We should have brought in the guys
from the Atomic Energy Commission
and talked this through
Looked at these tests a little harder
before just giving the go-ahead
You know, last summer I read a book
"The Guns of August"
I wish every man on that blockade line
had read that book
It's World War One
There's thirteen million killed
It's all because the militaries
of both alliances believed
that they were so highly
attuned to one another's movements
and dispositions, they could
predict one another's intentions
But all their theories
were based on the last war
And the world
and technology had changed
and those lessons
were no longer valid
But it was all they knew
so the orders went out
couldn't be rescinded
The man in the field, his family
at home, they couldn't even tell
the reasons
why their lives were being destroyed
But why couldn't they stop it?
What could they have done?
Here we are 50 years later
Say one of their ships
resists the inspection
and we shoot out its rudder
and board
They shoot down
one of our planes in response
So we bomb their anti-aircraft sites
in response to that
They attack Berlin
So we invade Cuba
And they fire their missiles
Helen, I want you
to keep the kids close tomorrow
I want you to leave the TV on
I want you to sleep with it on
in the bedroom
until I call you
and tell you can turn it off
What's happened?
Nothing
you don't already know about
Just have the car ready to go
in case I call
or a Civil Defense Warning comes on
What happens to you?
I'm not leaving without you
I'll be evacuated with the President
Great
And while you're under a rock
somewhere with the President
what am I supposed to do
with our five children, Kenny?
Honey
We're not gonna let it come to that
I promise
Jack and Bobby
they're smart guys
You're smart, too
Not like them
Hi, Ken
Helen just asked me what arrangements
we have for the families
I just checked that myselfHelen just asked me what arrangements
we have for the families
I just checked that myself
They're being issued identity cards
And if the call comes
evacuation officers meet them
at pre-arranged departure areas
They go by helicopter to Mount Weather
We meet them there
Course that's for morale
Missiles only take five minutes
to get here
The President
has asked Jackie and the children
to come back from the country
to be with him
You know those pictures upstairs...
of Lincoln?
He looked so old near the end
When we got here, I said
it's not gonna happen to us
We were too young
Why don't you go home tonight?
Go on home
Nah
It's too much trouble to get a car
Ken, we can get you a car
in 15 minutes
No
Go ahead
No
I'll let her sleep
I'll let 'em sleep
It almost seemed today as
if time stood still
The shooting hadn't started yet
but there weren't any
really encouraging signs
that it could be avoided
But worried, alarmed
afraid perhaps even...
the American public nonetheless
appeared determined and resolved
This is Walter Cronkite
Good night
Gentlemen
can you hear me?
Yes, we hear you fine
I've got one minute 'til ten here
The quarantine commences in one minute
And no sign of them stopping
Sir
The quarantine is now in effect
And it looks like our first customers
are the Gagarin and Kimovsk
Chief, I've got something
at zero three zero
XO, take a look at this
New contact, Skipper
What do we got?
A Russian sub
General Quarters!
All hands, man your battle stations
Breaker 231, correlates
to our Submarine at 9, 000 yards
It's protecting the freighters
Bob, is there any way to
avoid stopping the submarine first?
I'm afraid not, Mr. President
The sub has positioned itself between
the Pierce and the Soviet ships
Admiral Anderson insists
it's too much of a risk
to proceed with
stopping the freighters
The Pierce would be
a sitting duck for the sub
Put me through to the Pierce
Yes, sir
Admiral Anderson
the President wishes to speak
directly