- “The time that was available to the President and his advisers to work secretly, quietly, privately, developing a course of action and recommendations for the President, was essential.” (p. 89)
Lesson: Take time to plan; don’t go with your first impulse.
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- “I believe our deliberations proved conclusively how important it is that the President have the recommendations and opinions of more than one individual.” (p. 89)
Lesson: The president should be exposed to a variety of opinions.
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- “During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the President not only received information from all the significant departments, but went to considerable lengths to ensure that he was not insulated from individuals or points of view because of rank or position.” (p. 94)
Lesson: Crises requires people with solid knowledge of situation and adversary, regardless of “rank or position.”
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- “[JFK] was distressed that the representatives with whom he met…seemed to give so little consideration to the implications of steps they suggested. They seemed always to assume that if the Russians and the Cubans would not respond or, if they did, that a war was in our national interest….President Kennedy was disturbed by this inability to look beyond the military field.” (p. 97)
Lesson: Retain civilian control of politico-military decisions and beware of the limited outlook of the military.
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- “It also showed how important it was to be respected around the world, how vital it was to have allies and friends….It was the vote of the Organization of American States that gave legal basis for the quarantine.” (p. 98-99)
Lesson: Pay close attention to world opinion; ensure strong support of your allies and friends in crisis.
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- “President Kennedy dedicated himself to making it clear to Khrushchev by word and deed…that the U.S. had no interest in…adversely affecting the national security of the Soviet Union or…humiliating her.” (p. 104)
Lesson: Don’t humiliate your opponent- leave them a way out.
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- “There was always the chance of error, of mistake, miscalculation, or misunderstanding…President Kennedy was committed to doing everything possible to lessen that chance on our side.” (p. 105)
Lesson: Beware of inadvertence—the Guns of August scenario.
Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis (New York: WW Norton & Company, 1969).
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