinguished Flying Cross as well as the additional title of America’s Favorite Son." -Richard M. Nixon - (Alan Shepard Medal Ceremony - May 10th 1961)
But as the ticker tape fell on the streets of New York City, and Shepard glowed in the limelight of American passion, NASA as well as the USSR were already looking towards the not so distant future of their space programs, and the men that would embrace the challenges and many dangers that lay ahead.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Gagarin dies in space as his retrofire rockets do not go off. he orbits for 20 days, and re-enters.
2. Gagarin's death and the actuality that he was in space is covered up deeply by the Kremlin.
3. Alan Shepard becomes the first man in space (as far as records and actual knowledge go)
4. Shepard is awarded the medal of honor as at this time, the Navy Medal of Honor was still available for non-military actions.
Last edited:
I can only imagine an incredibly sad and touching movie that feels like a mix between Apollo 13, Castaway, and multiple sad movies about impending death. it would probably win an award easily...
2003: And the Academy Award, for Best Actor, goes to Leonardo DiCaprio for his role as Yuri Gagarin in the film Vostok. The tale of the first human being in space and his death brought on by a single malfunction and the resulting cover up of his sacrifice.
Operation Pluto
Operation Pluto
Map of the plans for Phase 1 of Operation: Pluto - CIA -
The easiness that the Nixon Administration had found itself basking in since the inauguration in mid January would end 4 months into Nixon's Presidency. In the evening of May 12th, just two days after meeting with Alan Shepard personally at the White House at an official ceremony, Richard Nixon would affirm the final go ahead for Operation Pluto, and would begin overseeing its deployment throughout the night.
Planning for the clandestine operation had initiated during the sunset of the Eisenhower Presidency, and since its inception, Operation Pluto had evolved greatly from its original design. Nixon, who had taken part in the planning and organization of the details pertaining to the carrying out of the operation, had made revisions and edits to the original drafts of the plans even during the election. Since his victory in 1960, he had taken progressively been given more of a leadership position in the meetings with CIA officials in the place of Eisenhower until the inauguration officially placed him in full authority. Now finalized after at least a full year of preparations, the design called for the CIA leaders to utilize Cuban Refugees trained and supplied by the United States to invade the Communist nation of Cuba. From there they would move forward to destabilize support for the Castro regime and, in allied cooperation with Anti-Castro resistance already on the island, overthrow the Cuban government in favor of a more American leaning system.
The President's alterations to Operation Pluto called for a force of 2,300 anti-Castro Cuban refugees, a notable increase from the limit set forth by Eisenhower of 1,500. Under Nixon's watchful eye, the plan had grown to be colossal in scope. For an action initially meant to minimize US involvement, the numbers requested by the President raised questions on practicality by many in the CIA wishing to keep American involvement a complete state secret. To limit any international outcry for the invasion, they believed it to be an absolute necessity that the US maintain strict plausible deniability, at least until a point in time when it would be politically acceptable for the United States to move in and assist the resistance forces.
On the night of May 13th, with overcast skies and no visible moon, American backed forces split into 6 infantry battalions and one paratrooper battalion approached their positions before the initial stages of the invasion began. With 2 battalions landing on Isla De Pinos just east of Presidio Modelo (A Cuban Prison housing a large number of political prisoners), and the remaining battalions making landfall in the ports and areas surrounding Trinidad, Cuba, the invasion commenced with a surprising thunder. In the outset of the landings 5 B-26’s launched attacks on ships near and around the waters surrounding Nueva Gerona on Isla de Pinos, sinking the El Baire, and crippling a few other Cuban patrol boats and warships. The B-26’s then flew towards the other landing site of Trinidad, Cuba. The bombers were able to offer a great service to the invasion by landing a few direct hits on Cuban positions but their effectiveness was short lived due to weather conditions that required them to return to their specified airfield after only a half hour.
Isla De Pinos
Presidio Modelo- the prison while it was still standing - 1958
2 paramilitary battalions made landfall near the prison 20 minutes before the other battalions reached Trinidad and landed nearly unnoticed in the dark. With their short lived head start, a portion of the forces made their way to the prison in order to occupy the facility that was in charge of housing many of the counter revolutionaries that had dared to speak against Fidel Castro. It was the hope that should these men be released they would, at least for a short time, reinforce the invasion and aid in the fight against the communist forces. Initial resistance on the way to the prison was far heavier than had been expected and soon the exchange of gunfire had gathered large attention across the islands. Reports were quickly making their way across connections within the Cuban military and soon, a large force was being raised to repel what was now a known invasion of the island. Paramilitary forces steadily gained ground throughout the prison complex as they fought, but in the heat of the battle a defensive measure that had gone unknown by CIA planners made itself known with a fiery vengeance.
The prison that actively held over 8,000 political prisoners had been previously plagued by numerous riots and hunger strikes since Fidel Castro flooded it with his rivals and those unwilling to lend support. The Cuban government, under order from Che Guevara, had stocked several tons of TNT underneath Presidio Modelo in the facility’s vast tunnel network as a fail-safe should the prison be overcome by its large number of inmates. Once Cuban National forces began to lose their footing within several buildings of the prison, the order was given to demolish the facility by using the fail-safe. A long series of explosions rocked the complex and lit up the night sky as numerous sections of the complex collapsed inwards and imploded. Massive casualties were suffered by any and all that found themselves inside, including 85% of the prisoners within the buildings, and 120 of the paramilitary forces that had been dispatched to take over the prison. Along with them, 50 Cuban nationals perished in the explosions.
President Nixon in a candid photo after learning of lives lost in the explosions at the prison. - 1961 - The Nixon Library
Taped Conversation Between President Nixon, Paul Nitze, and Others in the Cabinet Room of the West Wing – May 13th 1961:
Nixon: I want an update the second we have one about the landings in Trinidad. Try and get me them as soon as we can possibly get them… and then when we—What is it Paul?
Nitze: Mr. President we’ve had a development.
Nixon: What kind of development? *hesitance in his voice*
Nitze: The forces at Isla de Pinos have suffered a major setback. We're still getting information on just how serious it is.
Nixon: Dammit Paul, tell me what the hell is going on?, setback..development… Tell me what the hell happened!?
Nitze: The forces were fighting inside of the prison, and the Cubans... They've wiped out the whole prison and they've taken a lot of our men with it.
Nixon: Wiped Out!?! How in the hell did they just wipe it out Paul!?
Nitze: What we've managed to piece together is that they had explosives throughout the entire prison complex… most likely in some kind of tunnel network running under and between the buildings.
Nixon: Son of a bitch….*fists hitting desk* How did none of you know those were there! Did someone over in your offices have their fucking tie on too tight? did they even bother to read the goddamn reports, because we both know they couldn't have kept something like that a secret over there!
Nitze: Sir, we still have a sizeable force on the island,… But… it is unlikely that we will see much more advancement on the island. Trinidad on the..
Nixon: Just stop, tell me, do I need to send reinforcements?
Nitze: No… What has happened on the island shouldn’t give the Cubans enough time to mobilize the necessary people at a place such as Trinidad before the landings.
Nixon: *sighs and sits down again* Because of this poor planning we just sent a lot of men to their deaths... You can tell the son of a bitch that signed off on this intelligence... you can tell him to expect a transfer to Alaska or some damn place.
Nitze: Understood Mr. President. This is still heavily in our side of ball park. They’ll get those bastards for us.
Nixon: I need a few minutes… Meet me back here in twenty minutes with the newest updates…
*end tape*
While not killing the majority of the paramilitary forces on the island, it dealt a heavy blow to the morale of those surviving the blasts. Quickly, they began engaging larger amounts of National resistance as word and alert spread of the attack and invasion, and it became clear that what remained was an uphill battle for the 2 battalions on the island. When news was broadcast to the White House regarding the incident it deeply upset and enraged President Nixon, and he departed to the Oval Office for a small intermission complaining of a severe headache. Thinking that the invasion would be discovered due to the explosions and heightened sense of alert, Nixon began contemplating ordering the involvement of American air forces and the USS Essex carrier group, which was already in the Caribbean. Military advisers persuaded him upon his return against making any decisions regarding increased military presence in Cuba for the time being. To which Nixon, expressing hesitance and mistrust, agreed to until he had more information.
Trinidad
Cuban Forces attempting to Repel the invasion at Trinidad - 1961
The 4 infantry battalions along with the paratrooper battalion landed in Trinidad Cuba. With the landings on Isla de Pinos throwing Cuban defenses into a rushing frenzy to gain the upper hand on the island, initial confrontations with Cuban Nationals in Trinidad went unreported. Immediately before the landing, 24 CIA lent B-26 bombers flew over three Cuban air fields and with the cover of night lending to their favor, bombed numerous hangars housing Cuban planes. The bombings, were moderately successful scoring in all 10 destroyed Cuban military aircraft, and 12 civilian aircraft. Although what was destroyed was but a small dent in the air power held by Cuba, only 7 B-26’s were shot down by direct enemy fire and one was lost while flying over the water due to damage sustained during its run. With anti-Castro forces having made landfall more or less undetected, and maintaining a relative element of surprise despite events elsewhere, paramilitary forces secured the beachhead within the initial hours of their landing. Trinidad had been selected for several specific reasons; one being its ease in creating a beachhead and the other being the ability to easily make contact with Anti-Castro rebels in the region to reinforce the invasion. American backed forces soon made contact with these counter-revolutionary cells in the area, of which leant themselves into the fight against Castro and his Communist forces. As the night drug on, word of Trinidad eventually rippled its way across Cuba and by the next morning National forces were on the counter attack. Having taken an easily defensible beachhead, the paramilitary forces held their positions and readied themselves to fight.
Rebel forces on the beaches of Trinidad fighting Castro's army - 1961
When the sun rose on the first full day of the invasion, Cuban forces in the area fell under the direct control of Fidel Castro himself. The proclaimed “Hero” of Cuba had been a leader as well as a fighter in his crusade against Batista, and Castro planned for this defense to be led no differently. Cuba was his country, and despite protests by his brother and other generals, he decided to personally command his forces from the front-lines.
Throughout the day, the Cuban forces hammered at the dissenters of their revolution and the casualties the rebels were taking began to climb. The out-manned and outgunned rebels were fighting tooth and nail to make any headway into Trinidad. By the afternoon, most rebels had been beaten back and were now entrenching themselves in makeshift foxholes on the beach and surrounding areas. Fidel Castro’s strategy had seemingly been the right one, as under his leadership the counter-revolutionaries had begun to lose valuable ground on the beachhead, and unsustainable losses for those standing against him were all but certain with the passage of time. But fate had different plans for this day in history. As Fidel Castro directed forces from a tree line, a mortar round fired by a member of Castro’s own forces landed directly to the left of Fidel Castro. The resulting impact and explosion killed 6 of Castro’s officers instantly and wounded several other men nearby. Fidel Castro himself was blown onto his back and was quickly dragged behind the cover of trees by Cuban infantry that had run to the scene. Mortally wounded, Castro stayed on the ground and weakly clawed at a large piece of shrapnel that had lodged itself into his neck and partially severed his external carotid artery. His last seconds were those of silence as his colder growing body bled out onto the ground for the country he had painstakingly led in a revolution. As death consumed him, the limp body of Cuba’s former leader was removed from the battleground and never recovered, but the rumor of his death quickly spread among the men fighting in his name. The useful and important information of Castro’s death would not be verified by Washington or forces in Trinidad for several days as conflicting reports bounced back and forth among the government’s leaders. The confusion of Castro's fate also greatly limited the initial effectiveness of any additional Cuban response, as the chain of command was now missing its most pivotal link. With many unsure of the rumors validity, few were willing to quickly step up to the helm.
