Andrew Davis> Standing in the middle of Greenville's Cleveland Park, this F-86 fighter jet serves as a testament to a Cold War hero from South Carolina.

Rod Andrew> I would hope that people would take away two things, and first is to remember the sacrifice of Rudy Anderson, who did everything his country asked him to do up to and including risking and giving his own life.

Rudy Anderson was not only widely recognized as an excellent pilot, but everyone saw him as an excellent father, a good husband, and just a good man.

Davis> After the end of World War II, a massive geopolitical rivalry developed which plunged the globe into decades of fear and uncertainty.

This period from 1947 to 1991 was known as the Cold War.

East versus West.

Although no direct, full-scale engagements between the United States and the Soviet Union ever occurred, there were incidents which brought the superpowers near the brink of nuclear annihilation.

The noble sacrifice of one man, a South Carolinian, helped bring an end to what is widely considered the most dangerous incident of the Cold War: The Cuban Missile Crisis.

My name is Andrew Davis, and I am your host in this episode of Curiosity Trek!.

Today's trip takes us to Cleveland Park, located in Greenville, South Carolina.

This memorial is dedicated in honor of the only combat casualty of the Cuban Missile Crisis: United States Air Force Major Rudolph Anderson, Clemson University Professor Rod Andrew joins us to expound on Major Anderson's story.

Rod Andrew> My name is Rod Andrew I'm a professor of history at Clemson University.

Davis> Hey Rod, thank you for joining us to elucidate on the incredible true story of this Cold War hero.

Andrew> Certainly.

I'm honored to do this.

Davis> Now, who was Rudolf Anderson?

Andrew> Rudy Anderson was born in Spartanburg.

He grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and he was basically the All-American kid.

He was a good student.

He was an Eagle Scout.

He was very active in his church.

And he was the manager for his football team when Greenville High School won the state championship in 1943.

He graduated in 1944 and then went on to attend Clemson College from 1944 to 1948.

He was also an Air Force ROTC and he would have been one of the first cadets in Air Force ROTC.

It was a new program because the U.S.

Air Force itself did not become an official separate branch of the military until 1947.

Davis> In June 1950, the U.S.

entered the Korean War to help South Korea repel the invasion by communist North Korea.

It was in this conflict where Anderson earned his wings and put him on the radar to later become the pilot of a Lockheed U-2 Spy Plane.

Andrew> He was assigned to a tactical reconnaissance squadron with RF-86 Sabre aircraft, and their job was to fly over North Korea and over parts of Russia and China, and very sensitive and secretive reconnaissance missions to gather intelligence.

It was dangerous work, but Rudy quickly achieved a reputation as being an excellent pilot, and by the time his Korea tour was over, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

The U-2 Spy Plane was developed to meet the need for a very high altitude reconnaissance plane that could gather military intelligence.

from the Soviet Union and Soviet bloc countries.

The program was started in 1954.

The U-2 was designed somewhat like a glider.

It was very light construction.

It had a very wide wingspan to give it the lift that it needed to fly at altitudes of over 70,000 ft, where the atmosphere was less dense.

The CIA had its first U-2 flight over Soviet occupied territory in 1956 but the Air Force did not get its first U-2 aircraft until 1957 and it was shortly after that that Rudy Anderson was assigned to the program to begin training on the U-2.

Davis> World War III nearly broke out between the U.S.

and the Soviet Union in October 1962, and it almost started in a little island nation just a mere 90 miles off the coast of Florida: Cuba.

It turned out the Soviets were stockpiling nuclear warheads in Cuba.

A little too close for comfort for the U.S.. The sacrifice of Major Anderson helped defuse the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Andrew> In the early 1960s, which was the period in which, of course Rudy Anderson lost his life.

The Cold War was at its hottest phase.

And in other words, it was at the phase when it seemed most likely that a direct shooting war may break out between the U.S.

and Soviet Union, which could quickly lead to a Third World War.

Davis> Now, why did the Soviet Union start stockpiling nuclear warheads in Cuba in the first place?

Andrew> There were several reasons why the Soviets wanted to put intermediate range missiles in Cuba: one of them was to offset the fact that we had missiles in Turkey and the United Kingdom that could reach Moscow.

They also wanted to use them as a bargaining chip that would hopefully force us to accept a Soviet takeover of West Berlin.

The Democratic portion of Berlin that they were very keen on accomplishing.

