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Cuban Missile Crisis threatens World War III.

I can't believe it was January, because the weather was so warm. At that time we had an Olds 98 convertible, a 1962 model, so it was new, and we had been to a drive-in theatre on 17-92 in Winter Park,FL to see a movie. The top was down. Both the chilren were in the back seat, and Cathy at age 2 was probably sleeping.

As we neared our home on Joanne Drive, just six miles north of McCoy Air Force Base, (which today is the site of Orlando International Airport) we started noticing many planes headed south. We sat in the driveway watching, and wandering what was going on. We must have sat there a half hour, and it seemed that a hundred planes passed overhead: bombers and fighters.

When we finally got out of the car, unlocked the front door and entered our living room my feet sank into water (we had practically new carpeting on the floor). I left George sitting in his wheelchair just inside the door, took Cathy to her bed, and as I passed the girls bathroom I could hear the toilet running. Someone had flushed just before we left, and all the time we had been at the movie and sat in the yard, water was filling our house. There was little I could do about it that night, so we went to bed. Next day I took a board and pushed water out the front door as long as I could. Then we knew the carpet and pad had to come out. Mr Spears and sons next door came over and helped me get the carpet out of the whole house, so it could dry out. (Good thing that it was so warm, we could open door and windows. ) That house was built on a concrete slab, with terrazo floors, so we just went back to the terrazo.. and as I recall, never recarpeted.although we lived there another three years.

Of course the news was full of the missle crisis situation, and Floridians were fearful of invasion! At school we taught the children to duck under their desks and cover the back of their neck with one arm. I have no idea why. I was teaching sixth grade at Englewood Elementary School, and had one of the best classes I ever had. In fact i think it was probably Carol's favorite grade school year, also. I believe she was in fourth grade and had a wonderful teacher at Conway.

Many people started building bomb shelters, putting all their money into gold, or silver, stocking up on staples, such as flour and sugar and coffee. It was a real scare.

President Kennedy's finest hour was probably when he called the bluff of Kruschev, and finally we heard that the missiles were being moved away from Cuba. On our black and white screen we watched the Russian ships as they carried away huge missles.

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