Fidel Castro, the President of Cuba, addressing troops on the battleground next to Trinidad; 1961.
Cuban forces in Trinidad however, quickly grew aware of Castro’s death and their morale plummeted as their leader was now no longer among them. Many of them now wondered just how the nation would move on without him and some began falling back from the battle in order to regroup. The realization for Cuban forces soon set in that there was no immediate commander for the fight against the rebels, with the first few in the local chain wiped out from the explosion that also killed Fidel. This created a situation in which it was incredibly difficult for National forces to coordinate further movements in their defensive operations. Although forces fought strongly despite some withdrawing, the Counter-revolutionaries, with help from already instilled anti-castro cells, began to ever slowly gain the upper hand in Trinidad, with many moving into the nearby mountains to gain a further defensive hold of the area.
With reports from Trinidad streaming in after Castro’s death of a slight advancement in the invasion, Nixon slowly stood down from the urgency and sever stress he had felt just hours beforehand. A small sigh of relief could be exhaled by those in the White House for the time being with Nixon’s decision of keeping American forces out of the fight for the time being paying off. Operation Pluto had succeeded in its initial objective of establishing a beachhead in Cuba. The hope was that this success would inspire further revolt against the Communist government.
Retaliation
While Fidel Castro’s body grew colder behind the front lines of a slowly advancing counter-revolutionary force, those that had assumed power with Castro began to become increasingly aware of his death and the ramifications that would come from his loss. With the fight having just begun against the anti-Cuban forces, which at this time had been obviously determined to have been American backed, the leadership in what used to be Castro’s Cuba was in for a fight against the American led rebels and their fight to remain solid in the wake of Fidel’s death. The main concern of the leadership was to remain popular with the people that had loved Fidel and the revolution he embodied. For now, the situation was incredibly fragile.
As of 1961, Fidel’s brother Raúl Castro had been assigned command of forces in the east, based in Santiago de Cuba. Che Guevara commanded western forces, based in Pinar del Río. Major Juan Bosque commanded forces in the central provinces, based in Santa Clara. Raúl Morales was head of the air force. Sergio del Valle Jiménez was Director of Headquarters Operations at Point One in Havana. Efigenio Ameijeiras was the Head of the Revolutionary National Police, and Ramiro Menéndez was Minister of the Interior and head of state security. Of these men, it was understood that Raul Castro, Fidel’s brother, was now the leader of the nation.
When Che Guevara learned of the invasion and Fidel Castro’s subsequent death at the command of the defending forces, he launched his forces into full defensive combat readiness, and sent the order to arm every civilian that was healthy and able enough to carry a rifle. Further demanding the creation of a guerilla army that could retreat into hiding should the invasion gain ground at the control of the United States. Raul Castro on the other hand regrouped the Cuban military nearby Santiago de Cuba and prepared for the first retaliatory strikes against the nation’s enemies.
While those in Washington watched as the invasion from Operation Pluto grew in scale after its initial success due to counter-revolutionary aid, Raul Castro, heavily shaken by the loss of his brother and the recent events, made the decision to not attack the rebels in Trinidad but to attack something much larger. Holding the belief that American involvement was coming no matter what the Cuban government did in relation to a retaliatory strike, Castro designated the American military base at Guantanamo Bay to be the site of the Cuban counter-attack. The goal, was to take as many American assets out with the attack as could be accomplished in order to weaken American involvement if only slightly.
In the morning of May 17th, Raul Castro’s forces arrived at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, accompanied by heavy Cuban air support, and would nearly immediately launch a fully open attack aimed at crippling the Naval Base as quickly as possible. The American’s stationed at the site, already on heavy alert due to the events in Trinidad and Isla de Pinos, were still caught slightly by surprise by the ferocity the attack was accompanied with. Before air support was fully rallied and in the air, Cuban air forces successfully bombed several aircraft hangars and hit several areas that were occupied by the families of military personnel. American aircraft with the aid of anti-aircraft fire brought down a majority of the planes, but many were shocked to see the pilots of the damaged Cuban aircraft pilot their planes into the very targets they were bombing. With these initial bombings still underway, ground forces began attacks on the outer areas of base, and were met with heavy resistance by American defenders. Within 20 minutes American forces had enough power in the air to regain aerial dominance. As the battle of Guantanamo Bay continued into midday, heavy casualties were witnessed on both sides, but with a clear American victory in the wake. While the attack failed to remove the United States from being an imminent threat on the island, a delusion sought by Raul Castro in a decision of counter-reaction, it did send a message straight up the spine of the American chain of command that landed itself squarely on the Commander in Chief.
As Nixon was briefed on the events surrounding the attack on Guantanamo Bay, he ordered an immediate evacuation of every non-essential person living on the base which primarily referred to the families that lived along with personnel on the base. Nixon also made the decision to bring in US Navy Task Force 81.8 that were currently stationed in the Cayman Islands and redirected them to anchor off the Cuban coast near Guantanamo Bay. Task Force 81.8, commanded by Rear Admiral John E. Clark was made up of the Aircraft Carriers USS Essex and the USS Boxer, with destroyers USS Hank, USS John W. Weeks, USS Purdy, USS Wren, and submarines USS Cobbler and USS Treadfin. Additionally reporting to the area were USS Bache, USS Beale, USS Conway, USS Cony, USS Eaton, USS Murray, and USS Waller, the very same ships that had originally safeguarded the transportation of the Paramilitary groups that invaded Trinidad and other areas during Operation: Pluto. Although nothing it terms of warfare were immediately carried out with the naval power being brought in, it became clear that Nixon intended to not only avenge American lives lost in the attack of Guantanamo Bay, but to bring troops into Cuba in full force to help rid the island of Communist rule, and Nixon made this no secret in the White House.
Taped Oval Office Conversation Regarding Guantanamo Bay- 1961:
*tape switched on during conversation*
Robert Finch: ........ivilians, and we've counted up to 32 military casualties as of about an hour ago.
Nixon: I... Jesus Christ… They are going to pay for this…..
Finch: That much is obvious…
Nixon: At the very least we now have enough backing to go in and clear this thing up once and for all. There’s no way people will allow this kind of thing to happen, especially right off our coast line, I won’t stand for it... I'm not going to stand any longer while we try and pretend that we have nothing to do with Trinidad. Had we just gone in from the damn beginning this wouldn't have happened.
*audible shuffling*
Finch: We just got updated numbers on the casualties, 34 civilians.. 41 military personnel.
Nixon: alright... Put US forces in the Caribbean on full alert. We are at war. and we are going to show these bastards that they signed their death warrants when they decided to attacked our own. Nitze: We’re already working on a number of tactics Mr. President. I think we can all agree… that after the events of today… We no longer have to worry about support in becoming involved militarily on the island of Cuba.
Kennan: I agree. We’ve been attacked on our soil… we have the full and unquestionable right to respond with whatever force we deem necessary.
Nixon: We shouldn't have worried about that to start with. From this point on, I don't want to ever see a plan that has us dancing around and using inferior fighters when it is the obvious answer to simply become involved. This whole idea was garbage from the beginning and I should have seen that like I see it now. For the time being, I want the US Navy to surround that island. Nothing goes in or out.
Finch: You mean a blockade?
Nixon: Yes. I am not asking for approval or opinions either. Nitze: A redirection of some naval forces could easily allow for us to arrange a blockade off the coast of Cuba… If we’re going to war… they only have so much materials to fight back with… its not like they stand a chance in hell, they'll be entirely starved out in less than six months.
Nixon: Make sure our boys stay covered down there in Guantanamo… and I want to talk with the ones in charge down there now, to let them know that we’re not going to let this damn thing slide..
*End Conversation*
Details of the casualties in Guantanamo Bay came trickling in with a final total of 34 civilians determined to have perished in bombings, and 41 American military personnel killed in combat. As letters were typed out giving the nation’s utmost condolences to the families of those who had fallen and fires being put out in Guantanamo Bay, it became clear to America that the nation was heading into a war with a nation 90 miles to its South.
Nixon during his speech on the attack of Guantanamo Bay - 1961
Speech Regarding the Attack on Guantanamo Bay - May, 1961:
".... My Fellow Americans…, I have the solemn duty and responsibility, as your President, to report to you that 75 Americans lost their lives today....... in a ruthless and heartless attack carried out by the State of Cuba at 9:25 this morning. Today we have lost women, children, sons, daughters, husbands, and wives. Our military is full with brave Americans that risk their lives in the namesake of freedom, and today 41 of these heroes paid the ultimate price to uphold the freedom that they fought so valiantly for. It was today that I received reports that Cuban forces, in retaliation to rebels in the Cuban city of Trinidad, launched an attack on the United States Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay. It is with a heavy heart that I bring this news to the American people, and to the families of those we have lost today I send my utmost condolences and thanks to your family members that gave their lives so that we may live in freedom. It is my fullest and utmost intention to see those responsible for the loss of American lives brought not only to justice, but to be made to answer for their acts........ These acts of war against the United States will not be tolerated and we will not stand idle while lives have been cut down in an act of cowardice.
Let it be clear that the United States will not under any circumstance.... allow further aggression by Cuba. That is why as of this afternoon, I have ordered a full non-negotiable military blockade of the nation of Cuba and redirected naval forces in the Caribbean to focus in on the island nation. We will take action against those in power that ended so many American lives. And we will not rest until the government in Cuba answers for what they have done. Those we have lost today were of all ages, and they all fell resembling the ideals of the very nature and being that is the United States of America. This attack on our people today was an attack on this nation. We will not cease until justice is done for the 34 innocent members of families and the 41 men stationed in Guantanamo that we lost today. And we will not settle or negotiate for any less. Goodnight, and May you all see a safe tomorrow." -Richard Nixon - 1961
Those lost in Guantanamo after they were brought to the US
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Richard Nixon slates that the Cuban invasion take place as Originally planned OTL
2. Fidel Castro leading his troops during the invasion (as he did OTL)is killed by a stray mortar round
3. Fearing imminent invasion, Raul Castro attacks Guantanamo Bay.
Map of the plans for Phase 1 of Operation: Pluto - CIA -
The easiness that the Nixon Administration had found itself basking in since the inauguration in mid January would end 4 months into Nixon's Presidency. In the evening of May 12th, just two days after meeting with Alan Shepard personally at the White House at an official ceremony, Richard Nixon would affirm the final go ahead for Operation Pluto, and would begin overseeing its deployment throughout the night.
