-
>> Good evening, my
fellow Americans.
-
Ten days ago, in my report
-
to the nation on Vietnam,
-
I announced the decision
-
to withdraw an
additional 150,000
-
Americans from Vietnam
over the next year.
-
I said then that
-
I was making that
decision despite
-
our concern over
increased enemy activity
-
in Laos in Cambodia
and in South Vietnam.
-
North Vietnam
has increased
-
its military aggression in
-
all these areas and
particularly in Cambodia.
-
Tonight, American
and South Vietnamese
-
units will attack
-
the headquarters
for the entire
-
communist military
operation in South Vietnam.
-
This is not an
invasion of Cambodia.
-
Our purpose is not
to occupy areas.
-
Once enemy forces are
-
driven out of these
sanctuaries and once
-
their military
supplies are
-
destroyed, we
will withdraw.
-
>> We've seen here at
-
the city of Kent,
especially, probably
-
the most vicious form
-
of campus-oriented
violence yet
-
perpetrated by
dissident groups
-
and their allies in
the state of Ohio.
-
For this reason, most of
-
the dissident groups have
-
operated within
the campus.
-
This has moved over
-
where they have threatened
and intimidated
-
merchants and people
of this community.
-
They only have one
thing in mind,
-
that is to destroy higher
education in Ohio.
-
They're worse than
the brown shirt
-
and the communist element,
-
and also the night
-
riders and the
vigilantes are
-
the worst type of
-
people that we
harbor in America.
-
I want to say
that they're not
-
going to take
over a campus.
-
And the campus
now is going to
-
be part of the county
and the state of Ohio.
-
There's no sanctuaries
for these people.
-
We are going to
eradicate the problem.
-
We're not going to
treat the symptoms.
-
And as long as
this continues,
-
higher education in
Ohio is in jeopardy.
-
>> In May of 1970,
-
I was a graphic
design major at Kent.
-
I was a second-year
senior already.
-
And I had my camera,
-
I had black and white film
-
loaded in the camera,
-
had actually been
working on a cartoon
-
for the stator that
-
morning about
how Campus Day,
-
which was coming up
-
the next weekend, was
probably going to be a
-
little bit different
because of
-
all the National
Guard on campus.
-
>> Well, I was a
junior in May of 1970.
-
I was a student
at Kent State.
-
During the
shootings, I was
-
actually on my way
-
to class from
a lunch break.
-
I had attended the
rally on Friday and had
-
every intention of
attending the rally
-
on Monday because there
was a continuation.
-
>> I was a
freshman student.
-
I attended the
demonstration.
-
I knew to attend
-
the demonstration
because I had been at
-
the demonstration
on Friday
-
that called for the
rally on Monday.
-
>> After my morning class
-
had finished at 11:50 AM,
-
I was making my
way to the Commons
-
because I had
been on campus
-
the previous Friday
when there was
-
a call to meet again on
-
the Commons on Monday
at noon to discuss
-
participating in a
national student strike.
-
So that was why I was
heading the Commons.
-
When I arrived
there, of course,
-
the National Guard
was there based on
-
all the things
that had occurred
-
the previous couple days.
-
>> On May 4th,
-
I was sitting in
a finance class.
-
And the finance professor,
-
I remember raising
my hand and saying
-
with all the stuff that's
going on on campus,
-
it was right at 12
o'clock, by the way,
-
would you mind
postponing our midterm,
-
which was scheduled
for the next day.
-
And he said, "I don't
care what happens.
-
We're going to have
that midterm tomorrow.
-
You guys need to
buckle down to get
-
out of the stuff that's
-
going on around;
you ignore it,
-
and pay attention
-
and think about why you're
here in the first."
-
>> I went out to
-
the rally about noon
as a faculty marshal.
-
Just as I got
to Taylor Hall,
-
the National Guard Jeep
-
drove out and said,
"You must leave.
-
This rally is illegal."
-
I said to my friend
Norman Duffy,
-
let's go down and
talk to the students,
-
convince them.
-
I wanted them to leave
-
because we were
worried about
-
the bayonets
on the rifles.
-
We had no
inclination that the
-
guns were loaded,
-
which, of course,
they were.
-
And as we were beginning
-
to walk down the hill
from Taylor Hall
-
to where the
activists were,
-
the National Guard
-
started coming
across the Commons
-
and began to tear gas the
-
demonstrators and
the observers,
-
and the faculty marshals.
