President John F. Kennedy not only presented to the public, on October 22, 1962, the discovery of missile installations by Russia on the island of Cuba but also placed the American Armed Forces around the world on alert.
On the Home Front
This blockade, referred to as a Quarantine for legal purposes, meant that immediately United States naval ships began steaming in force towards Cuba. It also created one other situation. It was a situation, within my experience, of extreme disgruntle among the ranks of enlisted military personnel that I served with.