Events leading to the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 when the United States and the Soviet Union confronted each other with nuclear destruction. A helicopter lands on the White House lawn in Washington DC. Scenes of Cuba and emergence of Castro in recent prior years. Beach views in Cuba. A military parade in an earlier time, with Cuban troops marching in front of the Monument to the Battleship Maine. Next scene shows desecration and destruction of the Battleship Maine Monument in Cuba.. A crowd of cheering Cuban people as Fidel Castro enters Havana, Cuba in 1959. Exterior view of United Nations building in New York City. Fidel Castro and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev embrace during meeting in New York in September 1960. Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union Anastas Mikoyan deplanes and is greeted by Fidel Castro in Havana. A trade agreement between Russia and Cuba signed by Fidel Castro. Russian cargo ships en route to Havana. Cuban refugees in small boats. A map depicts proximity of Cuba to the U.S. U.S. surveillance aircraft heading for Cuba. A sign reads 'HQ. 4080 S W Intelligence Division'. Men examine reconnaissance photographs of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. The photographs show transports and tents for fueling and maintenance. A sign reads 'Strategic Missile Facility GAM 77 Combined Systems'. U.S. missiles rolled out of hangar and readied for emergency. A U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber aircraft takes off from an airfield. U.S. Navy ships in the Atlantic Ocean. A U.S. submarine underway at sea.
Documentary "One Week in October." Aerial views of Russian missiles in Cuba. Columbus day parade with marching bands, Boy Scouts, troops. Brief excerpt from 1962 World Series Baseball game with New York Yankees pitcher Ralph Terry delivering to Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants, who hits a ball to the deep left corner that is caught. March of Dimes annual poster girl. Jackie Kennedy with children of foreign diplomats. Fireworks in Uganda celebrating its independence. View of Vatican Palace and a candlelight vigil. President John Kennedy with Ahmed Ben Bella, Premier of Algeria. Ben Bella is then seen with Cuban leader Castro who receives him in Cuba. U.S. moon rocket launch. Scientists in America reviewing designs for fallout shelters during Cold War, and visiting banks, stores, and municipal buildings and garages to assess them for worthiness as bomb fallout shelters. Views of various types of fallout shelters. Food, water drums, medical and sanitation supplies bound for civic fallout shelters are seen rolling off of assembly lines and being boxed. Radiological monitoring equipment on an assembly line. A woman packages a geiger counter into a box. Then the fallout shelter supplies are seen transported by rail to defense department warehouses for distribution by local authorities to Community Fallout Shelters. View of moving train seen from above and from sideview. View of new fallout shelter signs being mounted at fallout shelters. Forklifts working at Naval Supply Center Oakland in California to arrange supplies for shelters. View of American Legion meeting where former President Harry Truman makes a speech. Former President Eisenhower gives a speech in Connecticut endorsing some candidates. Air Force helicopter flies overhead and then seen landing on White House lawn. Beaches of Cuba. Marches in Cuba. Historic view of soldiers marching beside monument to Battleship Maine in Havana. Crane atop monument as a wing is cut off; scenes of destruction of monument to Battleship Maine in Havana. Fidel Castro and Che Guevara marching into Havana in 1959 with cheering throngs after succeeding in revolt against Batista. Fidel Castro and Soviet leader Khrushchev greeting one another at United Nations in 1961. Soviet deputy premier Anastas Mikoyin greeted by Castro and crowd at Havana airport in 1960. Trade agreement between Cuba and Havana signed. Soviet Russian cargo ships on way to Havana. Cuban refugees in small boats being rescued by U.S. Coast Guard. Views of military specialists examining films of aerial views of suspected missile installations in Cuba. U.S. military mobilization for possible war. Strategic Air Command begins dispersing aircraft to possible needed locations. B-52 Stratofortress aircraft takes off. Badge on plane: "Anywhere. Anytime." Destroyer USS Strong, DD-758, making way in heavy seas. An American Aircraft Carrier underway in the distance. Polaris submarine on surface. Officers of STRAC or Strategic Army Corps seen meeting after being assigned to the new command of U.S. Forces Atlantic. Alerted U.S Army units on training exercise to maintain combat readiness. American Army troops load into rear of transport plane . C-124 Globemaster taking off. Then a C-119 shortly after takeoff flying overhead. Then a MATS C-124 again is seen overhead. 1st Armored division tanks being loaded onto rail for transport from Fort Hood Texas to Fort Stewart Georgia.
U.S. Navy Edsall class destroyer escort USS Peterson (DE-152) is seen nested alongside USS Purvis (DD-709), an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, on the port of the United States Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (GTMO), Cuba. United States sailors (shirtless) over the side are seen painting a ship at the pier. View of the pier. Two sailors in small punt painting water line off port bow of USS Purvis. Sailors painting up on weather dock aboard the USS Purvis. Both USS Peterson and USS Purvis are docked at the pier of the naval station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Sailors perform various routine work aboard ships.
26 July 1953: Cuban political leader Fidel Castro sends his men to the Moncada Barracks manned by the military garrison. His men are massacred and gunned down by the officers. The garrison Colonel Alberto, followed by his men. A crowd surrounds them. Officers with the uniforms of the killed revolutionaries who died in the 26th of July attempt, which becomes the rallying event for the revolution. An officer at a table while others stand around him as he is rewarded the General Star. Officials sign documents. The wounded from the barracks in a military hospital. Officers and officials attend the military honors ceremony for the dead officers and soldiers. Police keep a vigil and search cars on the streets. General Rafael Salas Canizares leads the hunt for conspirators and rebels. The General with other officers pose with the arms found during a search. Buildings bombed and wrecked by rebel saboteurs and guerrillas. Police Officers ocomb the island. Castro surrenders and is tried in 1953 along with his men. 1954: Other revolution fronts operating. A man signs a document surrounded by officials. Students demonstrate on the streets. A wounded on a litter and another on a hospital bed. 1955: Batista signs an appeasement and Castro, his brother Raul Castro, Melba Hernandez, Haydee Santamaria, and Castro's men are released. The brothers are greeted by their sister Lydia. Fidel Castro announces that he will leave the country to organize an invasion. People rejoice on the street.
Che Guevara talks with his fellows. The United Nations office at New York. Brief shot of Fidel Castro greeting Soviet leader Khrushchev in New York City in 1960. Cuban man holds rifle. Cubans receive Red Chinese arms including Chinese submachine guns. Cuban soldiers receiving instruction in use of the submachine gun. Fidel Castro talks with his men. Cuban rebels soldiers on the alert by an Anti Aircraft gun (AA Gun). Cuban soldier traverse AA gun. Cuban women in a line with weapons, including one carrying a sub machine gun with a round ammunition drum mounted beneath it. Fidel Castro speaking.
Scene of sea shore. A star shell falls on ground. A needle on a meter indicate some figures. Ramon Gonzalez Sugo stands at coast and sees a boat going. A boat full of soldiers comes near coast. Soldiers in boat fire with their guns. Soldiers on land fire to answer. A man talks with another. Both go through a passage. Firing going on between American and Cuban sides.