-
>> I heard the
bell outside by
-
the Commons and picked
up my camera and
-
went out and saw the group
-
forming the victory bell
-
and the National Guard
troops forming up
-
around the remains of
the ROTC building,
-
captured parts of the
tear gas being lobbed at
-
the students and
the students
-
throwing the tear
gas canisters back.
-
>> When the guardsmen
-
advanced toward
the crowd at
-
the victory bell after
-
throwing tear gas, well,
-
after and
continuing to throw
-
tear gas and then started
-
coming with their bayonets
-
pointed toward
the students,
-
I left the Commons along
-
with 1,000 or more
other people.
-
When I came up
over the hill,
-
I didn't want to stay
-
out in front of
the guardsmen.
-
I didn't know how
-
long they would
keep marching.
-
And so I made a decision
at that point to
-
go down the hill
toward Lake Hall.
-
>> Then when the guard
-
went up across the hill,
-
I followed them up there,
-
and when I crested the
hill by the pagoda,
-
they were in the
practice football field.
-
The guard started
to move away from
-
the students down
-
the long axis of
the football field,
-
and I thought
everything was over.
-
>> From where I was
-
standing behind Lake Hall,
-
I couldn't see them when
-
they were on the
practice football field,
-
but then they reappeared
into my line of
-
vision as they marched
-
back up the hill
toward the pagoda.
-
I thought that
they were marching
-
back to where
they had come
-
from and that the rally
-
would reconvene on the
Commons for a time.
-
>> I went up past
Taylor Hall,
-
turned left, went down
into the parking lot.
-
As I got to the
parking lot,
-
Prentice Hall parking lot,
-
I saw a student
some distance
-
off laying on the ground.
-
I went over to
the student.
-
It turned out to be
-
a blind student who
had been tear-gassed,
-
and I gave him a
little first aid.
-
And then I walked
back to the edge of
-
the parking lot and was
just standing there.
-
>> The guardsmen
were marching
-
in the direction
of the Commons.
-
They appeared to be
-
going back where
they came from,
-
and it was a
-
complete surprise
that they turned.
-
And obviously a horrific
-
surprise that they
started shooting.
-
>> The guard came up the
-
hill towards the pagoda.
-
When they got
to the pagoda,
-
the right rear echelon
-
guardsmen turned
and fired.
-
>> I was maybe
30 feet south of
-
Don Drumm sculpture when
-
they actually turned
and began fire.
-
First, I thought, well,
-
why are they firing?
-
We were not
posing a threat.
-
And then I thought
to myself,
-
I'm sure they're not
firing live ammunition,
-
they're firing blanks
as a way to try to
-
disperse the crowd.
-
>> I'd been in the army,
-
so I knew that those were
-
real bullets because light
-
travels faster than sound,
-
so I dove for cover
behind a bush.
-
>> When they stopped
firing it's when
-
I stood up, looked around,
-
and saw that clearly,
-
they had been firing
live ammunition
-
because there
were students
-
who were wounded
around me.
-
>> I saw the guardsmen
turn in unison,
-
I assumed it was
180 degrees,
-
it turns out it
was 135 degrees,
-
lift their rifles in
-
unison and began to fire.
-
The friend that I
was with pulled
-
me into Lake Hall.
-
And then when we
were in there,
-
after a minute or so,
-
someone came in and
-
said people had been shot.
-
>> Well, I remember
saying to myself;
-
what should I do when
-
a student rushed up
who knew me and said,
-
"Dr. Lewis, those were
blanks, weren't they?"
-
And I said, No,
and I pointed
-
to Sandy Scheuer's body,
-
I didn't know it was
her at the time.
-
And I began to run around
-
the back of the
parking lot saying,
-
"I'm Dr. Lewis,
you must leave.
-
Those are real bullets."
-
>> John Cleary, who I
didn't know at the time,
-
was at the base of
that sculpture.
-
And he was the first
person I saw who
-
wasn't getting
up when the rest
-
of us were, so
I went to him
-
and lifted his shirt
-
and saw that he had
-
a bullet wound
in his chest.
-
I tried to put pressure on
-
the wound with my t-shirt.
-
>> I had only been
in the Stater office
-
just a minute or
-
so when we heard
-
people screaming
and running.
-
And I remember somebody
-
popped their head in
-
the door of the
Stater and said,
-
'They just killed
four kids."
-
And I just couldn't
believe it at first,
-
but as more and
more people were
-
screaming and running
into Taylor Hall,
-
I knew something
had happened.
