Sterling silver plaque calendar by Tiffany & Co. representing the 13 days of the Cuban Missile Crisis, mounted on a walnut base, presented by President John F. Kennedy to the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, General Earle Wheeler, with both sets of initials—"E.G.W., J.F.K."—engraved at the top. Measuring an overall 4.5˝ x 3.75˝ x 1˝, the piece features an October 1962 calendar with the days of the international emergency—October 16th through 28th—emphasized in bold. The sterling silver plaque bears the "Tiffany & Co., Sterling" hallmark in the lower right corner. In fine condition.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, General Earle Wheeler was serving as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army; in that capacity, he played an important, supportive role in preparing U.S. military forces for potential conflict. Wheeler would go on to be the longest-serving Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, overseeing the United States military from 1964 to 1970 during the height of its involvement in the Vietnam War.
Commissioned by JFK to give to his closest advisors following the peaceful conclusion of the Cuban Missile Crisis, this is one of the rarest and most important presidential gifts. President Kennedy is believed to have presented 34 of these calendar paperweights to people in his strategic inner circle: among the recipients were the members of the Executive Committee of the National Security Council (including Vice President Lyndon Johnson, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, and others), close military aides and advisors (including General Chester V. Clifton, General Curtis LeMay, and Admiral George W. Anderson), and key White House staff (including First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Press Secretary Pierre Salinger, and Personal Secretary Evelyn Lincoln). These were the heroic few who, with the world on the brink of nuclear destruction, helped President Kennedy to persevere through the crisis. As an exceedingly rare token of Kennedy's personal gratitude for aid during the Cuban Missile Crisis, this is a truly exquisite, museum-quality piece.
