An interactive experience of the exhibit Cold War: Soviets, Spies and Secrets is using a vintage spy-camera to closely examine top-secret classified documents.
Imagine you are the President of the United States and your National Security Advisor delivers an urgent memo with the heading “TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE/EYES ONLY.” What would your next steps be knowing that your every decision could lead the country to the precipice of nuclear confrontation?
President Nixon describes this exact situation during the Cold War in his memoirs, RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon:
On Friday, September 18, while I was waiting for Golda Meir to arrive for her meeting in the Oval Office, I received an urgent memo from Kissinger. It was headed ‘TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE/EYES ONLY.’ “Analysis of reconnaissance flight photography over Cuba has this morning confirmed the construction of a probable submarine deployment base in Cienfuegos Bay.’ If the intelligence was correct, it meant that the Soviets were building a nuclear submarine base on Cuba.
Through what President Nixon referred to as “strong but quiet diplomacy” crisis was averted in 1970 and the Soviet Union abandoned plans to build a submarine base in Cuba.
Give your own quick-thinking, under-pressure decision-making skills a test to see if you’ve got what it takes to avoid a nuclear crisis.
Cold War: Soviets, Spies and Secrets is included with admission to the Nixon Library. The Nixon Library is open seven days a week from 10 AM to 5 PM.
Nixon Library admission is $25 for adults, $21 for seniors, $19 for high school and college students, $19 for retired military, active military are free, children 5-11 for $15 and children 4 and under are free.
Nixon Foundation Members enjoy complimentary admission to the exhibit as part of their membership benefits.
