October 19, 1962

• President Kennedy meets with Robert McNamara, the secretary of defence as well as members of  the Joint Chiefs of Staff, before leaving on a scheduled campaign trip. In this meeting, the Joint Chiefs chairman, General Maxwell Taylor explains that the joint Chiefs of Staff initially agreed on military action (air strike) along with the blockade. However they are increasingly concerned about the political impact on American alliances, admitting that the destruction of all of the missile sites could not be guaranteed.
• In the meeting with the Joint Chiefs, Kennedy decides that a an Air strike would give the USSR "a clear line" to take Berlin, the way they took Hungary after the 1956 Suez invasion. For Kennedy, the problem is not just Cuba, but also Berlin, he is distressed that having to fire nuclear weapons appears to be the the alternative to an air strike. However several members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff argue in favour of military action expressing their fears that a blockade alone is a weak response that could lead to nuclear blackmail. 

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