Planning for the clandestine operation had initiated during the sunset of the Eisenhower Presidency, and since its inception, Operation Pluto had evolved greatly from its original design. Nixon, who had taken part in the planning and organization of the details pertaining to the carrying out of the operation, had made revisions and edits to the original drafts of the plans even during the election. Since his victory in 1960, he had taken progressively been given more of a leadership position in the meetings with CIA officials in the place of Eisenhower until the inauguration officially placed him in full authority. Now finalized after at least a full year of preparations, the design called for the CIA leaders to utilize Cuban Refugees trained and supplied by the United States to invade the Communist nation of Cuba. From there they would move forward to destabilize support for the Castro regime and, in allied cooperation with Anti-Castro resistance already on the island, overthrow the Cuban government in favor of a more American leaning system.
The President's alterations to Operation Pluto called for a force of 2,300 anti-Castro Cuban refugees, a notable increase from the limit set forth by Eisenhower of 1,500. Under Nixon's watchful eye, the plan had grown to be colossal in scope. For an action initially meant to minimize US involvement, the numbers requested by the President raised questions on practicality by many in the CIA wishing to keep American involvement a complete state secret. To limit any international outcry for the invasion, they believed it to be an absolute necessity that the US maintain strict plausible deniability, at least until a point in time when it would be politically acceptable for the United States to move in and assist the resistance forces.
On the night of May 13th, with overcast skies and no visible moon, American backed forces split into 6 infantry battalions and one paratrooper battalion approached their positions before the initial stages of the invasion began. With 2 battalions landing on Isla De Pinos just east of Presidio Modelo (A Cuban Prison housing a large number of political prisoners), and the remaining battalions making landfall in the ports and areas surrounding Trinidad, Cuba, the invasion commenced with a surprising thunder. In the outset of the landings 5 B-26’s launched attacks on ships near and around the waters surrounding Nueva Gerona on Isla de Pinos, sinking the El Baire, and crippling a few other Cuban patrol boats and warships. The B-26’s then flew towards the other landing site of Trinidad, Cuba. The bombers were able to offer a great service to the invasion by landing a few direct hits on Cuban positions but their effectiveness was short lived due to weather conditions that required them to return to their specified airfield after only a half hour.
Isla De Pinos
Presidio Modelo- the prison while it was still standing - 1958
2 paramilitary battalions made landfall near the prison 20 minutes before the other battalions reached Trinidad and landed nearly unnoticed in the dark. With their short lived head start, a portion of the forces made their way to the prison in order to occupy the facility that was in charge of housing many of the counter revolutionaries that had dared to speak against Fidel Castro. It was the hope that should these men be released they would, at least for a short time, reinforce the invasion and aid in the fight against the communist forces. Initial resistance on the way to the prison was far heavier than had been expected and soon the exchange of gunfire had gathered large attention across the islands. Reports were quickly making their way across connections within the Cuban military and soon, a large force was being raised to repel what was now a known invasion of the island. Paramilitary forces steadily gained ground throughout the prison complex as they fought, but in the heat of the battle a defensive measure that had gone unknown by CIA planners made itself known with a fiery vengeance.
The prison that actively held over 8,000 political prisoners had been previously plagued by numerous riots and hunger strikes since Fidel Castro flooded it with his rivals and those unwilling to lend support. The Cuban government, under order from Che Guevara, had stocked several tons of TNT underneath Presidio Modelo in the facility’s vast tunnel network as a fail-safe should the prison be overcome by its large number of inmates. Once Cuban National forces began to lose their footing within several buildings of the prison, the order was given to demolish the facility by using the fail-safe. A long series of explosions rocked the complex and lit up the night sky as numerous sections of the complex collapsed inwards and imploded. Massive casualties were suffered by any and all that found themselves inside, including 85% of the prisoners within the buildings, and 120 of the paramilitary forces that had been dispatched to take over the prison. Along with them, 50 Cuban nationals perished in the explosions.
President Nixon in a candid photo after learning of lives lost in the explosions at the prison. - 1961 - The Nixon Library
Taped Conversation Between President Nixon, Paul Nitze, and Others in the Cabinet Room of the West Wing – May 13th 1961:
Nixon: I want an update the second we have one about the landings in Trinidad. Try and get me them as soon as we can possibly get them… and then when we—What is it Paul?
Nitze: Mr. President we’ve had a development.
Nixon: What kind of development? *hesitance in his voice*
Nitze: The forces at Isla de Pinos have suffered a major setback. We're still getting information on just how serious it is.
Nixon: Dammit Paul, tell me what the hell is going on?, setback..development… Tell me what the hell happened!?
Nitze: The forces were fighting inside of the prison, and the Cubans... They've wiped out the whole prison and they've taken a lot of our men with it.
Nixon: Wiped Out!?! How in the hell did they just wipe it out Paul!?
Nitze: What we've managed to piece together is that they had explosives throughout the entire prison complex… most likely in some kind of tunnel network running under and between the buildings.
Nixon: Son of a bitch….*fists hitting desk* How did none of you know those were there! Did someone over in your offices have their fucking tie on too tight? did they even bother to read the goddamn reports, because we both know they couldn't have kept something like that a secret over there!
Nitze: Sir, we still have a sizeable force on the island,… But… it is unlikely that we will see much more advancement on the island. Trinidad on the..
Nixon: Just stop, tell me, do I need to send reinforcements?
Nitze: No… What has happened on the island shouldn’t give the Cubans enough time to mobilize the necessary people at a place such as Trinidad before the landings.
Nixon: *sighs and sits down again* Because of this poor planning we just sent a lot of men to their deaths... You can tell the son of a bitch that signed off on this intelligence... you can tell him to expect a transfer to Alaska or some damn place.
Nitze: Understood Mr. President. This is still heavily in our side of ball park. They’ll get those bastards for us.
Nixon: I need a few minutes… Meet me back here in twenty minutes with the newest updates…
*end tape*
While not killing the majority of the paramilitary forces on the island, it dealt a heavy blow to the morale of those surviving the blasts. Quickly, they began engaging larger amounts of National resistance as word and alert spread of the attack and invasion, and it became clear that what remained was an uphill battle for the 2 battalions on the island. When news was broadcast to the White House regarding the incident it deeply upset and enraged President Nixon, and he departed to the Oval Office for a small intermission complaining of a severe headache. Thinking that the invasion would be discovered due to the explosions and heightened sense of alert, Nixon began contemplating ordering the involvement of American air forces and the USS Essex carrier group, which was already in the Caribbean. Military advisers persuaded him upon his return against making any decisions regarding increased military presence in Cuba for the time being. To which Nixon, expressing hesitance and mistrust, agreed to until he had more information.
Trinidad
Cuban Forces attempting to Repel the invasion at Trinidad - 1961
The 4 infantry battalions along with the paratrooper battalion landed in Trinidad Cuba. With the landings on Isla de Pinos throwing Cuban defenses into a rushing frenzy to gain the upper hand on the island, initial confrontations with Cuban Nationals in Trinidad went unreported. Immediately before the landing, 24 CIA lent B-26 bombers flew over three Cuban air fields and with the cover of night lending to their favor, bombed numerous hangars housing Cuban planes. The bombings, were moderately successful scoring in all 10 destroyed Cuban military aircraft, and 12 civilian aircraft. Although what was destroyed was but a small dent in the air power held by Cuba, only 7 B-26’s were shot down by direct enemy fire and one was lost while flying over the water due to damage sustained during its run. With anti-Castro forces having made landfall more or less undetected, and maintaining a relative element of surprise despite events elsewhere, paramilitary forces secured the beachhead within the initial hours of their landing. Trinidad had been selected for several specific reasons; one being its ease in creating a beachhead and the other being the ability to easily make contact with Anti-Castro rebels in the region to reinforce the invasion. American backed forces soon made contact with these counter-revolutionary cells in the area, of which leant themselves into the fight against Castro and his Communist forces. As the night drug on, word of Trinidad eventually rippled its way across Cuba and by the next morning National forces were on the counter attack. Having taken an easily defensible beachhead, the paramilitary forces held their positions and readied themselves to fight.
Rebel forces on the beaches of Trinidad fighting Castro's army - 1961
When the sun rose on the first full day of the invasion, Cuban forces in the area fell under the direct control of Fidel Castro himself. The proclaimed “Hero” of Cuba had been a leader as well as a fighter in his crusade against Batista, and Castro planned for this defense to be led no differently. Cuba was his country, and despite protests by his brother and other generals, he decided to personally command his forces from the front-lines.
Throughout the day, the Cuban forces hammered at the dissenters of their revolution and the casualties the rebels were taking began to climb. The out-manned and outgunned rebels were fighting tooth and nail to make any headway into Trinidad. By the afternoon, most rebels had been beaten back and were now entrenching themselves in makeshift foxholes on the beach and surrounding areas. Fidel Castro’s strategy had seemingly been the right one, as under his leadership the counter-revolutionaries had begun to lose valuable ground on the beachhead, and unsustainable losses for those standing against him were all but certain with the passage of time. But fate had different plans for this day in history. As Fidel Castro directed forces from a tree line, a mortar round fired by a member of Castro’s own forces landed directly to the left of Fidel Castro. The resulting impact and explosion killed 6 of Castro’s officers instantly and wounded several other men nearby. Fidel Castro himself was blown onto his back and was quickly dragged behind the cover of trees by Cuban infantry that had run to the scene. Mortally wounded, Castro stayed on the ground and weakly clawed at a large piece of shrapnel that had lodged itself into his neck and partially severed his external carotid artery. His last seconds were those of silence as his colder growing body bled out onto the ground for the country he had painstakingly led in a revolution. As death consumed him, the limp body of Cuba’s former leader was removed from the battleground and never recovered, but the rumor of his death quickly spread among the men fighting in his name. The useful and important information of Castro’s death would not be verified by Washington or forces in Trinidad for several days as conflicting reports bounced back and forth among the government’s leaders. The confusion of Castro's fate also greatly limited the initial effectiveness of any additional Cuban response, as the chain of command was now missing its most pivotal link. With many unsure of the rumors validity, few were willing to quickly step up to the helm.
Fidel Castro, the President of Cuba, addressing troops on the battleground next to Trinidad; 1961.
Cuban forces in Trinidad however, quickly grew aware of Castro’s death and their morale plummeted as their leader was now no longer among them. Many of them now wondered just how the nation would move on without him and some began falling back from the battle in order to regroup. The realization for Cuban forces soon set in that there was no immediate commander for the fight against the rebels, with the first few in the local chain wiped out from the explosion that also killed Fidel. This created a situation in which it was incredibly difficult for National forces to coordinate further movements in their defensive operations. Although forces fought strongly despite some withdrawing, the Counter-revolutionaries, with help from already instilled anti-castro cells, began to ever slowly gain the upper hand in Trinidad, with many moving into the nearby mountains to gain a further defensive hold of the area.
