Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, American Republics; Cuba 1961–1962; Cuban Missile Crisis and Aftermath, Volumes X/XI/XII, Microfiche Supplement

415. Notes from transcripts of JCS meetings, October 26¹

October 26, 1962

NOTES TAKEN FROM TRANSCRIPTS OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, OCTOBER–NOVEMBER 1962, DEALING WITH THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS(Handwritten notes were made in 1976 and typed in 1993.)

CJCS: Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Maxwell D. Taylor, USA.

CSA: Chief of Staff, Army. General Earle G. Wheeler.

CSAF: Chief of Staff, Air Force. General Curtis E. LeMay.

CNO: Chief of Naval Operations. Admiral George W. Anderson, Jr.

CMC: Commandant, Marine Corps. General David M. Shoup.

CONAD: Continental Air Defense

DIA: Defense Intelligence Agency

DJS: Director, Joint Staff

LANT: Atlantic

NORAD: North American Air Defense

OAS: Organization of American States

RCT: Regimental Combat Team

SAM: Surface-to-Air Missile

TAC: Tactical Air Command

Friday, 26 October

JCS meeting at 0900:

CJCS debriefs on White House meeting the previous evening: There is enthusiasm for round-the-clock reconnaissance to find out if work on the sites is going on at night.

CNO: We are getting ready for the Grozny tomorrow. Right now she is lying dead in the water; the ship is supposed to have missile fuel.

CJCS: The SecDef is anxious to act on grabbing a Russian ship; State would be happy not to.

JCS instruct CINCLANT to abandon OPLAN 314 and concentrate on OPLAN 316.

JCS meeting at 1400:

CJCS debriefs on White House meeting: No air reconnaissance tonight. It was decided not to add POL to the quarantine list. They feel we are off to a very good start. The White House’s present concept is to carry out a limited attack upon six missile sites and the II–28s, the objective being the lowest level of force at the lowest possible price.

CM–55–62 lists four concepts for JCS consideration and calculation about sorties required:

I: Limited attack above, favored by SecDef.

II: Destroy or neutralize all MRBMs, favored by SecTreasury.

III: Render all SAM sites inoperable, suggested by CJCS.

IV: Attack all offensive weapons, the JCS recommendation.

1. CJCS debrief on meeting at the White House the previous evening; blockade issues; air reconnaissance; MRBMs. Secret. 2 pp. DOD, Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Office of Joint History.