-
>> I knew several
-
people that might
have been there,
-
and I was fearful that
-
something might have
happened to them.
-
My roommates did not
come home for lunch,
-
so I thought maybe they
-
went to the rally as well.
-
>> And I remember looking
-
down the hallway and
-
seeing a trail of drops
-
of blood down the hallway.
-
And then we went out and
-
left Lake Hall and walked
-
along the access road
-
until we got
close to where
-
Jeff Miller was lying.
-
>> I went outside,
-
the first thing I saw
was Jeff Miller's body.
-
And I kept saying
to myself,
-
"No, he can't be dead.
He can't be dead."
-
Seeing an ambulance
-
come over the hill, and
I thought, "Oh, good,
-
they're going to
pick this guy up,"
-
and the ambulance just
-
went on by to
somebody else.
-
>> Eventually,
-
when the ambulances
finally arrived,
-
there were not
enough ambulances
-
for the wounded students,
-
so we doubled up
-
two wounded students
in one ambulance,
-
and I rode along.
-
>> I looked out
over the scene and
-
saw what seemed
like dozens
-
of clusters of people
-
standing in groups looking
-
down at the ground.
-
And I realized
that what I was
-
seeing in this huge scene
-
was people standing over
-
bodies on the ground.
-
>> I went back to the
-
victory bell in
the Commons,
-
where a couple of
hundred other people
-
had started to reassemble.
-
It was a
demonstration again.
-
It was in protest
-
against what the
guard had done.
-
>> I went to the Commons,
-
and at that point in time,
-
Professor Glenn had gotten
-
everyone sitting down that
-
was there on the Commons.
-
And they were trying to
-
usher you out of
-
the area to the extent
that they could,
-
this is the
National Guard.
-
>> And the siege
mentality took over.
-
We were actually looking
-
at the guard reform
on the Commons,
-
and I thought if
-
they started to move
on the students again,
-
people were going to
run into Taylor Hall.
-
I was convinced that
the guard would
-
follow them in this time
-
and probably be shooting.
-
>> The guard
made clear that
-
they weren't going
to stand for
-
us remaining by
the victory bell.
-
And what people
did was go over to
-
the slope by
Stouffer Johnson
-
and stage a sit-in.
-
It was like being
in a class.
-
I mean, people
were sitting in
-
rows and what actually
-
made it more like
a class for me was
-
that my geology
instructor,
-
Glen Frank, was pacing
-
back and forth in
-
front of the
rows of people.
-
>> Glen Frank gave a
very emotional speech
-
and convinced the
students to leave.
-
>> He was crying.
-
He was pleading with
-
us to leave because
he was convinced
-
and he convinced
the students who
-
were staging the sit-in
-
that if we didn't leave,
-
the guard would engage
-
in further violence
against the students.
-
>> With the help
of the marshals,
-
most of the
students exited
-
to the right of where
they were sitting.
-
Kent State then closed
within 3 hours.
-
>> So I went into
the Student Union,
-
which was in the old
facility at the time,
-
which is now Oscar
Ritchie Hall,
-
and proceeded to do
the right thing,
-
which was call
my mother to
-
tell her I was
safe because,
-
of course, where I'm from
-
Philadelphia and back
in Philadelphia,
-
this was going to
be on the news.
-
In the middle of the
phone conversation,
-
they cut all the
lines out of Kent.
-
So as I'm saying
to mom, I'm safe,
-
the phone went dead, and
-
I couldn't get
back to her for
-
several hours
because there was
-
no communication outside
the city of Kent.
-
>> All of our phone
lines were dead.
-
Nobody could call in
-
and nobody could call out.
-
So it was a very
frightening time.
-
You only had the radio
-
to receive information.
-
And I didn't find out
-
until my mother came
and broke through
-
the barricades
to come and get
-
me to take me home to
my home in Youngstown.
-
And it was then
that I found out
-
that my childhood friend,
-
Sandra Scheuer had died.
-
And the next day,
-
when I read the newspaper,
-
I found out that
-
another acquaintance
of mine,
-
Bill Schroeder,
was also killed.
-
>> There was just
no reason to fire.
-
It was a rather
incredulous
-
response to the shootings
and to this day,
-
I don't understand
why they fired.
-
>> I was home before
my mother got back
-
home and around
six o'clock,
-
my father walked
in the back door
-
and I was sitting at
the kitchen table,
-
and he saw me, and
the first words out
-
of his mouth were,
-
"They should have
shot all of them."