With reports from Trinidad streaming in after Castro’s death of a slight advancement in the invasion, Nixon slowly stood down from the urgency and sever stress he had felt just hours beforehand. A small sigh of relief could be exhaled by those in the White House for the time being with Nixon’s decision of keeping American forces out of the fight for the time being paying off. Operation Pluto had succeeded in its initial objective of establishing a beachhead in Cuba. The hope was that this success would inspire further revolt against the Communist government.
Retaliation
While Fidel Castro’s body grew colder behind the front lines of a slowly advancing counter-revolutionary force, those that had assumed power with Castro began to become increasingly aware of his death and the ramifications that would come from his loss. With the fight having just begun against the anti-Cuban forces, which at this time had been obviously determined to have been American backed, the leadership in what used to be Castro’s Cuba was in for a fight against the American led rebels and their fight to remain solid in the wake of Fidel’s death. The main concern of the leadership was to remain popular with the people that had loved Fidel and the revolution he embodied. For now, the situation was incredibly fragile.
As of 1961, Fidel’s brother Raúl Castro had been assigned command of forces in the east, based in Santiago de Cuba. Che Guevara commanded western forces, based in Pinar del Río. Major Juan Bosque commanded forces in the central provinces, based in Santa Clara. Raúl Morales was head of the air force. Sergio del Valle Jiménez was Director of Headquarters Operations at Point One in Havana. Efigenio Ameijeiras was the Head of the Revolutionary National Police, and Ramiro Menéndez was Minister of the Interior and head of state security. Of these men, it was understood that Raul Castro, Fidel’s brother, was now the leader of the nation.
When Che Guevara learned of the invasion and Fidel Castro’s subsequent death at the command of the defending forces, he launched his forces into full defensive combat readiness, and sent the order to arm every civilian that was healthy and able enough to carry a rifle. Further demanding the creation of a guerilla army that could retreat into hiding should the invasion gain ground at the control of the United States. Raul Castro on the other hand regrouped the Cuban military nearby Santiago de Cuba and prepared for the first retaliatory strikes against the nation’s enemies.
While those in Washington watched as the invasion from Operation Pluto grew in scale after its initial success due to counter-revolutionary aid, Raul Castro, heavily shaken by the loss of his brother and the recent events, made the decision to not attack the rebels in Trinidad but to attack something much larger. Holding the belief that American involvement was coming no matter what the Cuban government did in relation to a retaliatory strike, Castro designated the American military base at Guantanamo Bay to be the site of the Cuban counter-attack. The goal, was to take as many American assets out with the attack as could be accomplished in order to weaken American involvement if only slightly.
In the morning of May 17th, Raul Castro’s forces arrived at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, accompanied by heavy Cuban air support, and would nearly immediately launch a fully open attack aimed at crippling the Naval Base as quickly as possible. The American’s stationed at the site, already on heavy alert due to the events in Trinidad and Isla de Pinos, were still caught slightly by surprise by the ferocity the attack was accompanied with. Before air support was fully rallied and in the air, Cuban air forces successfully bombed several aircraft hangars and hit several areas that were occupied by the families of military personnel. American aircraft with the aid of anti-aircraft fire brought down a majority of the planes, but many were shocked to see the pilots of the damaged Cuban aircraft pilot their planes into the very targets they were bombing. With these initial bombings still underway, ground forces began attacks on the outer areas of base, and were met with heavy resistance by American defenders. Within 20 minutes American forces had enough power in the air to regain aerial dominance. As the battle of Guantanamo Bay continued into midday, heavy casualties were witnessed on both sides, but with a clear American victory in the wake. While the attack failed to remove the United States from being an imminent threat on the island, a delusion sought by Raul Castro in a decision of counter-reaction, it did send a message straight up the spine of the American chain of command that landed itself squarely on the Commander in Chief.
As Nixon was briefed on the events surrounding the attack on Guantanamo Bay, he ordered an immediate evacuation of every non-essential person living on the base which primarily referred to the families that lived along with personnel on the base. Nixon also made the decision to bring in US Navy Task Force 81.8 that were currently stationed in the Cayman Islands and redirected them to anchor off the Cuban coast near Guantanamo Bay. Task Force 81.8, commanded by Rear Admiral John E. Clark was made up of the Aircraft Carriers USS Essex and the USS Boxer, with destroyers USS Hank, USS John W. Weeks, USS Purdy, USS Wren, and submarines USS Cobbler and USS Treadfin. Additionally reporting to the area were USS Bache, USS Beale, USS Conway, USS Cony, USS Eaton, USS Murray, and USS Waller, the very same ships that had originally safeguarded the transportation of the Paramilitary groups that invaded Trinidad and other areas during Operation: Pluto. Although nothing it terms of warfare were immediately carried out with the naval power being brought in, it became clear that Nixon intended to not only avenge American lives lost in the attack of Guantanamo Bay, but to bring troops into Cuba in full force to help rid the island of Communist rule, and Nixon made this no secret in the White House.
Taped Oval Office Conversation Regarding Guantanamo Bay- 1961:
*tape switched on during conversation*
Robert Finch: ........ivilians, and we've counted up to 32 military casualties as of about an hour ago.
Nixon: I... Jesus Christ… They are going to pay for this…..
Finch: That much is obvious…
Nixon: At the very least we now have enough backing to go in and clear this thing up once and for all. There’s no way people will allow this kind of thing to happen, especially right off our coast line, I won’t stand for it... I'm not going to stand any longer while we try and pretend that we have nothing to do with Trinidad. Had we just gone in from the damn beginning this wouldn't have happened.
*audible shuffling*
Finch: We just got updated numbers on the casualties, 34 civilians.. 41 military personnel.
Nixon: alright... Put US forces in the Caribbean on full alert. We are at war. and we are going to show these bastards that they signed their death warrants when they decided to attacked our own. Nitze: We’re already working on a number of tactics Mr. President. I think we can all agree… that after the events of today… We no longer have to worry about support in becoming involved militarily on the island of Cuba.
Kennan: I agree. We’ve been attacked on our soil… we have the full and unquestionable right to respond with whatever force we deem necessary.
Nixon: We shouldn't have worried about that to start with. From this point on, I don't want to ever see a plan that has us dancing around and using inferior fighters when it is the obvious answer to simply become involved. This whole idea was garbage from the beginning and I should have seen that like I see it now. For the time being, I want the US Navy to surround that island. Nothing goes in or out.
Finch: You mean a blockade?
Nixon: Yes. I am not asking for approval or opinions either. Nitze: A redirection of some naval forces could easily allow for us to arrange a blockade off the coast of Cuba… If we’re going to war… they only have so much materials to fight back with… its not like they stand a chance in hell, they'll be entirely starved out in less than six months.
Nixon: Make sure our boys stay covered down there in Guantanamo… and I want to talk with the ones in charge down there now, to let them know that we’re not going to let this damn thing slide..
*End Conversation*
Details of the casualties in Guantanamo Bay came trickling in with a final total of 34 civilians determined to have perished in bombings, and 41 American military personnel killed in combat. As letters were typed out giving the nation’s utmost condolences to the families of those who had fallen and fires being put out in Guantanamo Bay, it became clear to America that the nation was heading into a war with a nation 90 miles to its South.
Nixon during his speech on the attack of Guantanamo Bay - 1961
Speech Regarding the Attack on Guantanamo Bay - May, 1961:
".... My Fellow Americans…, I have the solemn duty and responsibility, as your President, to report to you that 75 Americans lost their lives today....... in a ruthless and heartless attack carried out by the State of Cuba at 9:25 this morning. Today we have lost women, children, sons, daughters, husbands, and wives. Our military is full with brave Americans that risk their lives in the namesake of freedom, and today 41 of these heroes paid the ultimate price to uphold the freedom that they fought so valiantly for. It was today that I received reports that Cuban forces, in retaliation to rebels in the Cuban city of Trinidad, launched an attack on the United States Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay. It is with a heavy heart that I bring this news to the American people, and to the families of those we have lost today I send my utmost condolences and thanks to your family members that gave their lives so that we may live in freedom. It is my fullest and utmost intention to see those responsible for the loss of American lives brought not only to justice, but to be made to answer for their acts........ These acts of war against the United States will not be tolerated and we will not stand idle while lives have been cut down in an act of cowardice.
Let it be clear that the United States will not under any circumstance.... allow further aggression by Cuba. That is why as of this afternoon, I have ordered a full non-negotiable military blockade of the nation of Cuba and redirected naval forces in the Caribbean to focus in on the island nation. We will take action against those in power that ended so many American lives. And we will not rest until the government in Cuba answers for what they have done. Those we have lost today were of all ages, and they all fell resembling the ideals of the very nature and being that is the United States of America. This attack on our people today was an attack on this nation. We will not cease until justice is done for the 34 innocent members of families and the 41 men stationed in Guantanamo that we lost today. And we will not settle or negotiate for any less. Goodnight, and May you all see a safe tomorrow." -Richard Nixon - 1961
Those lost in Guantanamo after they were brought to the US
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Richard Nixon slates that the Cuban invasion take place as Originally planned OTL
2. Fidel Castro leading his troops during the invasion (as he did OTL)is killed by a stray mortar round
3. Fearing imminent invasion, Raul Castro attacks Guantanamo Bay.
Last edited:
Soviet Movements in Space/Kennedy's Marriage
-Soviet Movements In Space-
Gherman Titov, the first Soviet to go into space (retracted upon Gagarin's in 1998) - 1961
"The Retrofire rockets seem to be responding well" -Gherman Titov
Within the Soviet Union, Russian scientists completed the final preparations for another mission that would hopefully regain the ground lost in their previous tragedy. In pain and walking on thin ice after the death of Yuri Gagarin, Sergei Korolev needed success. The scientific achievement of sending and returning the first man from space had been lost to the United States, and the only hope Russia had for regaining their dominance in space was a quick response of sending another Cosmonaut to complete Gagarin’s mission. Doing so would allow the Soviet Union to send and return the first man into orbit, not just into space. The Soviet Space Program needed to feel success quickly if it was to continue on from its early failure in manned space flight. To do this, Vostok II moved forward under severe security measures, and had numerous safety guidelines implemented during the construction of the craft and rocket. Most watched were the retrofire rockets, which had failed in their purpose during Gagarin’s flight. To complete this new attempt, the cosmonaut that had been selected to be Vostok 1’s secondary was approved for the mission. Gherman Titov, had begun preparations before his friend had even made his final landing and was for all purposes, the best man to complete the job.
On May 19th, Titov performed the same speech produced for Yuri Gagarin as his own. The fact that Gagarin had ever uttered the pre-prepared words had already been stricken from the record, and all who had attended were since sworn to remain quiet.
"Dear friends, you who are close to me, and you whom I do not know, fellow Russians, and people of all countries and all continents: in a few minutes a powerful space vehicle will carry me into the distant realm of space. What can I tell you in these last minutes before the launch? My whole life appears to me as one beautiful moment. All that I previously lived through and did, was lived through and done for the sake of this moment." – Gherman Titov; May 19th 1961
Immediately after the speech, Titov was strapped into the Vostok II and sent skyward. The whole scene eerily similar to some who had watched the exact events take place just weeks before.
