In his address, McNamara stressed that a strong European-American deterrent force would make “aggression unthinkable,” according to a June 26, 1962 Michigan Daily article. He also suggested that U.S. nuclear strategy should focus its attack on enemy military forces, and not on the civilian population.

“That is to say, principal military objectives, in the event of a nuclear war stemming from a major attack on the NATO Alliance, should be the destruction of the enemy’s military forces, and not of his civilian population,” McNamara said.

McNamara passed away on July 6 in his Washington home at the age of 93.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.