Scarce DS as president, one page, 11 x 10.5, no date but circa 1962-63. An award certificate to a Key West radio station for its service during the Cuban Missile Crisis, in full: "For Service of Special Merit, The Government of the United States of America commends the dedicated and patriotic service of radio station—WKWF for its performance during the Cuban crises of October-November 1963. This station voluntarily cancelled its own programs and instead, from dusk to dawn, during this period relayed programs of the Voice of America to Cuba. In so doing, it performed a service of great value to the American people and Government in a time of great crisis. In recognition thereof, this certificate is rendered by a grateful Nation." Signed at the conclusion by President John F. Kennedy, US Information Agency Director Edward R. Murrow, and FCC Chairman Newton N. Minow. Matted and framed to an overall size of 17.5 x 17.5. In very good condition, with creasing, a tear to the upper left blank area, and overall dampstaining to both the document and the mat; Kennedy's bold signature is completely unaffected.
The 'Voice of America' were propaganda radio broadcasts that began during World War II, sent worldwide by the US State Department to advance a western point of view. When Russians jammed broadcasts into Cuba in the early 1960s, FCC Chairman Newton Minow called several commercial radio stations into service to relay the broadcasts on different frequencies. WKWF, located in Key West, Florida, was a natural choice, given its close proximity to the island nation. Speaking with the Chicago Tribune in 2017, Minow related the story behind these certificates: 'The Russians had jammed the initial signal so Kennedy tasked me with finding new signals that would reach the island. And when the crisis was over, the stations wanted to know where they should send the bill. The White House told me there was no money for that. So I said, 'Look, can the president invite some of these guys to lunch?' Everyone got one of these certificates and a kiss goodbye, then went home happy.' In addition to the noteworthy signatures of President Kennedy and Newton Minow, the award also boasts the autograph of Edward R. Murrow, perhaps the most famous American war correspondent and broadcast journalist of the mid-20th century. A rare style of document from Kennedy's presidency, closely associated with his historic leadership as the world teetered on the brink of nuclear war.
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