The flight lasted 109 minutes in all, with the retrofire rockets operating as designed and allowing for correct reentry. Titov had become the third man in space, the second known man in space, and the first Soviet to return. Adding to the success of the program’s ability to return Cosmonauts from space, his mission completed one full orbit of the Earth making him the first man to orbit around the Earth.
Photo of Titov's Vostok space craft. - 1961
During reentry, Titov ejected successfully from the capsule and parachuted safely through Soviet Airspace and landed inside of the Saratov Region of the USSR. The fact that he ejected from the spacecraft was kept a state secret in order to meet the qualifications of a complete manned space flight as set by the FAI. To secure the success in the record books, government officials forced Titov and all following Cosmonauts that would fly in the Vostok program, to lie in Press Conferences about this fact.
Gherman Titov in the Kremlin with Premier Khrushchev and other party members - 1961
Returning to the Soviet Union, Titov was welcomed as a hero, although not as large a one as he might have been had the Soviets beat the Americans into space. Nikita Khrushchev personally bestowed Titov with the distinctions of the Hero of the Soviet Union and the decoration of the Order of Lenin. Parades and celebrations were held across the Soviet Union for the success and the victory over the Americans for having the first man to orbit the Earth. Sergei Korolev, with one success under his belt, now felt that his position at the head of the Soviet Space Program was maintained, but due to his experiences in the past with the government and knowing that even one more failure in this competition could cost him his life’s work, the man began to delve deeper into paranoia against those under him. At this point in his life, he had already used up the one major mistake he would be allowed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Marriage
Senator Kennedy pictured with his family before the election - 1960
Following the loss of the 1960 Presidential Election, John F. Kennedy had returned to the United States senate as a beaten and tired man with a failing marriage. However, with the birth of his son, John F. Kennedy Jr., much of his marital issues subsided for a few months, as the new member to the Kennedy clan kept his eyes and attention on his family and wife. But Kennedy’s extra-marital affairs soon returned into his lifestyle and without a political campaign underway, he became less secretive than usual, not that he ever had been. The Kennedy marriage had nearly always been a troubled one, both by politics and by Jack’s “hobbies”. These “hobbies” included young secretaries, women he met on the campaign trail, and women from all other walks of life. After years of trying to turn a blind eye, the knowledge of these other women and the role they had in her husband’s life took its toll on Jacqueline Kennedy. She had debated ending the marriage before, despite her being Catholic, but was convinced otherwise by Kennedy’s father, who made it known it would ruin him politically. At the time, and her mixed feelings and love for Jack had made her decide to stay.
The day Jacqueline discovered yet another affair of Jack’s with a woman named Judith Campbell the marriage began to turn a bitter sour. Kennedy had been introduced to Campbell by Frank Sinatra during the heights of the Presidential Campaign and the affair had continued steadfast from there, with a short intermission after the birth of John Jr. before it began again. The affair had practically become common knowledge in those that knew Jack, and in many cases the gossip found its way into Jacqueline’s ear. Knowing she had a husband who cheated on her was a constant springboard for embarrassment, even more so when he took little to no effort in keeping it a secret. When a photograph leaked of the two together in early March, the marriage between John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy went hastily downhill. Screaming matches became more common, and they soon began to go about separate schedules, which resulted in the two seeing each other only for a few minutes every day. During this time, Jack commonly spent the night in hotels to where he could have women come to his room and still have plausible deniability for the cameras.
Kennedy alone on yacht - 1961.
In late April, having reached her limit, Jacqueline Kennedy secretly filed for divorce on the grounds of John F. Kennedy’s infidelity, but did the best to keep the proceedings under wraps both for her sake and any career her soon to be ex-husband had left. However, it did not take long for Joseph Kennedy Sr. to discover Jackie's intentions to legally separate from his son. He would surprise her with an impromptu 'negotiation' at the Kennedy Compound while the Senator was off boating with his brother Bobby. During this meeting, he displayed copies of her divorce paperwork and legal correspondences and began berating her for the disloyalty to the Kennedy family. The family patriarch painted a picture of a marriage only for the cameras to see; a charade and facade for the people to oggle and discuss at their leisure. In Joe Kennedy's terms, she didn't have to like or love his son, she didn't even have to sleep in the same bed or house; but she sure as hell would remain married to his son or she would pay a price. A price that he clearly depicted to be far too great for her to afford; adding further insult to injury, Joe set fire to the paperwork and threw it into a wastebasket that he had sat in front of his daughter-in-law.
"This will not be an annual discussion. This will not be a discussion that we ever have again. It's time for you to quit behaving like a spoiled bitch and grow up. This is a marriage and this is your life, Jackie. You will give my son the respect he deserves and you will stay where you belong and look happy doing it. Or I will ruin you. I will ruin everyone close to you. I will make you more miserable than you can even imagine if you do not abandon this fit of yours. Men will be men, it is your job to stand there by his side. Nothing more." - Joseph Kennedy Sr. as quoted by Jacqueline Kennedy in "A Marriage - My life with the Kennedys - A Tell All"
In tears, Jackie nodded and Joe left the room with the wastebasket. When her husband returned from the day on the water, she was stone-faced. In a way, she felt imprisoned within her own life where she could have everything except for what she really wanted.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Gherman Titov becomes the first Soviet to have been in space and return. He is recorded as the first Soviet, until Gagarin's flight is made public in the late 1990's
2. Kennedy's marriage crumbles after the election. they are not divorced, nor does Jack know of her intentions. However, they have grown incredibly distant. Jack's father threatens Jackie to cease.
Gherman Titov, the first Soviet to go into space (retracted upon Gagarin's in 1998) - 1961
"The Retrofire rockets seem to be responding well" -Gherman Titov
Within the Soviet Union, Russian scientists completed the final preparations for another mission that would hopefully regain the ground lost in their previous tragedy. In pain and walking on thin ice after the death of Yuri Gagarin, Sergei Korolev needed success. The scientific achievement of sending and returning the first man from space had been lost to the United States, and the only hope Russia had for regaining their dominance in space was a quick response of sending another Cosmonaut to complete Gagarin’s mission. Doing so would allow the Soviet Union to send and return the first man into orbit, not just into space. The Soviet Space Program needed to feel success quickly if it was to continue on from its early failure in manned space flight. To do this, Vostok II moved forward under severe security measures, and had numerous safety guidelines implemented during the construction of the craft and rocket. Most watched were the retrofire rockets, which had failed in their purpose during Gagarin’s flight. To complete this new attempt, the cosmonaut that had been selected to be Vostok 1’s secondary was approved for the mission. Gherman Titov, had begun preparations before his friend had even made his final landing and was for all purposes, the best man to complete the job.
On May 19th, Titov performed the same speech produced for Yuri Gagarin as his own. The fact that Gagarin had ever uttered the pre-prepared words had already been stricken from the record, and all who had attended were since sworn to remain quiet.
"Dear friends, you who are close to me, and you whom I do not know, fellow Russians, and people of all countries and all continents: in a few minutes a powerful space vehicle will carry me into the distant realm of space. What can I tell you in these last minutes before the launch? My whole life appears to me as one beautiful moment. All that I previously lived through and did, was lived through and done for the sake of this moment." – Gherman Titov; May 19th 1961
Immediately after the speech, Titov was strapped into the Vostok II and sent skyward. The whole scene eerily similar to some who had watched the exact events take place just weeks before.
The flight lasted 109 minutes in all, with the retrofire rockets operating as designed and allowing for correct reentry. Titov had become the third man in space, the second known man in space, and the first Soviet to return. Adding to the success of the program’s ability to return Cosmonauts from space, his mission completed one full orbit of the Earth making him the first man to orbit around the Earth.
Photo of Titov's Vostok space craft. - 1961
During reentry, Titov ejected successfully from the capsule and parachuted safely through Soviet Airspace and landed inside of the Saratov Region of the USSR. The fact that he ejected from the spacecraft was kept a state secret in order to meet the qualifications of a complete manned space flight as set by the FAI. To secure the success in the record books, government officials forced Titov and all following Cosmonauts that would fly in the Vostok program, to lie in Press Conferences about this fact.
Gherman Titov in the Kremlin with Premier Khrushchev and other party members - 1961
Returning to the Soviet Union, Titov was welcomed as a hero, although not as large a one as he might have been had the Soviets beat the Americans into space. Nikita Khrushchev personally bestowed Titov with the distinctions of the Hero of the Soviet Union and the decoration of the Order of Lenin. Parades and celebrations were held across the Soviet Union for the success and the victory over the Americans for having the first man to orbit the Earth. Sergei Korolev, with one success under his belt, now felt that his position at the head of the Soviet Space Program was maintained, but due to his experiences in the past with the government and knowing that even one more failure in this competition could cost him his life’s work, the man began to delve deeper into paranoia against those under him. At this point in his life, he had already used up the one major mistake he would be allowed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Marriage
Senator Kennedy pictured with his family before the election - 1960
Following the loss of the 1960 Presidential Election, John F. Kennedy had returned to the United States senate as a beaten and tired man with a failing marriage. However, with the birth of his son, John F. Kennedy Jr., much of his marital issues subsided for a few months, as the new member to the Kennedy clan kept his eyes and attention on his family and wife. But Kennedy’s extra-marital affairs soon returned into his lifestyle and without a political campaign underway, he became less secretive than usual, not that he ever had been. The Kennedy marriage had nearly always been a troubled one, both by politics and by Jack’s “hobbies”. These “hobbies” included young secretaries, women he met on the campaign trail, and women from all other walks of life. After years of trying to turn a blind eye, the knowledge of these other women and the role they had in her husband’s life took its toll on Jacqueline Kennedy. She had debated ending the marriage before, despite her being Catholic, but was convinced otherwise by Kennedy’s father, who made it known it would ruin him politically. At the time, and her mixed feelings and love for Jack had made her decide to stay.
The day Jacqueline discovered yet another affair of Jack’s with a woman named Judith Campbell the marriage began to turn a bitter sour. Kennedy had been introduced to Campbell by Frank Sinatra during the heights of the Presidential Campaign and the affair had continued steadfast from there, with a short intermission after the birth of John Jr. before it began again. The affair had practically become common knowledge in those that knew Jack, and in many cases the gossip found its way into Jacqueline’s ear. Knowing she had a husband who cheated on her was a constant springboard for embarrassment, even more so when he took little to no effort in keeping it a secret. When a photograph leaked of the two together in early March, the marriage between John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy went hastily downhill. Screaming matches became more common, and they soon began to go about separate schedules, which resulted in the two seeing each other only for a few minutes every day. During this time, Jack commonly spent the night in hotels to where he could have women come to his room and still have plausible deniability for the cameras.
Kennedy alone on yacht - 1961.
