This is a story of how a missile attack from Russia on the United States was called off on the very day Srila Prabhupada arrived in America. This is an excerpt from the tribute to Srila Prabhupada from Palaka dasa in the recent Tributes book.
This story was told by one Russian devotee, whose uncle was a Soviet Army officer. In 1965 there was a cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union. At some point it was going to become a real war. Ballistic missiles were ready from both sides to attack. Everything was set up – which missile flies to which part of the United States. For each missile a separate red button. This devotee’s uncle said they had been told that the war would start 99.99% for sure.
They were ready, sitting at the control, not sleeping for 24 hours. His hair became white that night. Finally, they got an order – the missile launch was cancelled. It was a great relief!!!
Later, his nephew became a devotee and gave him a Prabhupāda biography book. He started reading it and at one moment called his devotee nephew in great excitement. He said he remembered that day at the missile controls very vividly. And that just now in the Prabhupāda biography book, he read that the very day the missile launch was canceled in 1965 was the exact same day Śrīla Prabhupāda first stepped on the land of the United States of America!!
