Tragedy at Kent StateBy Patrick Mondout
On May 4th, 1970, U.S. National Guardsmen opened fire on students
demonstrating against the war in Southeast Asia at Kent State University
in Ohio. The National Guard had been sent in to prevent riots and regain
control of the campus but began shooting after some of the students began
throwing rocks. More than 60 shots were fired and when the dust had
settled four students were dead and nine wounded.
John Paul Filo's photo of a young woman kneeling over the body of a
student killed at Kent State appeared on front pages around the nation on
May 5, 1970. Seeing American troops firing on American students was
shocking and led many otherwise patriotic citizens to rethink their views
on the war.
The killings at Kent State were followed shortly after by the murders
of two black students at Jackson State in Jackson, Mississippi. Although
clashes between war protestors and the police/military had been escalating
in the past year, the nation was nonetheless shocked by the senseless
killings.
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Violence erupts on the campus of Kent
State. The FBI has well over 1,000 pages of documents on this event. |
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From the May 4 collection at Kent State |
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It should be noted that many of the protesters - including the woman
kneeling above the bleeding body of one of the dead students - were not
students at all. They were a hodge-podge of leftists, anti-war activists,
former students, and others who were reacting to the recent decision to
send U.S. troops to Cambodia.
In fact, the woman in the photograph was actually 14-year-old runaway
Mary Ann Vecchio! Her father in Florida was stunned to see her on the
front cover on Newsweek. She was tracked down by reporters at a hippie
colony in Indianapolis a few weeks later and sent home.
In the end, the killings accomplished what many in the antiwar movement
were demanding: The war was brought back home and America would no longer
look at its involvement in Southeast Asia with any complacency.
Where are they now?
The administration at Kent State - to their credit - has not ignored
history and has tried to learn whatever lessons could be learned from that
tragic event. They have dedicated a Memorial Room in their
library containing materials related to this event. In addition, the
University has established an academic program designed to help students
and others employ peaceful conflict resolution to resolve disputes. To
learn more about Kent State's activities regarding the events of May 4th, visit
their web site.
The girl in the photograph was last seen at the 25th Anniversary event
at Emerson College in Boston. There she met the photographer who took her
picture for the first time and answered reporters questions. Her name is
now May Ann Vecchio Gillum and she is a cashier at a casino in Las Vegas
where she is living with her long-time husband and three kids. |
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