History Buffs: Thirteen Days

"Communicate with the Soviets? We can't even talk to the Pentagon and they're just across the goddamn river!" Underrated line that always makes me laugh.

The guy who is told by Kenneth O'Donnell that he cannot be shot at-and who later describes the mission as a "cakewalk" - is played by Christopher Lawford- the son of JFK's sister Patricia. Yes, JFK's nephew is in the movie.

I saw this movie for the first time in a High School American History class. My teacher showed it over three or four days and made it a point to stop it and correct what was wrong and what was true as a bigger lesson on the cold war (and how sometimes, history is changed for "entertainment"). That was one of the few classes I really enjoyed in High School.

“At the end of every barrel lay the potential of nuclear conflict” great writing dude, that was an awesome line

My grandmother worked on the U2 program. She still has the letter signed by Kennedy, thanking her for her service.

41:49 The coconut on the desk actually has quite a cool story to it. During WW2, John Kennedy was on a patrol boat which was attacked by a Japanese destroyer. The patrol boat sank and Kennedy, along with 10 other men, swam ashore and hid in the jungle. Kennedy carved his name, location and situation into a coconut and asked a local islander to deliver it to a nearby Australian man. That man was actually a spy who was in contact with the US. The entire party was rescued. Kennedy was saved by the delivery of that coconut. He later received the coconut back from the Australian, had it encased in resin and displayed it on his desk all the way up to his death.

There's one fine irony in this movie that I find is often missed. The actor playing Commander Ecker, the Naval aviator who flew the low level reconnaissance mission over Cuba, is Christopher Lawford. His father was the well known British actor Peter Lawford and his mother was Patricia Kennedy Lawford, one of John F. Kennedy's sisters. So the movie is all about Christopher Lawford's uncle.

It's honestly terrifying just how close we came to an actual nuclear apocalypse.

I've always found it fitting that, by installing that secret taping system, Kennedy managed to defeat Nixon AGAIN, even years after his own death.

I'm glad you mentioned Vasily Arkhipov even though he's not in the movie. The guy is seriously one of the most underrated people in history.

What's most mind-boggling about this story is that it was far from the only near-disaster of this kind during the Cold War. Only the most famous one. - Basically, it's pure luck that decades later we can sit comfortably and watch videos/movies like this instead of fighting for survival in the irradiated ruins of a post-apocalyptic world.

My grandfather was a US Marine during that time and told me stories about being on alert for an invasion incase it was needed. So it’s really cool to learn much more about the whole thing.

I'm descended from Adlai Stevenson's in-laws, and I have great respect for the man. Among other things: When he said "someone in the room needs to be a coward", that's the least cowardly thing he could do. And then he outlines the exact deal that ends up being made. I'm glad they got that part of the story, not just the "don't wait for the translation" classic line.

Although Nick only posts every few months, the quality and entertainment is always brilliant

My late Grandfather was in the air force during this time, he recalled sitting on the runway at Tinker Air Force Base quote “Kennedy had us on standby and to wait for the call from him, and he would meet us in Florida. Then we’d fly into Cuba and build air strips, but thankfully we didn’t have to go in”

My cousin was the commander of one of the destroyers on picket duty off Cuba. Years later, he told me that he had orders not to fire on any Russian ship even if his ship was fired upon. I asked him what happened if his ship was hit? He coldly said his orders specifically ordered him not to defend his ship, even if his ship was sunk.

Every time Nick drops a video, it's like running to into an old friend you don't see often, but you always smile when you do.

I do love channels that value quality over quantity, keep it going, Nick.

Those were scary days for the eleven-year-old me, it was pretty scary times around our household as well because Dad didn't mince words about it, he was an employee at McDonald Douglas Aerospace and had top security clearances. Even bought a gun to defend us. I never saw it but I knew he had it. He sold it soon after that I'm assuming cuz it never appeared in any of his things after he passed away. Our country was dancing on the razor's Edge those days.

My dad was in the Navy at that time, serving aboard a destroyer and was part of the "quarantine". He said it was some of the most stressful times of his 34 year career in the Navy. As a radioman, he would've been one of the first to hear what was being broadcast to his ships, and others, in the blockade.