-
And I said to
him, "Don't you
-
know then that one of
-
those people would
have been me,"
-
and he passed into
the other room.
-
And I relate to
that part of
-
my experience
because it was
-
very representative
of the times.
-
His attitude was the
attitude of many people,
-
the attitude of some
people even today.
-
>> May 4th was Monday,
-
Thursday, I was
asked and brought
-
down by the Beacon Journal
-
to look at the
bullet hole.
-
The guards,
when they fired
-
at the students,
pierced the sculpture.
-
But at the time,
-
they were saying
the hole in
-
the sculpture was evidence
-
that they were
fired on first,
-
and that's why
they fired back.
-
We arrived about
11 o'clock,
-
the students were
off the campus.
-
There were men
walking around,
-
which I assume were FBI or
-
investigative people in
typical black suits.
-
I spoke to none of them.
-
I was taken immediately to
-
the sculpture in front of
-
Taylor and shown the hole.
-
And what was
strange to me as
-
a metal worker, because
-
my specialty is working
-
in metals, is the
side toward the guard
-
was flanged out or
-
pieces of metal
were flanged out.
-
On the side toward
-
the student, it
was concave.
-
Now, when you drill
a hole in metal,
-
particularly this
type of steel,
-
you would create that.
-
And that's why
people thought
-
maybe that the guard
were fired on first.
-
I brought with
me a piece of
-
steel of the same
thickness and told
-
the newspaper that we
-
wanted to get
somebody with
-
the same ammunition
and rifling
-
to fire on this piece.
-
And that afternoon,
we went out
-
to somebody's farm and
-
I marked the sculpture
with a big X
-
before we fired on it
-
to show the entrance side,
-
and we duplicated
exactly what
-
happened to the sculpture
-
and showed that it
came from the guard.
-
>> I feel very
strongly that the
-
guys who were
responsible for this,
-
the governor, the mayor,
the guard commander;
-
those people,
they're murderers.
-
They should have
gone to jail.
-
They never even walked
into a courtroom.
-
That pisses me
off. I'm never
-
going to be
okay with that.
-
Those guys killed
those kids.
-
They made it possible for
-
those imbecile guardsmen
-
to shoot those children.
-
>> You have to remember
-
that the attitude after
-
the shootings was
they should have shot
-
more people in
Northeast Ohio.
-
People were dissatisfied.
-
They only killed
four people
-
and only wounded nine.
-
>> I really didn't assess
-
until much later the
long-term consequences,
-
obviously, but also
the national and
-
international consequences
of the shootings.
-
We were so focused locally
-
that we didn't
realize that it
-
was becoming a cause
celeb around the world.
-
And part of that reason
-
for the cause celeb was
-
the Mary Vecchio
picture by John Filo,
-
which went all over
the world and was on
-
all the national and
regional newspapers.
-
>> I was at the
house of a friend
-
in Butano Canyon
in California.
-
And we heard about
-
it on the radio, we
didn't believe it.
-
And Neil and I were out
driving around in one
-
of his Woodies and we
-
went over to this
friend's house,
-
and a friend came back
from the store with
-
a magazine with
-
a girl kneeling
over the dead kid.
-
And I watched
and it hit Neil.
-
He opened the magazine
-
and looked at this thing
-
and hit him in the heart.
-
And I watched him write
Ohio, right there.
-
[MUSIC] And I remember
calling Nash and
-
saying, "Hey, get a
studio right now.
-
We need a studio
right now."
-
And we got it
out right away.
-
So it was immediate.
It was topical,
-
it was immediate, and
it was the truth.
-
And you could feel [MUSIC]
that we were angry.
-
[MUSIC]
-
We didn't realize it
would be a gigantic hit.
-
We knew that there were
-
a whole lot of people
like us who were
-
shocked that four of
America's children had
-
been gunned down on
-
a campus doing something
-
they were legally
allowed to do.
-
>> One of the
important ways that
-
May 4th was the day
the war came home,
-
was that Congress
really rallied
-
and really came
-
together and began
withdrawing in very
-
documental or very
real ways, its support
-
for Nixon's war in
Southeast Asia.
-
>> Certainly, Nixon
said that it was
-
one of the worst moments
of his presidency.
-
And so that suggests
to me that he
-
felt that they had to do
-
something about the
Vietnam situation.
