Vasily Arkhipov

Vasily Aleksandrovich Arkhipov was born 30 January 1926 and rose to vice admiral in the Soviet Navy. In October 1962, he served as executive officer aboard submarine B-59 during the Cuban Missile Crisis, when U.S. destroyers dropped stun grenades near the vessel. The captain and political officer, believing war had started, prepared to fire a nuclear torpedo at American ships — but launch required unanimous agreement among all three senior officers, and Arkhipov refused. He became rear admiral in 1975 and head of the Kirov Naval Academy, then vice admiral in 1981 before retiring mid-decade. He…