22-08-2016, 06:07 PM
Congressman Donald J. Irwin who was my father's cousin through marriage had this to say about Kennedy during the Cuban missile Crisis:
Donald J. Irwin has declared that the "courageous" stand taken by the late President John Kennedy at the time of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 led to Russian agreement to the nuclear test ban treaty. In a year-end newsletter sent to every postal patron in the Fourth Congressional District, Mr. Irwin said that President Kennedy "showed intelligence, judgment courage and leadership" in his confrontation with the Russians in the Cuban missile crisis. Mr. Irwin dedicated the newsletter to President Kennedy's memory at the time of the third anniversary of the President's assassination in Dallas.
Highlighted in the newsletter, distributed to 180,000 postal patrons in the district, was a photo of the late President taken by Mr. Irwin during Mr. Kennedy's last visit to Connecticut during the 1962 congressional campaign. Mr. Irwin called attention to this "critical period in our history" by recalling the events surrounding President Kennedy's campaign visit to Connecticut. "On Wednesday, October 17, 1962."
Mr. Irwin wrote in his newsletter, "the President arrived at the Bridgeport airport on his way to Waterbury and New Haven. On the previous Tuesday, he had been shown the first pictures of the Russian missile sites in Cuba. Because he had an appointment with Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko for Thursday the President had decided to keep campaign commitments in Connecticut and Illinois so as not to betray his knowledge. As you will remember his trip to Chicago was interrupted by his return to Washington on Saturday with what was said to be a cold.
That following Monday he made his famous speech demanding the withdrawal of the missiles." Mr. Irwin maintained that "the American people with practical unanimity supported the President as he risked the possibility of a nuclear war in his insistence that the missiles be removed. Many people agreed," Mr. Irwin said, "that this was President Kennedy's greatest week in the Presidency." He pointed out that in displaying this leadership in the missile crisis President Kennedy demonstrated anew that "leadership is a lonely business for the person bearing its mantle. The decision that was made (in the Cuban missile crisis) and the action that was taken those were for John F. Kennedy and John F. Kennedy alone to make," Mr. Irwin said. "He had to do as he did or abdicate the role of leadership." Mr. Irwin asserted that "if the American people can convince the aggressors in Viet Nam that our determination today is as strong as it was at the time of the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962, then peace in the world is not merely an idealistic aspiration." Was President Kennedy's trip to Chicago interrupted due to a cold? Or a possible plot to assassinate him there? "I asked myself? Do I have to see New York, Chicago or Dallas Texas?" Information on this page is provided by the Norwalk Hour.
Donald J. Irwin has declared that the "courageous" stand taken by the late President John Kennedy at the time of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 led to Russian agreement to the nuclear test ban treaty. In a year-end newsletter sent to every postal patron in the Fourth Congressional District, Mr. Irwin said that President Kennedy "showed intelligence, judgment courage and leadership" in his confrontation with the Russians in the Cuban missile crisis. Mr. Irwin dedicated the newsletter to President Kennedy's memory at the time of the third anniversary of the President's assassination in Dallas.
Highlighted in the newsletter, distributed to 180,000 postal patrons in the district, was a photo of the late President taken by Mr. Irwin during Mr. Kennedy's last visit to Connecticut during the 1962 congressional campaign. Mr. Irwin called attention to this "critical period in our history" by recalling the events surrounding President Kennedy's campaign visit to Connecticut. "On Wednesday, October 17, 1962."
Mr. Irwin wrote in his newsletter, "the President arrived at the Bridgeport airport on his way to Waterbury and New Haven. On the previous Tuesday, he had been shown the first pictures of the Russian missile sites in Cuba. Because he had an appointment with Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko for Thursday the President had decided to keep campaign commitments in Connecticut and Illinois so as not to betray his knowledge. As you will remember his trip to Chicago was interrupted by his return to Washington on Saturday with what was said to be a cold.
That following Monday he made his famous speech demanding the withdrawal of the missiles." Mr. Irwin maintained that "the American people with practical unanimity supported the President as he risked the possibility of a nuclear war in his insistence that the missiles be removed. Many people agreed," Mr. Irwin said, "that this was President Kennedy's greatest week in the Presidency." He pointed out that in displaying this leadership in the missile crisis President Kennedy demonstrated anew that "leadership is a lonely business for the person bearing its mantle. The decision that was made (in the Cuban missile crisis) and the action that was taken those were for John F. Kennedy and John F. Kennedy alone to make," Mr. Irwin said. "He had to do as he did or abdicate the role of leadership." Mr. Irwin asserted that "if the American people can convince the aggressors in Viet Nam that our determination today is as strong as it was at the time of the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962, then peace in the world is not merely an idealistic aspiration." Was President Kennedy's trip to Chicago interrupted due to a cold? Or a possible plot to assassinate him there? "I asked myself? Do I have to see New York, Chicago or Dallas Texas?" Information on this page is provided by the Norwalk Hour.