I worked in CIC on a minesweeper during the Cuban Blockade in Oct '62, sonar, radar, crypto.
Our job was to identify and take pics of the Russkie freighters running through the Windward Passage enroute to Havana.
It was really quiet on those hours on watch. Not the usual banter. The comm traffic was non stop.

I never was a big fan of JFK or the family, but as far as I'm concerned he did everything right on those 13 days.

BZ