Quote Originally Posted by Edwina's Secretary View Post

I was a very young child when these things happened (although I do remember the drills) and I really, really doubt the fear of Cuba ever existed (it is a poor poor small country) or that the memories of huddling under our school desks because of the missile crisis is what is driving any behavior today. A takeover of the US government was never a part of the equation.
Unfortunately, I remember this all too well. My ex was a Marine stationed at Pendleton and we were newlyweds. I arrived at Pendleton on a Friday morning, and since base housing would not be available for a couple of weeks, we were staying at the Hostess House on base. On Saturday, hubby's brother drove up from San Diego (he was stationed there in the Navy) and drove us down there to stay with him and his family for the weekend (we had no car). When we got back on Sunday night, there was a note on our room door for hubby to report to his c.o. - he was being shipped out to Cuba on Monday morning. Fortunately hubby always had a way with words, and when he explained the situation that he and I were in, he got out of going. I was frantic - imagining I was going to be a widow before I had a chance to be a wife. When we did get housing - it was very strange indeed. It was like a community devoid of men - you basically saw just women and children (and an occasional man) - since the rest had shipped out.
So were we afraid of Cuba?? - I doubt it. But were we afraid of Cuba's leader and what he was capable of?? - you bet. We could have faced annihilation at his hands, so there wouldn't have been any government left to take over.