Last Thursday was a dark anniversary in our nation’s history and it’s an anniversary that sadly is slowly being forgotten, but not here.
On May 4th, 1970 twenty-eight Ohio National Guardsmen opened up fire on unarmed college students protesting the bombing of Cambodia by United States military forces.
They fired off 67 rounds over 13 seconds and killed four students, wounded nine others and one was permanently paralyzed.
None of the students were armed and two that were shot and killed were walking to their classes.
None of the National Guardsmen were charged with a crime and none of them ever apologized to the grieving families.
Here’s a list of who was killed and wounded on that horrific and shameful day in American history. Their names should go down in history but sadly so many people will never know them.
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KILLED
William Knox Schroeder; age 19; Fatal chest wound; died almost an hour later in a local hospital while undergoing surgery.
Allison B. Krause; age 19; Fatal left chest wound; died later that day.
Jeffrey Glenn Miller; age 20; Shot through the mouth; killed instantly.
Sandra Lee Scheuer; age 20; Fatal neck wound; died a few minutes later from loss of blood.
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WOUNDED:
Joseph Lewis, Jr.; Hit twice in the right abdomen and left lower leg.
John R. Cleary; Upper left chest wound.
Thomas Mark Grace; Struck in left ankle.
Alan Michael Canfora; Hit in his right wrist.
Douglas Alan Wrentmore; Hit in his right knee.
James Dennis Russell; Hit in his right thigh from a bullet and in the right forehead by birdshot, both wounds minor.
Robert Follis Stamps; Hit in his right buttock.
Donald Scott MacKenzie; Neck wound.
Dean R. Kahler; Back wound fracturing the vertebrae, permanently paralyzed from the chest down.
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It should be noted that all those who were shot were students in good standing at the university. None of them were, “bums” as that fucking asshole and beady-eyed crook Richard Nixon described the protesters just three days earlier in 1970.
It also should be noted that Nixon resigned in shame four years later to avoid being impeached for his criminal activity in the Watergate scandal. He slunk out of the White House in an historical walk of shame and cowardice.
Below are six links to online articles about this day that truly was the end of the starry-eyed love and hope of the ‘60’s and the start of the age of cynicism and hate that sadly continues on to this day. There’s also a link to a CBS video commemorating the 50th anniversary of this horrible day in American history.
Below that are the MBIP Coming Attractions as to what’s happening on the blog next week.
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Sunday Links
May 4 Chronology - A timeline of the three days leading up to the shootings and the day of the protest and massacre.
Four Kent State Students Killed by Troops - This is the original piece on the Kent State Shootings from the NY Times in 1970. Note the bold-faced lie told by Sylvester Del Corso, Adjutant General of the Ohio National Guard. He said at the time that a sniper had opened fire on the Guard, which was a complete lie, of which he was never reprimanded for. What a fucking asshole.
Personal Remembrances of the Kent State Shootings, 43 Years Later - There’s historical photos and lots of memories in this article from Slate.
The girl in the famous Kent State photo and the lifelong burden of being a national symbol - The story of Mary Ann Vecchio, who was in the center of the most iconic photo from Kent State.
40 Years After Kent State Shooting - This article details what happened to some of the kids who were wounded at the Kent State shooting.
Decades Later, No Justice for Kent State Killings - Allison Krause was just 19-years-old and was one of the four kids killed unjustly by the National Guardsmen. This is a moving article that was written 44 years later by her younger sister who is now the Co-founder and Director of the Kent State Truth Tribunal. It serves as a sad reminder that justice does not always happen in America, the so-called "land of the free.”
Former Kent State students speak out, 50 years after deadly protest - A report about the Kent State shootings and memories from former students that were there on that deadly day.
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MBIP Coming Attractions
Monday: I went to the restaurant formerly known as Waters Edge Winery & Bistro, which has been renamed, Peoria Heights Wine & Bistro and had a lovely Saturday Night Dinner and enjoyed live music by Kirk Wessler!
Tuesday: We’re up to a Spinal Tap number on our grilled cheese tour as we hit week number 11 and sample the Grilled Cheese at Untamed Chef.
Wednesday: All the summer spots are opening up including Ernie’s and I went and had a nice lunch there with my friend, Artie!
Thursday: We’re going on yet another Scott Turley road trip and the destination will be revealed this Thursday, along with photos!
Friday: We’ll be sampling yet another meal from Northwoods Mall, as I continue my mall-walking.
Saturday: We’ll take another trip back in time via yet another Meanwhile, Back In Peoria’s Past post.
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Related Posts: Sunday Links: Joe Friday and Dragnet, The Blues Brothers and Joey Ramone.