In late April, having reached her limit, Jacqueline Kennedy secretly filed for divorce on the grounds of John F. Kennedy’s infidelity, but did the best to keep the proceedings under wraps both for her sake and any career her soon to be ex-husband had left. However, it did not take long for Joseph Kennedy Sr. to discover Jackie's intentions to legally separate from his son. He would surprise her with an impromptu 'negotiation' at the Kennedy Compound while the Senator was off boating with his brother Bobby. During this meeting, he displayed copies of her divorce paperwork and legal correspondences and began berating her for the disloyalty to the Kennedy family. The family patriarch painted a picture of a marriage only for the cameras to see; a charade and facade for the people to oggle and discuss at their leisure. In Joe Kennedy's terms, she didn't have to like or love his son, she didn't even have to sleep in the same bed or house; but she sure as hell would remain married to his son or she would pay a price. A price that he clearly depicted to be far too great for her to afford; adding further insult to injury, Joe set fire to the paperwork and threw it into a wastebasket that he had sat in front of his daughter-in-law.
"This will not be an annual discussion. This will not be a discussion that we ever have again. It's time for you to quit behaving like a spoiled bitch and grow up. This is a marriage and this is your life, Jackie. You will give my son the respect he deserves and you will stay where you belong and look happy doing it. Or I will ruin you. I will ruin everyone close to you. I will make you more miserable than you can even imagine if you do not abandon this fit of yours. Men will be men, it is your job to stand there by his side. Nothing more." - Joseph Kennedy Sr. as quoted by Jacqueline Kennedy in "A Marriage - My life with the Kennedys - A Tell All"
In tears, Jackie nodded and Joe left the room with the wastebasket. When her husband returned from the day on the water, she was stone-faced. In a way, she felt imprisoned within her own life where she could have everything except for what she really wanted.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Gherman Titov becomes the first Soviet to have been in space and return. He is recorded as the first Soviet, until Gagarin's flight is made public in the late 1990's
2. Kennedy's marriage crumbles after the election. they are not divorced, nor does Jack know of her intentions. However, they have grown incredibly distant. Jack's father threatens Jackie to cease.
Last edited:
Hey, still has to be better for Kennedy than getting shot in the head.
Good update. I wonder how Gagarin will be seen in the future, though. He might've been the first man in space ITTL, like in OTL, but ITTL, he doesn't live through it.
While he was the first man in space, no one will actually know that. The documents released saying he was actually the first human in space and the story around his death will likely come as a massive shock to the world. Who will have openly accepted the "Fact" that Alan Shepard was the first to go to space, while he still was the first to return.
there is likely to be some debate about whether or not Gagarin's flight counts as him being first, as he died in space. and even then, there will likely be some that refuse to accept Gagarin's mission happened, even with the evidence.
Immediate Response
Immediate Response
Americans taking oaths after volunteering for the US Army following the attack on Guantanamo. - 1961
*Taped Discussion on the Cuban Situation as it stood on May 20th, 1961*
Inaudible chatting and static: ………………..
Nixon: “Alright, let’s run it through again…What ships do we have around the southern edge of Cuba and Guantanamo?"
Nitze: “We have Task Force 81.8 under the command of Rear Admiral Clark right off the coast, and they’re ready to unleash everything they have on Cuba when they get the order to do so... or in the event that they are fired upon. Which is a likelihood they are prepared for.
Nixon: “Clark… that’s right...*tapping of a pencil or pen*…
*door opens and closes*
Murray Chotiner: They passed it through. Congress passed the Guantanamo Bay Resolution. It was a complete affirmative vote. After your speech on how many we lost no one even thought about standing against it. We have the go ahead to do whatever necessary to bring this to an end. They've written the administration a blank check.
Robert Finch: I don’t know of anyone that isn’t in agreement. We have a ticket here to get the Castro regime crushed and out of Cuba once and for all. And in my opinion Mr. President, this might be a chance we might not get again. They’re weak and disorganized, we can't allow them the time to regroup.
Nixon: Well… we’ve already taken care of Castro... which is sad… because I would have liked to see that bastard strung up… but we do have them down in the dirt. They could break in a week.
Nitze: Yes, they are, However, it’s only a matter of time before either the brother or someone else recovers from the initial blows... and rallies.
Nixon: Well one thing’s for sure, we definitely have to send reinforcements to Guantanamo, we can’t leave that place open for anything that may happen. No… we need to use this resolution to bring them the hand of God, before they bunker down any more than they already have. Not to mention it'll give us the opportunity for some really good imagery on the television. Soldiers flooding in as a response, it'll make the administration look strong.
Nitze: mhmm…
Kennan: “I think what we should really be discussing right now are the Russians’ reaction to all of this… If we invade Cuba… they could grow more aggressive. I doubt they’ll get close to shooting, but the situation in Berlin is as delicate as it has been since the airlift.. I think we need to go down there and take care of Cuba, I just think you should consider their reaction Mr. President.
Nixon: I have considered it.
Nitze: How far would they really even be willing to go? I highly doubt that they’re actually willing to go to war over Cuba… They might be the Soviet Union but they’re not stupid enough to ignite global war over an island they have minimal investments in. I must suggest we let whatever propaganda message they try to make slide for now. They aren’t going to invade West Berlin…
Nixon: …I’ve met Khrushchev, I don’t think he’ll throw everything on the fire for something like this, after all, we have massive justification… We’ve just sent Dewey what to say….. But... what I do want… is for a plan to be drafted and on my desk in my office by tonight, with projected losses on both sides for a number of scenarios. It’s not necessary for me to say everyone is going to miss dinner tonight.
Nitze: It will be there Mr. President
Nixon: I’m going to go ahead and order men down to our Naval base should they get any bright ideas… But about these plans. I want ideas for a full invasion, we’re going in, and we’re not going to half ass it. We are going in, and we are going to win this thing by Christmas. Make sure that those are with me by tonight.
Nitze: “Of course, Mr. President”
Nixon: “This resolution, it gives us the authority to use whatever means necessary to put down the enemy in Cuba. Before we go head first into Havana, I want to make sure that Guantanamo is not going to be hit again. I want an initial strike to hit Santiago. From there, well that’s what I want on my desk.”
*Rest of taped cleared for unspecified reason*
On May 23rd 1961, Congress in a Joint decision passed the “Guantanamo Bay Resolution”, which in effect gave Richard Nixon the right to wage full conventional warfare against Cuba without an official Congressional Declaration of War. The Resolution was passed unanimously in Congress despite the fact that some questioned the actions that had spun the web of events leading to the Resolution. Many in fact questioned the rebellion that triggered the attack in the first place, as American involvement was obviously apparent. These questions remained to be answered however, as those were still in favor of retaliating against the government of Cuba for such a large American loss of life.
With flag draped caskets of those who had been lost in the attack on Guantanamo Bay on their journey back to the United States, Public support for a American involvement in Cuba skyrocketed as the Resolution was passed. As news played both over radio and television, Americans across the nation grew increasingly more enraged with the actions aimed against their fellow Americans that were cut down in a surprise attack. News of direct involvement officially come down from the chain of command on May 29th, 1961, twelve days after the attack perpetrated by Raul Castro. The large scale American retaliation to what the media likened as the Cuban Pearl Harbor, was announced to the public, with specifics being kept in the dark, they were assured that America was going to war in a conflict in Cuba.
US Troops being transported in Guantanamo to reinforce the perimeter of the base. - 1961
The initial deployment would see an immediate stationing of reinforcements and supplies at Guantanamo Bay. By the last days of May, continuous air strikes hammered against Cuban air bases across the nation, crippling Cuban Air and defensive power. These strategic strikes were launched from both the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and the USS Essex. Cuban anti-aircraft fire and fighter planes, attempted to stall the American strikes, but were quickly crushed under the American presence. By the first week of June, most of Cuba’s air worthy fighter planes and bombers had been either shot out of the sky, or obliterated on tarmacs and runways. To preserve any type of resentment the population was beginning to have for the Communist government, bombings and strikes against civilian targets were disallowed, meaning that the leadership of the country could not simply be taken out from the air. The United States had gained near entire air-superiority by the time of the landings.
Marines landing on beaches near Santiago de Cuba - 1961
On June 3rd, a force of 7,000 marines and 3000 82nd Airborne infantrymen took part in joint amphibious and airborne landings aimed towards a direct invasion of Santiago de Cuba. The southeastern city was not only the second most populated city in the nation, but it was also the center of Raul Castro’s command and home to his central offices. It was therefore believed that the taking of Santiago de Cuba from immediate Cuban control, would greatly weaken Castro and make progress in the rest of Southeast Cuba proceed much more smoothly in contrast.
82nd airborne dropping outside of Santiago de Cuba - 1961
Beginning in the early hours of June 3rd, the 82nd airborne began parachuting into and around the city by the use of C-123’s. Given a 4 hour head start, the 3,000 strong force took multiple strategic points throughout the city; and proceeded in taking multiple port facilities, roadways, and strategic buildings along with securing the landing zones for the rest of the 10,000 man invasion force. At landing +14 minutes, the remaining Marines arrived amphibiously meeting minimal resistance from the enemy as troops made landfall. As troops pushed deeper into Santiago de Cuba however, resistance from Cuban loyalists became the norm as the invasion was grinded down to street by street firefights, and numerous close encounters with the enemy. By June 6th, a large amount of the city had fallen to American forces, but a large amount of resistance remained to be encountered in the wilderness areas surrounding the city and among the civilian population. By June 11th, the force had begun their full occupation of the city, establishing a curfew and multiple checkpoints to prevent any movement of Cuban officials or Nationalist forces. Even with the invasion of the city an overall success with a lack of large American loss of life, the objective of finding and capturing Raul Castro was unsuccessful, the new Cuban President was nowhere to be found within the city. With Santiago de Cuba in American hands, reconnaissance planes flew over the entirety of Cuba, searching for troop movements, supply depots, or any other kind of useful piece of intelligence that could serve the coming days ahead, as anything with military worth was discovered, it was destroyed by American air units.
Meanwhile, Che Guevara led a rally of loyal soldiers and civilians to heighten morale in the face of the overbearing conflict that had so quickly engrossed the Cuban people. Speaking from Pinar del Rio, Guevara spoke of Fidel Castro’s great intentions for the Cuban people and the cause for which many had already died. Detailed in Guevara’s speech was a direct yet unofficial declaration of war on the United States of America and all of her allies, an announcement that was expected but still sent a message to the United States that the fight in Cuba would be anything but a walk in the park.
Guevara- 1961
“The Cuban people owe their lives to the likes of Fidel Castro, The great revolutionary who lost his life for the people of Cuba. We will not simply walk away from what he envisioned for not only this nation, but for its people! The raving imperialists of America have set their eyes once again on the people of Cuba. We will fight to retain our land against both America and any other nation that should aid in America's effort. From this point if it were unclear, the Cuban people are at war with the United States of America! We will not stand for these atrocities!” - Che Guevara
Americans taking oaths after volunteering for the US Army following the attack on Guantanamo. - 1961
*Taped Discussion on the Cuban Situation as it stood on May 20th, 1961*
Inaudible chatting and static: ………………..
