Oct. 18, 1962 - The United States has quietly shifted a Navy squadron of 12 jet fighters to the southern tip of Florida to counter the military buildup in Cuba. A Pentagon spokesman confirmed today that the squadron was transferred early this month. He insisted that there was “no reason to get excited about it.” He explained that it was an “ordinary thing to do” in view of reports that Cuba had acquired at least two dozen Soviet MIG jets. He said the shift of the Navy fighters was intended as a reminder to Premier Fidel Castro, as well as to the people of the U.S., that the Administration was aware of the military implications of the Cuban situation.
