Sound recording
White House Audio Collection
JFKWHA-045
Sound recording of President John F. Kennedy’s address to the American public regarding the impending possibility of war between the United States and the Soviet Union over the crisis in Berlin, Germany. In his speech the President discusses the Soviet Union’s attempts to cut off American access to West Berlin, thus making it impossible to secure freedom from communism for the people of Berlin. President Kennedy also discusses the imminent threat of nuclear war and his plan to increase funding and manpower for the military, provide appropriate communications for air raid warnings, and ensure that all Americans have access to fall-out shelters in the event of a nuclear holocaust. The recording contains some distortion.