On October 22, 1962, the president of the United States, John F. Kennedy, delivered an aggressive speech, announcing the beginning of a naval blockade with his warships around the island of Cuba. Thus, the crisis began, named by the Cubans Crisis de Octubre; Crisis of the Caribbean, by the Soviets and Crisis of nuclear missiles or missiles, by the Americans.
On October 22, 1962, the people of Cuba mobilized. At 5 and 40 in the afternoon, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro gave the Combat Alarm. In San Antonio, the militiamen that made up the 164th Battalion occupied their combat position in the Military Unit known as "Vaca Muerta". The Battalion was under the command of First Lieutenant Alejandro Delgado Arias. This unit had 3 infantry companies, 2 machine gunners, Exploration, Communications and Sappers platoons, as well as the Mortar Battery and the Medical Post. The head of the Battalion was established in the San Tranquilino farm, near the Ariguanabo Lagoon; companies and independent platoons were established there as well and in other nearby farms.
For 33 days, the militiamen from Battalion 164 were mobilized. Its mission was to prevent a possible enemy air landing, liquidate the paratroopers and close the way to any force that would advance towards the Air Base. On October 26, it was ordered to open fire on the mercenary planes that crossed the Cuban sky. This did not happen since that day no plane flew over the area. Then it was forbidden to shoot again. Among the works carried out by the militiamen, the construction of engineering works in a large area stood out. During this stage, Battalion 164 published a bulletin called "El Zao", which was in charge of the cartoonist José Luis Posada Medio, where the decision to face the enemy was included.
The Ariguanabense people also supported and prepared themselves before the existing situation. The city was in darkness to avoid any attack. The productive centers and important economic works were protected. After the mobilization, due to the October Crisis the militiamen received a military preparation course that concluded at the end of January 1963. As a celebration the militiamen, members of the Western Army, made a gigantic parade from the Carretera de Alquízar to the Super Milk, where the battalion headquarters was located.
