After successfully avoiding war during the Cuban Missile Crisis, do we know what the supporters of first strike thought later in life? Curtis LeMay is of particular interest.

by black_floyd

I've read multiple accounts of what happened during the course of the crisis, but wonder whether they felt any humility or self-doubt upon the safe conclusion of the crisis.

Prophet_Muhammad_phd

According to McNamara's memory when discussing the CMC in Fog Of War, LeMay felt it was a huge mistake in not invading Cuban. In the film's transcript, McNamara states the following

In a sense, we'd won. We got the missiles out without war. My deputy and I brought the five Chiefs over and we sat down with Kennedy. And he said, "Gentlemen, we won. I don't want you ever to say it, but you know we won, I know we won."

And LeMay said, "Won? Hell, we lost. We should go in and wipe 'em out today."

LeMay believed that ultimately we're going to confront these people in a conflict with nuclear weapons. And, by God, we better do it when we have greater superiority than we will have in the future.

LeMay was a hardliner when it came to using force to solve issues so I don't think LeMay liked compromising with the enemy. I hope this helps shed light on LeMay's feelings towards the CMC outcome.

*Source of Fog Of War's transcript.