They also wanted to show support for Cuba and their dictator, Fidel Castro, who badly wanted missiles in Cuba to point at the U.S.. And finally, Khrushchev made a cynical calculation that Kennedy was weak and irresolute, and that he could take advantage of that.

Operation Brass Knob was essentially the orders directly from the White House to have the Air Force take over from the CIA and resume U-2 reconnaissance flights over Cuba, because of the suspicion that intermediate range ballistic missiles were being set up in Cuba.

The CIA calculated that there was a 1 in 6 chance that an American pilot would be shot down at some point in Operation Brass Knob.

This was never briefed to the pilots themselves but of course they understood the risks.

The threat to the U-2 was not from enemy fighter aircraft because of the very high altitude at which it flew.

The risk was from surface to air missiles.

Major Anderson took off on Saturday morning, October 27th.

At that point, the Cuban Missile Crisis was about 11 days old and it was reaching a very intense stage.

The Cuban radar had picked him up and there was a Soviet general on the scene who realized that Anderson must have been gathering photographs and assumed that he was headed back to his base in Florida.

On his own initiative he gave the order and two surface to air missiles were fired.

The shrapnel from at least one of them penetrated Rudy Anderson's aircraft and his pressurized flight suit which probably killed him instantly.

Davis> Major Anderson's death brought Kennedy and Khrushchev to the table, and nuclear annihilation was thankfully prevented.

In honor of Anderson's sacrifice during the Cuban Missile Crisis, he is immortalized with this memorial in Greenville's Cleveland Park.

Andrew> When Rudy Anderson was killed, both sides immediately recognized that a new, very dangerous tipping point had just been reached.

Within President Kennedy's inner circle for example, there were many people who demanded retaliation.

Pres.

Kennedy held off on that but there was a consensus that if a deal wasn't reached soon, that the U.S.

would have to retaliate.

And Premier Khrushchev for his part immediately recognized now that an American pilot had been killed by a Soviet missile that things were spinning out of control.

And so he was more eager to negotiate an end to the conflict as well.

And as a matter of fact, within hours of both sides learning that Anderson had been killed Kennedy and Khrushchev reached the basic outlines of a deal.

Officially, the crisis would continue for another two days.

There would be some more tense moments.

But it's a pretty broad consensus among historians and among contemporaries that Rudy Anderson's death was the critical event leading to a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

Davis> Now, what can you tell us about this specific monument dedicated to Major Anderson?

Andrew> Well this monument was dedicated in May of 1963, so less than seven months after Rudy Anderson's death.

And the mayor of the city and Anderson's father walked through Cleveland Park here and specifically selected this site.

You can see that this is an F-86 Sabre, not a U-2.

The F-86 Sabre had just recently been retired from active service, and of course, the U-2 had not.

So no U-2's were available.

But the F-86 was Rudy Anderson's favorite aircraft to fly so it is appropriate.

And you can see this downward angle of the plane here that is said to represent a pilot who is coming home.

Davis> Prof.

Andrew hopes that visitors to Cleveland Park won't just pass this monument by, but will take a few moments to honor Rudolf Anderson by reading his story on the placards around the aircraft.

Andrew> People with deep roots in Greenville certainly remember Anderson and his family and also have heard the stories passed down.

He really is a part of the community's history.

I would hope that people would take away two things: first is to remember the sacrifice of one individual: Rudy Anderson, who did everything his country asked him to do up to and including risking and giving his own life.

At the same time, though, I think Rudy Anderson's story is a reminder of the many thousands of people who manned the front lines, if you will, of the Cold War.

You know, even in times of peace, supposedly, and did everything they were asked to do, and many of them risked and gave their lives, even though we were supposedly, at peace.

And they did so in the defense of freedom against tyranny and for the preservation of peace.

Davis> Well, Rod, thank you for taking the time to join us in telling the incredible true story of Major Anderson.

Andrew> Well, it was an honor to be able to do this.

Davis> I personally love stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and Rudolf Anderson's tale is no exception.

It's incredible to think that the noble sacrifice of a South Carolinian helped prevent an even larger global catastrophe.

If you are able to, I highly encourage a trip up to Cleveland Park to pay homage to this brave South Carolinian.

I'm Andrew Davis.

Thanks for joining me on this tribute to Major Anderson, and I hope to see you on the next episode of Curiosity Trek!.