Nixon: “Alright, let’s run it through again…What ships do we have around the southern edge of Cuba and Guantanamo?"
Nitze: “We have Task Force 81.8 under the command of Rear Admiral Clark right off the coast, and they’re ready to unleash everything they have on Cuba when they get the order to do so... or in the event that they are fired upon. Which is a likelihood they are prepared for.
Nixon: “Clark… that’s right...*tapping of a pencil or pen*…
*door opens and closes*
Murray Chotiner: They passed it through. Congress passed the Guantanamo Bay Resolution. It was a complete affirmative vote. After your speech on how many we lost no one even thought about standing against it. We have the go ahead to do whatever necessary to bring this to an end. They've written the administration a blank check.
Robert Finch: I don’t know of anyone that isn’t in agreement. We have a ticket here to get the Castro regime crushed and out of Cuba once and for all. And in my opinion Mr. President, this might be a chance we might not get again. They’re weak and disorganized, we can't allow them the time to regroup.
Nixon: Well… we’ve already taken care of Castro... which is sad… because I would have liked to see that bastard strung up… but we do have them down in the dirt. They could break in a week.
Nitze: Yes, they are, However, it’s only a matter of time before either the brother or someone else recovers from the initial blows... and rallies.
Nixon: Well one thing’s for sure, we definitely have to send reinforcements to Guantanamo, we can’t leave that place open for anything that may happen. No… we need to use this resolution to bring them the hand of God, before they bunker down any more than they already have. Not to mention it'll give us the opportunity for some really good imagery on the television. Soldiers flooding in as a response, it'll make the administration look strong.
Nitze: mhmm…
Kennan: “I think what we should really be discussing right now are the Russians’ reaction to all of this… If we invade Cuba… they could grow more aggressive. I doubt they’ll get close to shooting, but the situation in Berlin is as delicate as it has been since the airlift.. I think we need to go down there and take care of Cuba, I just think you should consider their reaction Mr. President.
Nixon: I have considered it.
Nitze: How far would they really even be willing to go? I highly doubt that they’re actually willing to go to war over Cuba… They might be the Soviet Union but they’re not stupid enough to ignite global war over an island they have minimal investments in. I must suggest we let whatever propaganda message they try to make slide for now. They aren’t going to invade West Berlin…
Nixon: …I’ve met Khrushchev, I don’t think he’ll throw everything on the fire for something like this, after all, we have massive justification… We’ve just sent Dewey what to say….. But... what I do want… is for a plan to be drafted and on my desk in my office by tonight, with projected losses on both sides for a number of scenarios. It’s not necessary for me to say everyone is going to miss dinner tonight.
Nitze: It will be there Mr. President
Nixon: I’m going to go ahead and order men down to our Naval base should they get any bright ideas… But about these plans. I want ideas for a full invasion, we’re going in, and we’re not going to half ass it. We are going in, and we are going to win this thing by Christmas. Make sure that those are with me by tonight.
Nitze: “Of course, Mr. President”
Nixon: “This resolution, it gives us the authority to use whatever means necessary to put down the enemy in Cuba. Before we go head first into Havana, I want to make sure that Guantanamo is not going to be hit again. I want an initial strike to hit Santiago. From there, well that’s what I want on my desk.”
*Rest of taped cleared for unspecified reason*
On May 23rd 1961, Congress in a Joint decision passed the “Guantanamo Bay Resolution”, which in effect gave Richard Nixon the right to wage full conventional warfare against Cuba without an official Congressional Declaration of War. The Resolution was passed unanimously in Congress despite the fact that some questioned the actions that had spun the web of events leading to the Resolution. Many in fact questioned the rebellion that triggered the attack in the first place, as American involvement was obviously apparent. These questions remained to be answered however, as those were still in favor of retaliating against the government of Cuba for such a large American loss of life.
With flag draped caskets of those who had been lost in the attack on Guantanamo Bay on their journey back to the United States, Public support for a American involvement in Cuba skyrocketed as the Resolution was passed. As news played both over radio and television, Americans across the nation grew increasingly more enraged with the actions aimed against their fellow Americans that were cut down in a surprise attack. News of direct involvement officially come down from the chain of command on May 29th, 1961, twelve days after the attack perpetrated by Raul Castro. The large scale American retaliation to what the media likened as the Cuban Pearl Harbor, was announced to the public, with specifics being kept in the dark, they were assured that America was going to war in a conflict in Cuba.
US Troops being transported in Guantanamo to reinforce the perimeter of the base. - 1961
The initial deployment would see an immediate stationing of reinforcements and supplies at Guantanamo Bay. By the last days of May, continuous air strikes hammered against Cuban air bases across the nation, crippling Cuban Air and defensive power. These strategic strikes were launched from both the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and the USS Essex. Cuban anti-aircraft fire and fighter planes, attempted to stall the American strikes, but were quickly crushed under the American presence. By the first week of June, most of Cuba’s air worthy fighter planes and bombers had been either shot out of the sky, or obliterated on tarmacs and runways. To preserve any type of resentment the population was beginning to have for the Communist government, bombings and strikes against civilian targets were disallowed, meaning that the leadership of the country could not simply be taken out from the air. The United States had gained near entire air-superiority by the time of the landings.
Marines landing on beaches near Santiago de Cuba - 1961
On June 3rd, a force of 7,000 marines and 3000 82nd Airborne infantrymen took part in joint amphibious and airborne landings aimed towards a direct invasion of Santiago de Cuba. The southeastern city was not only the second most populated city in the nation, but it was also the center of Raul Castro’s command and home to his central offices. It was therefore believed that the taking of Santiago de Cuba from immediate Cuban control, would greatly weaken Castro and make progress in the rest of Southeast Cuba proceed much more smoothly in contrast.
82nd airborne dropping outside of Santiago de Cuba - 1961
Beginning in the early hours of June 3rd, the 82nd airborne began parachuting into and around the city by the use of C-123’s. Given a 4 hour head start, the 3,000 strong force took multiple strategic points throughout the city; and proceeded in taking multiple port facilities, roadways, and strategic buildings along with securing the landing zones for the rest of the 10,000 man invasion force. At landing +14 minutes, the remaining Marines arrived amphibiously meeting minimal resistance from the enemy as troops made landfall. As troops pushed deeper into Santiago de Cuba however, resistance from Cuban loyalists became the norm as the invasion was grinded down to street by street firefights, and numerous close encounters with the enemy. By June 6th, a large amount of the city had fallen to American forces, but a large amount of resistance remained to be encountered in the wilderness areas surrounding the city and among the civilian population. By June 11th, the force had begun their full occupation of the city, establishing a curfew and multiple checkpoints to prevent any movement of Cuban officials or Nationalist forces. Even with the invasion of the city an overall success with a lack of large American loss of life, the objective of finding and capturing Raul Castro was unsuccessful, the new Cuban President was nowhere to be found within the city. With Santiago de Cuba in American hands, reconnaissance planes flew over the entirety of Cuba, searching for troop movements, supply depots, or any other kind of useful piece of intelligence that could serve the coming days ahead, as anything with military worth was discovered, it was destroyed by American air units.
Meanwhile, Che Guevara led a rally of loyal soldiers and civilians to heighten morale in the face of the overbearing conflict that had so quickly engrossed the Cuban people. Speaking from Pinar del Rio, Guevara spoke of Fidel Castro’s great intentions for the Cuban people and the cause for which many had already died. Detailed in Guevara’s speech was a direct yet unofficial declaration of war on the United States of America and all of her allies, an announcement that was expected but still sent a message to the United States that the fight in Cuba would be anything but a walk in the park.
Guevara- 1961
“The Cuban people owe their lives to the likes of Fidel Castro, The great revolutionary who lost his life for the people of Cuba. We will not simply walk away from what he envisioned for not only this nation, but for its people! The raving imperialists of America have set their eyes once again on the people of Cuba. We will fight to retain our land against both America and any other nation that should aid in America's effort. From this point if it were unclear, the Cuban people are at war with the United States of America! We will not stand for these atrocities!” - Che Guevara
Last edited:
Crisis in Berlin
Crisis in Berlin
American troops in Cuba sent a specific international message to the Kremlin and Premier Nikita Khrushchev. Having debated Richard Nixon in the Kitchen Debate in 1959, Khrushchev was not necessarily kind towards the idea of Nixon in the White House, and had hoped to see his defeat at the hands of Senator John F. Kennedy. With this in mind, and seeing that Nixon was now growing heavily involved closer to home, especially within Cuba, it was decided that if any time were available to make a move in Berlin, it was in the early stages of American involvement in Cuba.
For years, the Soviet Union had suffered a brain drain of engineers, scientists, teachers, doctors, and numerous other skilled workers through the divide in East and West Berlin. Under constant requests of action from Walter Ulbricht, the East German President, Khrushchev began making moves to cut off emigration from the East to the West. Through cooperation between the Soviet military and the East German government, the acquisition of materials to construct a finite barrier between East and West Berlin began in secret and would continue for several months.
Soviet Troops install temporary barriers around West Berlin - 1961
In the meantime, less permanent barriers were installed between the two sectors. From June 15-17, Soviet forces erected chain link fences and sand bag walls across the entirety of the border. On June 20th, the Kremlin made it official that the border between East and West Berlin was no longer open.
The Nixon Administration was infuriated by the actions taken by the Soviet Union, and announced that the planned summit between Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev would no longer take place or be rescheduled. A large buildup of the American military was also charged by Nixon in the following weeks, claiming that the Soviet Union’s disrespect for established treaties and agreements was unacceptable and would not be forgotten. At the United Nations, it was claimed that the Soviet Union was in direct violation of treaties that had been in long standing for over a decade.
An area such as this one was were the incident took place. - 1961
On June 20th an incident nearly erupted Berlin into a warzone when a German family of 5 trying to cross from East to West crossed over the border with the help of a single Soviet soldier who had helped families cross over since the closing of the border. A soldier among the border guard noticed the movement of the group and immediately alerted the area of the violation of the border. With guns pointing at the 6 from the East, they were ordered not to move, but when the angered Father took a step towards the guards and began to say something, a nervous soldier opened fire, causing a number of them to do the same, killing all 6 in the process. The East German government claimed that the West had opened an “Underground Trafficking” of its citizens and had “grasped its propaganda into the misguided minds of a select few”; to end what they believed was a massive problem, that was now only being partially fixed with the blocking between East and West Berlin, the government shut down all passage of the Inner German Border as well as any passage out of West Berlin, effectively quarantining West Berlin from the West German government.
Nelson Rockefeller at the United Nations - 1961
“This direct violation of the rights of the people of West Germany cannot and will not be accepted. The United States of America as well as members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have begun operations to initiate an airlift to the West German citizens within West Berlin. This operation will not be dissimilar to operations taken during the Berlin Airlift of the late 1940’s. We will not allow the Soviet Union and East Germany to intimidate Europe into letting them get their way. The Soviet Union’s support and cooperation with these actions are just as condemned as the actions themselves.” Secretary Of State Nelson Rockefeller; June 1961.
