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thedrifter
04-08-09, 08:10 AM
Wednesday, Apr. 08, 2009
Jim Sabin served during Cuban Missile Crisis

(In the coming weeks, the Chowchilla News, in cooperation with Richard Corbett Brown Post 9896 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, will be featuring articles about local veterans who served their country during times of armed conflict in Korea, the Formosa Straits, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Dominican Republic, and Vietnam. We think you will find the stories interesting and informative.)

James "Jim" A. Sabin graduated from Huntington Beach High School in 1958. Three years later he was on the front lines of a potential nuclear war with the Soviet Union.

After Navy Boot Camp at San Diego, he was sent to Norman, Oklahoma, for training at the Aviation Fundamental School. Upon completion of training he was designated as an Aviation Mechanic (Air Frames).

From Oklahoma, he was sent to the Naval Air Station (NAS) at Corpus Christi, Texas, where he served for 26-months in the operations section. His next duty assignment was at NAS Guantanomo Bay, Cuba, known as "Gitmo." At that time Jim joined his unit, the Soviet Union and Cuba had entered into a close alliance. Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev was unimpressed with the young president of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and began secretly installing Soviet missile sites in Cuba. The missiles were capable of hitting targets across the United States.

The U.S. discovered the missile sites after flyovers of high-altitude U-2 photo-reconnaissance planes. The discovery let do a demand by the U.S. that the missile sites be deactivated. When the Soviet Union ignored the U.S. demand, President Kennedy imposed a naval blockade of Cuba preventing more sips with Soviet missiles and military equipment from reaching Cuba. Jim Sabin and the sailors and Marines at Naval Air Station Guantanomo Bay were on the front lines. The Navy sent battle groups into the area and the Army and Marines prepared to send airborne and amphibious units into Cuba. A tense stand-off between the United States and the Soviet Union took place, and the threat of nuclear war was very real. With the whole world bracing for the unthinkable, Russian Premier Khrushchev blinked first and turned the Soviet ships around and agreed to dismantle the missile sites in Cuba.

Jim served as NAS Guantanomo Bay for 14-months from 1961 to 1962. For his service he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.

After returning to civilian life, Jim attended junior college and worked as a salesman for a soft drink company for a number of years. During this time he received a higher calling and became involved in the ministry. In 1981 he became Pastor of the Cathedral of Faith in Chowchilla and has been involved in the ministry for 37 years. He became a Funeral Director for the Worden Funeral Chapel in 1992, serving the the needs of families at times of great sorrow with great sorrow with sincere compassion.

Jim and his wife, Sandra have two children and four grandchildren. He is a member of the First Assembly of God Church and a Life Member of the Chowchilla Post 8896 of the Veterans of foreign Wars where he serves as Post Chaplain.

Ellie