Retold this month is an event 50 years ago: Missiles of October. We did not learn until 1990 how close we came to destroying the entire world. Greatest threat to this world was not Kennedy or Krushchev. Greatest threat were the 'big dics' on both sides who absolutely wanted war. Who only saw solutions in military conflict. A perfect example was Gen Curtis LeMay who said that we are already at war with the Soviet Union. The American people did not yet know it.

LeMay had to be in the Oval Office when he was exposed by Kennedy as lying. Essential so that everyone here could be alive. Robert McNamara literally had to sit constantly in the Pentagon because Kennedy needed someone to keep the Joint Chiefs in line. We know Generals, who could not understand the bigger picture (not the Russians leaders), were the greatest threat. We also know of Russians who did similar actions to stop their 'big dics' from killing us all.

Missiles of October demonstrated a danger. People who routinely see solutions only in military conflict. Who do not understand that we massacre a million servicemen so that only ten people will go back to a negotiation table. Best leaders go to and solve problems at that table without killing any soldiers.

We would not be here if Kennedy had not shown restraint that only great leaders understand.

In that he did but he also sent more than 10,000 American troops into Vietnam.

Kennedy did not deploy combat troops. He sent advisors, trainers, and supply personal. And had already ordered 1000 troops withdrawn in 1963. Johnson reversed those orders. Gulf of Tonkin was 1964. First American combat troops were 3500 Marines deployed by Johnson in 1965.

Westmoreland, a prefect example of an incompetant general, was eventually given 500,000 troops. And asked for another 500,000. Johnson asked him what the enemy would do. Westmoreland said they would match our 1 million deployment. Johnson then realized this war was probably was not winnable. Johnson eventually sued for peace in 1968.

Along comes Nixon who sent N Vietnam a secret message. Do not make a peace settlement with Johnson. Nixon promised better terms. Unknown how that affected history. But then Nixon escalated Nam massively. Including deployment of B-52s armed with nuclear bombs to the USSR border. To highlight his intents in Vietnam.

Kennedy insisted Vietnamese fight their own war. Johnson deployed combat units. Then learned three years later that the war could not be won. Nixon deployed everything - even spending money we did not have - to protect his legacy. Under Nixon, we even lost 10% of our strategic bombers (B-52s) over N Vietnam. He was that wacko about a war that America could not win. Could not win was well documented even in 1963 before Westmoreland took command. Anyone with military knowledge appreciates the significance of Ap Bac in Jan 1963. Kennedy refused to send combat troops.