Hi all,

This attachment has placemarks for several significant events leading up to the Kent State Shootings by National Guardsmen at Kent State University on May 4, 1970. It also includes the exact locations of the 4 killed and 9 injured students and line of fire polylines from the Guardsmen positions. Most of the significant locations include commentary of what significant events occurred there.

And now for a little background:

Nixon had been elected president in 1968 promising an end to the Vietnam War. But on April 25, 1970, he launched an American invasion of Cambodia, which was announced on April 30, 1970. Many saw this as an escalation of the war and students across the United States were fearful that they would be drafted. As a result, college campuses across the country erupted in protests in May, 1970.

Two massive protests were planned for May 1st and May 4th at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. During the night of May 1st, several incidents occurred downtown, including the lighting of bonfires in the streets, the breaking of 43 windows and beer bottles being thrown at police patrol cars.

On May 2nd, Kent Mayor Leroy Satrom asked Ohio Governor James Rhodes to send the National Guard to Kent to help maintain order. When the National Guard arrived that evening, a large demonstration was already underway at Kent State University and the campus ROTC building was already burning. (The wooden building, which used to be a World War II barracks, was mostly empty and was already scheduled for demolition.) Many believe the fire was set by student protestors, but the arsonist was never identified or caught. Regardless of how the fire began, student protesters surrounded the building and cheered its destruction. While firefighters attempted to extinguish the fire, students pelted firemen and police with rocks and slashed the firehoses with pocket knives. The National Guard arrived at this time and set up camp directly on campus, arrested 14 students and used tear gas to disperse the crowd.

By May 3rd, nearly 1,000 National Guardsmen occupied campus. As a crowd of protestors gathered that night on the University Commons, National Guard officials announced the immediate enforcement of a new curfew. The crowd refused to disperse until tear gas was fired from helicopters overhead. Students marched toward town, but were met by guardsmen. At that point, they staged a spontaneous sit-in in the middle of a popular intersection and demanded that the Mayor and KSU President speak with them about the Guard's presence on campus. Assured that this demand would be met, students moved from the street back onto campus. At this point, the Guard announced that the curfew would go into effeect immediately and helicopters were again used to drop tear gas to disperse the protesters. Some students were bayoneted and clubbed by guardsmen as they retreated to their dorms.

On May 4th, about 1,500 students gathered again on the Commons. An army Jeep was driven in front of the assembled students, who were then told through a bullhorn to disperse immediately. When students refused, about 116 men, equipped with loaded M-1 rifles and tear gas, formed a skirmish line toward the students. Students retreated, some of them lobbing tear gas canisters back at the advancing troops. One protester was attacked with clubs.

The National Guard fired tear gas and scattered the students. After the students had completely dispersed from the Commons, several soldiers kneeled, aimed, and fired their weapons at unarmed students. A total of 67 shots were fired over 13 seconds. Four students were killed and nine were wounded. Of the wounded, one was permanently paralyzed and several were seriously maimed.

There is still controversy over the incident. The National Guardsmen claim the reason they fired on students is that they feared for their life. Some students suggest that the attack was ordered because about 10-12 Guardsmen started firing in near unison. Since the Mayor had not officially declared marshal law until May 5th, the students still technically had a right to peacefully assemble.

A similar event took place on May 14th of the same year when two students at Jackson State University were shot to death. However, it has received far less media attention.

Peace,

-RockyRaccoon

For more information, go here: http://www.may4archive.org/
For pictures, go here: http://speccoll.library.kent.edu/4may70/box28/28.html

National Guardsmen on Kent State University Campus:


Tear gas is fired near Taylor Hall, Kent State University. This occurred within 30-45 minutes of the shootings:


A row of National Guardsmen clear the Commons and approach the site where the shooting occurred:


Students run for cover as National Guardsmen start firing at the Prentice Hall Parking Lot:


A student cries out over the body of another dead student:

Nicely done.

Never again.

Rockin' good work! Previous posts have also called attention to this great tragedy, though less elegantly!