-
>> I'm honored to
be here today on
-
behalf of the Ohio
Historical Society to
-
participate in this
dedication ceremony
-
for the listing of
the May 4th, 1970,
-
Kent State
Shooting site in
-
the National Register
of Historic Places.
-
Starting in the
late 1970s,
-
I saw several attempts to
-
nominate this site to
the National Register,
-
and none were successful
-
for a variety of reasons,
-
including the
historical immediacy of
-
the event to
the opposition
-
of then Governor Rhodes.
-
As a witness to the
tragic events of May 4th,
-
I took personal
satisfaction in signing
-
the nomination
that officially
-
recognized this
significant place.
-
It was a long
time overdue.
-
[APPLAUSE]
-
The recent effort
-
spearheaded by faculty
members Mark Seaman,
-
Laura Davis,
Carol Barbado,
-
and Jerry Lewis
was successful,
-
and it produced
a document that
-
has received
recognition from
-
the National
Park Service for
-
its excellence in placing
-
this event into
historical context.
-
I applaud the authors
for their efforts,
-
and I thank the university
-
for their supporting
this nomination.
-
In commemorating
this site's
-
placement in the
National Register,
-
I think it is fitting
that we pause
-
in silence for a moment in
-
memory of Kent State
students; Allison Krause,
-
Jeffrey Miller,
Sandra Scheuer,
-
and William Schroeder.
-
Their personal
destinies intersected
-
with our nation's
collective destiny on
-
that tragic day
40 years ago
-
and changed us
forever. Thank you.
-
>> One thing I liked
the best about it is it
-
put the events of what
-
happened here in
-
three or four days
into context.
-
They made it clear it
-
wasn't about that one day.
-
But more important, it
-
wasn't just about
Kent State.
-
I love the map that showed
-
all the college
campuses where
-
the uproar happened.
-
I think for students
today, this
-
has got to seem
alien to them.
-
There's just not this kind
-
of engagement,
this involvement,
-
certainly not the violence
-
on college campuses,
-
but mostly engagement is
-
what I'm concerned about.
-
>> These people
were brave.
-
They were very brave,
-
and they got shot
to death for it.
-
But they're still
inspiring us.
-
>> Memory about that war,
-
Vietnam War is
essential to
-
understanding our position
in the world today.
-
Of course, the protests in
-
the 1970s play
a huge role.
-
And Kent State is
one of those things
-
that happened that really
made a difference.
-
The move was a
game-changer
-
also in the protests
against the war.
-
There's quite
strong stuff,
-
and it's very important
for kids to see this,
-
for a new generation
to understand
-
the anger on both sides,
-
the polarization
that we now have
-
supposedly in our
country is evident here.
-
I hope young
people will take
-
away that there
was a struggle.
-
There was a divide
in this country,
-
and our country
-
continually has to
grow and develop.
-
These four kids meant
-
a lot to the conscience
of this country.
-
They died for a
reason, sacrifice,
-
and that has to be
-
remembered because
if you say that
-
no one's responsible and
-
it was just a
misunderstanding,
-
it's an insult
to their memory.
-
>> When they went to
sit on that hill,
-
blood had already
been shed.
-
You got to be that brave.
-
If you're not, what's
your life worth?
-
If you don't stick
up for what you
-
believe in, what's
your life worth?
-
>> It's part
of our legacy.
-
It's part of our history.
-
On the other hand,
it's a distant memory
-
for most of the
current students.
-
>> There'll be key
-
pieces like the
Visitors Center,
-
the memorial,
and the vigil,
-
which will
continue to remind
-
this student body as well
-
as the nation
about May 4th.
-
>> It also speaks to us
about the importance
-
of respecting diversity of
-
opinions, of
points of view.
-
You know, it's
very difficult
-
to hear people dissent,
-
especially in
a time of war,
-
but that's a principle
-
that our country
is founded on.
-
>> The challenge,
it seems to me,
-
for a place like
Kent State,
-
which is now stuck in
-
the national narrative, is
-
to do something with that,
-
and that's what this
Visitors Center does,
-
and it doesn't look
away from its history.
-
It doesn't say, well,
-
that was an aberrational
moment that
-
we have gotten past,
and we've now moved on.
-
But you've taken
it and done
-
what a university
should do,
-
which is turn it into
a learning experience.
-
And that way, as the words
-
Kent State become part of
-
the national
historical narrative,
-
it means something more
-
than just a terrible
thing happened here.