A Parallel Experience During the Cuban Missile Crisis

In today’s world, we constantly hear about the prospect of nuclear attacks.  The nuclear programs of North Korea and Iran are always talked about on the news and the potential for war is higher than ever.  While we don’t live in perpetual fear, the possibility of a nuclear bomb being launched at the United States is at the back of our minds. 

Only two nuclear bombs have ever been used.  During World War II, the United States dropped these bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, effectively ending the war.  The damage to the people and the cities themselves was catastrophic. 

While nuclear weapons have not been used since, there have been many tense periods in history in which the threat of a nuclear attack strongly existed.  None of these were scarier than the Cuban Missile Crisis.  For thirteen days in October of 1962, the Soviet Union had nuclear missiles positioned on the island of Cuba, aimed at the United States.  Citizens of the US and Cuba were terrified that a nuclear war might start between the two countries and the Soviet Union, culminating in the death of millions of people.

Living through the Cuban Missile Crisis was stressful enough, but it was even more so for Rita Kalish and Georgina Pallerols Thompson.  Rita went into labor on October 27, 1962, and gave birth to her daughter Janet one day later, the last day of the Crisis.  Georgina gave birth to her daughter Alicia one day later.  Coincidentally, Janet and Alicia met at Hamilton College and remain close friends to this day.  Rita and Georgina met and their daughters’ graduation, and spoke about their similar circumstances 21 years earlier that occurred 1500 miles apart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVCIX4iwLQQ&feature=youtu.be