The United States along with the other members of NATO began airlift operations nearly identical to those of 1948-49 at the end of June. East Germany quickly dedicated men to complete the Berlin Outer Ring, a new railroad system designed to completely divert the need of Western Berlin for rail systems. To show America’s involvement in the region was still one to be reckoned with, the US Army organized Operation: Curtain, a military exercise based in areas of West Germany with many NATO forces attending. Operation Curtain’s main focus was a possible scenario in which the Soviet Union crossed the Inner German Border and led an invasion of the Federal Republic of Germany, which in turn sparked World War III. The war game took place in mid-July and even further raised the tensions along the border. The United States to push the Soviet Union even further and to show the displeasure with current events, resumed its atomic weapons testing, an act that the Soviet Union soon responded in kind.
The Berlin Wall under construction in August - 1961
Construction of a physical wall in Berlin would begin in late July and Early August. And the decades long staring contest between American forces in West Germany and Russians in the East would begin, as a heavy increase of American troops were stationed within West Berlin and the Federal Republic of Germany.
The airlift of supplies and reinforcements into Berlin did not create a defeat for the Soviet Union as it did in 1949. Instead, it offered a boost to Soviet propaganda in which the Kremlin claimed that America had no choice but to bow down to Soviet dominance in Germany. NATO would split the costs of the airlift among member countries in order to sustain the size of the undertaking, and research into planes that could carry increased amounts of cargo was beginning to look like a necessity. While rising tensions to the near breaking point, the new blockade around Berlin was successful in putting a near complete stop to the movement of citizens from East to West.
“Let them pay for it.” – Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev when asked about the new NATO airlift.
Nikita Khrushchev being cheered upon for the victory over the United States - 1961
Recorded White House Conversation between Richard Nixon, Rockefeller, and George F. Keenan: July 1st, 1961
Rockefeller: Menshikov has said to us that there is no way Khrushchev is going to turn down the severity of this blockade…
Nixon: Even with splitting the cost among the members of this damn thing, its not necessarily sustainable…
Keenan: Mr. President there isn’t much we can do besides blast a hole through East Germany…. They’ve got us bent over a barrel here.
Rockefeller: Which wouldn’t be advisable.
Nixon: Well, what if we were to cut off the wheat trade…. To the Soviet Union, starve them out enough to where they come to the table… or kill that son of a bitch Ulbricht… Destabilize them enough to collapse…
Keenan: I sincerely hope your joking Mr. President.
Nixon: Of course I am… but I still ask you to think of all opportunities and ideas no matter how severe, it doesn’t hurt to think out of the box.
Rockefeller: That cut off would seriously hurt the farmers… and that’s a pretty sizable part of what you’d need for ’64. And I don’t really have to go into great detail of why the second one isn’t a good option.
Keenan: To be honest sir, there isn’t much we can do at this time. Unless we want to see clouds over Moscow and Washington, we might have to let this one slide.
Rockefeller: its probably a knee jerk reaction…. It could lessen in a few weeks or months… but they aren’t necessarily hurting to do so… they aren’t being hurt like this as we are…
Nixon: Let’s push them to the edge, show them they can’t just do whatever the hell they want…
Keenan: what do you mean by that?
Nixon: Cuba makes us look scary and mean to the citizens in the USSR, which isn’t really a bad thing…
*silence*
Nixon: Khrushchev thinks he can do what he wants… put a man in space, let Ulbricht cut Germany in half. I’m half inclined to believe that his first man up there wasn’t his first try… and he’ll be eager, to try and outdo us… let’s swat that bastard down… not physically… but symbolically. Let’s put a man on the damn moon and see where his superiority complex takes him. We’re going to have to kick him whenever he’s down and try to catch him on bad footing whenever possible….. A warming is good as long as it doesn’t get hot.
Rockefeller: How long are you talking? To get a man up there… we barely got Shepard up there… and now we’re talking about the moon… its not as close as it looks.
Nixon: As soon as possible…
*end section of recording*
American troops in Cuba sent a specific international message to the Kremlin and Premier Nikita Khrushchev. Having debated Richard Nixon in the Kitchen Debate in 1959, Khrushchev was not necessarily kind towards the idea of Nixon in the White House, and had hoped to see his defeat at the hands of Senator John F. Kennedy. With this in mind, and seeing that Nixon was now growing heavily involved closer to home, especially within Cuba, it was decided that if any time were available to make a move in Berlin, it was in the early stages of American involvement in Cuba.
For years, the Soviet Union had suffered a brain drain of engineers, scientists, teachers, doctors, and numerous other skilled workers through the divide in East and West Berlin. Under constant requests of action from Walter Ulbricht, the East German President, Khrushchev began making moves to cut off emigration from the East to the West. Through cooperation between the Soviet military and the East German government, the acquisition of materials to construct a finite barrier between East and West Berlin began in secret and would continue for several months.
Soviet Troops install temporary barriers around West Berlin - 1961
In the meantime, less permanent barriers were installed between the two sectors. From June 15-17, Soviet forces erected chain link fences and sand bag walls across the entirety of the border. On June 20th, the Kremlin made it official that the border between East and West Berlin was no longer open.
The Nixon Administration was infuriated by the actions taken by the Soviet Union, and announced that the planned summit between Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev would no longer take place or be rescheduled. A large buildup of the American military was also charged by Nixon in the following weeks, claiming that the Soviet Union’s disrespect for established treaties and agreements was unacceptable and would not be forgotten. At the United Nations, it was claimed that the Soviet Union was in direct violation of treaties that had been in long standing for over a decade.
An area such as this one was were the incident took place. - 1961
On June 20th an incident nearly erupted Berlin into a warzone when a German family of 5 trying to cross from East to West crossed over the border with the help of a single Soviet soldier who had helped families cross over since the closing of the border. A soldier among the border guard noticed the movement of the group and immediately alerted the area of the violation of the border. With guns pointing at the 6 from the East, they were ordered not to move, but when the angered Father took a step towards the guards and began to say something, a nervous soldier opened fire, causing a number of them to do the same, killing all 6 in the process. The East German government claimed that the West had opened an “Underground Trafficking” of its citizens and had “grasped its propaganda into the misguided minds of a select few”; to end what they believed was a massive problem, that was now only being partially fixed with the blocking between East and West Berlin, the government shut down all passage of the Inner German Border as well as any passage out of West Berlin, effectively quarantining West Berlin from the West German government.
Nelson Rockefeller at the United Nations - 1961
“This direct violation of the rights of the people of West Germany cannot and will not be accepted. The United States of America as well as members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have begun operations to initiate an airlift to the West German citizens within West Berlin. This operation will not be dissimilar to operations taken during the Berlin Airlift of the late 1940’s. We will not allow the Soviet Union and East Germany to intimidate Europe into letting them get their way. The Soviet Union’s support and cooperation with these actions are just as condemned as the actions themselves.” Secretary Of State Nelson Rockefeller; June 1961.
The United States along with the other members of NATO began airlift operations nearly identical to those of 1948-49 at the end of June. East Germany quickly dedicated men to complete the Berlin Outer Ring, a new railroad system designed to completely divert the need of Western Berlin for rail systems. To show America’s involvement in the region was still one to be reckoned with, the US Army organized Operation: Curtain, a military exercise based in areas of West Germany with many NATO forces attending. Operation Curtain’s main focus was a possible scenario in which the Soviet Union crossed the Inner German Border and led an invasion of the Federal Republic of Germany, which in turn sparked World War III. The war game took place in mid-July and even further raised the tensions along the border. The United States to push the Soviet Union even further and to show the displeasure with current events, resumed its atomic weapons testing, an act that the Soviet Union soon responded in kind.
The Berlin Wall under construction in August - 1961
Construction of a physical wall in Berlin would begin in late July and Early August. And the decades long staring contest between American forces in West Germany and Russians in the East would begin, as a heavy increase of American troops were stationed within West Berlin and the Federal Republic of Germany.
The airlift of supplies and reinforcements into Berlin did not create a defeat for the Soviet Union as it did in 1949. Instead, it offered a boost to Soviet propaganda in which the Kremlin claimed that America had no choice but to bow down to Soviet dominance in Germany. NATO would split the costs of the airlift among member countries in order to sustain the size of the undertaking, and research into planes that could carry increased amounts of cargo was beginning to look like a necessity. While rising tensions to the near breaking point, the new blockade around Berlin was successful in putting a near complete stop to the movement of citizens from East to West.
“Let them pay for it.” – Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev when asked about the new NATO airlift.
Nikita Khrushchev being cheered upon for the victory over the United States - 1961
Recorded White House Conversation between Richard Nixon, Rockefeller, and George F. Keenan: July 1st, 1961
Rockefeller: Menshikov has said to us that there is no way Khrushchev is going to turn down the severity of this blockade…
Nixon: Even with splitting the cost among the members of this damn thing, its not necessarily sustainable…
Keenan: Mr. President there isn’t much we can do besides blast a hole through East Germany…. They’ve got us bent over a barrel here.
Rockefeller: Which wouldn’t be advisable.
Nixon: Well, what if we were to cut off the wheat trade…. To the Soviet Union, starve them out enough to where they come to the table… or kill that son of a bitch Ulbricht… Destabilize them enough to collapse…
Keenan: I sincerely hope your joking Mr. President.
Nixon: Of course I am… but I still ask you to think of all opportunities and ideas no matter how severe, it doesn’t hurt to think out of the box.
Rockefeller: That cut off would seriously hurt the farmers… and that’s a pretty sizable part of what you’d need for ’64. And I don’t really have to go into great detail of why the second one isn’t a good option.
Keenan: To be honest sir, there isn’t much we can do at this time. Unless we want to see clouds over Moscow and Washington, we might have to let this one slide.
Rockefeller: its probably a knee jerk reaction…. It could lessen in a few weeks or months… but they aren’t necessarily hurting to do so… they aren’t being hurt like this as we are…
Nixon: Let’s push them to the edge, show them they can’t just do whatever the hell they want…
Keenan: what do you mean by that?
Nixon: Cuba makes us look scary and mean to the citizens in the USSR, which isn’t really a bad thing…
*silence*
Nixon: Khrushchev thinks he can do what he wants… put a man in space, let Ulbricht cut Germany in half. I’m half inclined to believe that his first man up there wasn’t his first try… and he’ll be eager, to try and outdo us… let’s swat that bastard down… not physically… but symbolically. Let’s put a man on the damn moon and see where his superiority complex takes him. We’re going to have to kick him whenever he’s down and try to catch him on bad footing whenever possible….. A warming is good as long as it doesn’t get hot.
Rockefeller: How long are you talking? To get a man up there… we barely got Shepard up there… and now we’re talking about the moon… its not as close as it looks.
Nixon: As soon as possible…
*end section of recording*
Last edited:
Did somebody say space program? Hell yes.
Nice work with the redux, I'm enjoying it.
Nice work with the redux, I'm enjoying it.