During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the United States first learned that Russia was moving nuclear tipped missiles to Cuba by the U2 photo reconaissance plane. The U2 flew at very high altitudes and made the first discovery of the missiles. However, there was a need for closer to the ground photographs to determine with more detail the nature of this threat. This required the supersonic RF-8's capabilities.
VFP-62 flew missions over Cuba and provided the photographic evidence President Kennedy needed to confront and evenutally eliminate the threat. VFP-62 RF-8s also flew photo missions over Russian ships coming towards Cuba to determine the nature of their cargo. When Russia decided to pull out the missiles, RF-8s followed the ships back to Russia. The RF-8s flew low and fast and none were shot down.
Crusader overflights of Cuba began on 23 October 1962, under the code name "Blue Moon". Flights of RF-8As from Navy reconnaissance squadron VFP-62, operating in several pairs of aircraft with each pair assigned a different target, left Naval Air Station (NAS) Key West twice each day, to streak in over Cuba at low level, then return to NAS Jacksonville, where the film was offloaded and developed, to be rushed north to the Pentagon. Four Marine pilots were temporarily assigned to VFP-62 for the missions.
VFP-62 pilots received the Distinguished Flying Cross
(Nov. 29, 1962):
[ch9702]CDR. W. B. Ecker
[ch9702]LCDR. J. A. Kauflin
[ch9702]LCDR. T. T. Riley
[ch9702]LCDR. A. R. Day
[ch9702]LCDR. W. N. Kelt
[ch9702]LCDR. E. M. Feeks
[ch9702]LT. G. L. Coffee
[ch9702]LT. C. B. Wilhelmy
[ch9702]LT. J. J. Hewitt, Jr.
[ch9702]LT. W. L. Taylor
[ch9702]LT. R. W. Chance
[ch9702]LTJG. T. V. Hallcom
Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon (March 25, 1963):
[ch9702]Entire VFP-62 squadron
[ch9702]Navy Commendation Medal CDR R. A. Koch
Read more here:
http://www.vfp62.com/cuban.html
get it here:
http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/syb.c ... usader.zip
