7. American credibility with the world became a casualty of the Cold War in 1960
U-2 pilots overflying the Soviet Union were officially civilians, employed by the CIA, and known to the agency as “drivers”. Most were former Air Force or Navy pilots, who resigned their commissions with the understanding they could return to the service later without loss of rank or seniority. The CIA believed, with a high degree of certainty, that pilots shot down on U-2 missions would not survive, and so informed the President. Without links to the US military, and in the event of the loss of the pilot, US denial could continue, even if a U-2 crashed or was shot down over Soviet territory. Then on May 1, 1960, a U-2 flown by Francis Gary Powers was shot down with a surface-to-air missile (SAM). Powers committed the heinous act of ejecting from his stricken airplane, and surviving to be captured by the Soviets.
On May 3, the US predecessor to NASA announced one of its high-altitude weather observation aircraft was missing. The Soviets kept quiet about having the wreckage of the aircraft, and its pilot, hale and hearty. After the United States expanded on the story of the missing airplane Khrushchev announced the airplane had been shot down, the pilot captured, and he had admitted his mission had been one of spying on the Soviet Union. Eisenhower, then in Paris for a summit with Khrushchev and other international leaders, was revealed to have been lying about the U-2 flights. The summit was canceled after Khrushchev revealed his evidence and demanded an American apology. Ike refused and left Paris, humiliated. American credibility among the international community dropped nearly as far as had the U-2. The United States moved toward developing advanced spy satellites.
