Thirty-seven years is a long time.
It’s about half the average human lifespan.
By the time a typical American male turns 37, he may already be shopping for some impractical extravagance — like an expensive sports car — to tide him over the dreaded “mid-life crisis” that all the experts tell him to expect. He’s already older than half of his fellow Americans, and substantially more than half of the world’s population.
Thirty-seven years ago today, Ohio National Guardsmen were ordered to break up a student anti-war rally on the Kent State University campus in Kent, Ohio. They put on gas masks, fired tear gas, and advanced with fixed bayonets to clear the Commons where the protesters were gathered.
When they had cleared the Commons and were returning to their original positions, one group of Guardsmen suddenly stopped, turned, and fired into the crowd of students.
Thirteen seconds. Sixty-seven shots. Thirteen hit, all students. Four dead in Ohio.
One of those wounded, Alan Canfora, has listened to an audio recording of the shooting. Right before the first shots, he believes he hears “Right here. Get set. Point. Fire.” (You can listen to a short audio clip. The orders, if present, are faint.)
“There has been a 37-year cover-up at Kent State. The commanding officers have long denied there was a verbal command to fire. They put the blame on the triggermen,” Mr Canfora told the Guardian.
He said he wants the FBI to use new technology to analyse the recording. He also said he planned to post an audio clip of the recording on two websites.
Mr Canfora, who was 21 years old at the time of the shootings, was barely 60 metres away from the Guards when they opened fire. He was shot in the wrist.
“They stopped, turned, raised the weapons, began to shoot and continued to shoot for 13 seconds,” he said. “It was like a firing squad.”
The young National Guardsmen moved on. Got married. Got jobs. Had careers. By now, some may have retired. They have friends and families who love them. Children and grandchildren.
A lot of water under the bridge in 37 years.
Allison Krause would be 56 years old now. She would have celebrated her birthday on April 23, just a week ago this past Monday.
Jeffrey Glen Miller would be 57.
Sandra Scheuer would be 57.
William Schroeder would be 56.
No careers. No children. No grandchildren.
Yep, a lot of water under the bridge.
Spink Nogales | 04-May-07 at 9:58 pm | Permalink
I waited all day to read your annual Kent State Memorial.
It’s hard to beleive that this event actually happened to American college students, and I feel the need to add my own footnote to your commentary.
For any young people who may attribute the aggressive actions of the Ohio National guard to a more primitive version of America, remember that the killings at Kent State ocurred the year after the first man walked on the moon.
Michael Burton | 04-May-07 at 10:08 pm | Permalink
The Apollo 11 moon landing took place on William Schroeder’s 19th birthday.
B. Moore | 06-May-07 at 11:33 am | Permalink
MY FRIEND: a tragedy, yes. travesty, yes. everything bad and nothing good that time, yes. i give you all the yes answers you want on this one. can’t argue. a confusing time for everyone. but somehow it seems a place far away, something i only half remember. it was a different me, then too. so different that it’s all fuzzy and unreal.
i forget, was anyone in the military ever held responsible?