JFK: Will We Ever Know the Truth?

[Gordon Gray]

The Military believed that the superiority in number and quality of US missiles would lead to annihilation of the Soviet Union, with acceptable collateral damage on the part of the US.

There was some psychology involved with JFK compromising over Cuba that kind of defused the all-or-none mentality of the nuclear bomber generals. People like LeMay were dangerous because they had a mindset of scorched earth Germany where the ability of the enemy was destroyed by means of total destruction. The nuclear bomb was a quick way to achieve that minus some lingering radiation. I think the Cuba compromise sort of affected the generals and made them realize there were other options than WWIII. With their guilt over having actually murdered Jack Kennedy like bloody handed murderers they probably accepted the compromise of VietNam as a means of satisfying their anti-communist objectives.

This is a remarkabley romantic notion. They compromised their position because they felt guilty? Do you really believe those guys in the bleachers at the Bethesda morgue, smoking their cigars, were capable off feeling guilt. These were ruthless people. And they were hell bent on destroying Communism. And they thought Kennedy was one. His approach to Castro was the final straw.