. >> the generals thought that the only real way to get rid of the missiles poted at the united states s to bomb them and follow that up with an invasion. if we had done that, you and i wouldn't be sitting he today. >> reporter: a stroke and partial blindness have not dulled the emotions of ted, about a world on the drink of a nuclear holocaust in october 62. jfk's trust in sorrienson was so high that he asked hi to help bobby kennedy draft a k letter. it was to khrushchev at the most critic point of the first nuear confrontationetween global super powers and it worked. he was just 34. >> during the first year i was a lowly research assistant, but then after one year he asked me to help on the speech. he likedy draft of the speech and afte that, i couldn't get rid of the speech writing job. >> reporter: then, of course, there is the phrase that many quote. >> ask not what your country can do for you. >> ask what you can do for your country. >> reporter: and where did that co from? >> that came from the process of collaborion and the basic feel of kenne's campaign for president. i loved