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62 years ago this month, I looked out our kitchen window in Calgary and saw our neighbor using a backhoe and digging a hole in his yard. He had just witnessed Russia and America clash in the Cuban Missile Crisis and was certain that atomic war was about to begin. This deep hole eventually became a homemade bomb shelter.

I never forgot the image. The world I remember, at the age of 12, was on edge. The air was thick with tension, as the chessboard of international intrigue between the superpowers frightened everyone. The Soviet Union already had missiles in Cuba aimed at the American mainland, and faced with the threat of sending more, President John F. Kennedy declared that enough was enough.

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It was terrifying, because one miscalculation, one panic could start a fire that could consume the entire world. Yet one Soviet officer, whose act of defiance is rarely mentioned, probably saved the world.

Aware that more tactical nuclear weapons were on their way to Cuba from the Soviet Union, Kennedy ordered a quarantine zone around the island and reminded his enemy that any ship that violated the border would be sunk. At the height of the crisis, American destroyers began dropping depth charges on submarines that were gradually approaching the border.

Years later, it was revealed that the interior temperature of these submarines was 140 degrees (60 degrees C) and that CO2 levels were so high that Soviet sailors passed out. Some were on the verge of death. Most importantly, the ships couldn’t communicate with anyone and had no way of knowing what was happening above.

The Americans did not know that Russian submarines were equipped with nuclear-tipped torpedoes. Impatient and frustrated, a Russian commander shouted, “Look, we’re at war. Let’s defend our dignity, and instead of being murdered here, let’s fire the torpedoes. » Had he followed through, military experts say there would have been a full-scale nuclear war.

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For this commander to launch his weapons, he needed the approval of his two subordinate officers. We consented immediately. The second, Vassily Arkhipov, in whose hands the fate of the world suddenly rested, did not do so. It was the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster, but it was real.

It is difficult to imagine the pressure Arkhipov endured as he resisted the Soviet military machine. He faced his commander and told him he would not give permission, claiming it was illegal to do so. Frustrated, his commander turned on his heel and walked away.

At the same time, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff were raising military readiness to DEFCON 2, the only time this has ever been imposed. It was what historian Arthur Schlesinger called “the most dangerous moment in history.” If Arkhipov had been aboard another submarine or had agreed with his commander, it is likely that none of us would be here to reflect on this dramatic story. This is how close we came to disaster.

My neighbor in Calgary was right to use his backhoe that day. Without the actions of a courageous Soviet officer, the world would have caught fire. Reviewing Arkhipov’s actions that day in a March 2016 column, National Geographic titled the article: “You (and almost everyone you know) owe your life to this man.” »

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We thought the events were very dangerous then, but recently published historical documents reveal that they were much more fragile than any of us might have thought. In retrospect, this serves as a valuable lesson in the power of an individual to make a meaningful contribution to the human journey when thrust into crises for which they are not responsible. Or as Shakespeare says: “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” »

Arkhipov’s actions 62 years ago this month are a reminder of the stakes of those secretive, shrouded days, and a testament to the determination of the human spirit to survive when courage is necessary.

Glen Pearson is co-director of the London Food Bank and former Liberal MP for London North Centre.
[email protected]

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