A long article about a single picture but not a single word about the four students who were murdered by the government. How shameful. These American martyrs will never be forgotten by We, The People. Never. No matter how much the power elite wishes to erase the memory of this turning point in American history from the minds of new generations. We will never forget what killed them and never stop fighting against it. Never.

I remember the Kent State riots, A lot of Bill Clinton type hippies out there screaming "Give peace a chance - Give peace a chance - Give peace a chance"...all the meanwhile they were tossing rocks and bottles at whoever they could hit, while screaming "Give peace a chance".

My father worked around the corner in a factory and the company locked the employees inside for a couple days in order to keep them safe. After they were allowed to leave and try to go home the thugs and protesters were attacking motorist and tipping their cars. They tried to bust into my dad's car as he was stopped at a light and all my dad could do to save himself was drive through the mob.

I would also suspect that Obama’s close friend William Ayers might have been there that day as well. Ayers is the United States own Home Grown Terrorist who bombed the Pentagon and Capital Building.

It is such a shame for it to now be regarded as a badge of honor to have been one of the thugs who were at Kent State causing mayhem on that day.

Nice story. .I feel all warm & fuzzy. . .

I was a kid will May 4th happened and the place my mom worked was one of the business' distroyed by the students. She lost her job with 3 kids to feed. It was a bad time for all. While I don't think anyone should have died, however, the kids did a lot of damage to the city of Kent. Seems what they did to city is forgotten.

And we should never forget the chaos and destruction those students caused. Never.

They just won't let this die, will they?

Bottom line; those guardsmen fired their weapons in violation of direct orders to stand down, and without ANY justification for the use of deadly force.
They murdered four kids (that were all well beyond rock throwing range, by the way) in front of hundreds of witnesses in broad daylight, and yet no one has ever been indicted or has gotten so much as an article 15.
That these men were never held accountable is criminal and an ugly mark on the Country that I continue to serve. Shame.

Missing from the story were comments from several of the speakers regarding evidence that verbal orders were given to the guardsmen to fire upon the students on the Kent Commons. For 13 seconds hundreds of shots were fired, killing 4 and injuring 9 others. Among them were several who were simply walking to class, including William Schroeder, one of the 4 killed. His "radical" background included being an Eagle scout and recently applying for a ROTC scholarship.

Vecchio, the 14-year-old tramp, had no business being there. Those who did unfortunately took the bullets. And she lives to spread revisionist history compliments of mainstream media.

Wonder how she feels about 14-year-old strippers?

Well, I guess we should be thankful this article is a toned down version compared to those of the past.

Considerin' some of the comments, I suppose it would have been better iff'n the gaurdsmen held their fire on the angry mob, that was decendin' upon them, and jes' allowed themselves to be battered to death.

@Betamax ~ Considerin' some of the comments, I suppose it would have been better iff'n the gaurdsmen held their fire on the angry mob, that was decendin' upon them, and jes' allowed themselves to be battered to death.

**************************************************


You just never know. Sometime you just have to "give peace a chance"


There were protesters there from all over the country...thugs just looking for a place to happen.

I'm sure that the students were well behaved that day just like the street party the past week at Kent State.

By the way, a Lakemore police officer who helped responed to the Kent State "street party" the past week later went home that day and died due to all the stress from the night of "student fun".

Paul, this woman openly admits she took a bus from florida to cause trouble at Kent State. She was out there like the troublemaker alan canfora from Barberton. They were the ones who caused their friends to be shot after they threw stones at the soldiers. Canfora was the one they missed and should have gotten. He was one of the chief instigators and should have been charged with murder.

canfora didn't fire a weapon at unarmed citizens.you guardsmen supporters make me sick.keep believing your government-they've done great so far.

Beta - "Considerin' some of the comments, I suppose it would have been better iff'n the gaurdsmen held their fire on the angry mob, that was decendin' upon them, and jes' allowed themselves to be battered to death."

My God. Someone who actually took the time to educate themselves on the actual history of the situation. Bravo!

Fact is - the Guardsmen, who barely beyond teenagers themselves, got cornered in the football practice field. Surrounded by a chain link fence around three sides and an angry mob of around 200 (outnumbering them by about ten-to-one) closing down on them, they panicked. Tragic, for sure, but hardly criminal.

Yeah - one of the students who died was just on his way to class, but it's pure folly to represent the whole scenario that way.

I'm a guardsman. I know the rules of engagement. The killings were not even remotely excusable. By the way, every person killed or wounded was enrolled at KSU.

Those who were not there that day need to keep their mouth shut. I was there that tragic day to participate in a sporting event as a student from Baldwin Wallace. I could not believe my eyes and ears as the gun shots rang out. Panic is not an excuse.

@The Fat Painter
You must have appluaded China for Tiananmen square!

One student was shot three times in the back! I suppose she deserved it? None of the students were armed!

The hippies were right! The war was unjust and illegal. Thats why President Johnson didn't run for re-election!

When I went off to Kent State I was one of 300 from NEW YORK State. When I graduated in 1968 I was one of 3000 from NEW YORK CITY. The left wing fringe had taken over KSU and is still very much apparent today.
A buddy of mine just back from his tour in Vietnam was at the records office that day to get a copy of his transcript, he couldn't believe people where dumb enough to throw baggies with excrement in them at guys with guns.........

I believe no one should have been shot and killed, but I do not blame the guardsmen. It was a turbulant time in out history. The "protestors" need to take responsiblity for their part in all that went down that day and leading up to it.

Keep in mind Gov. Rhodes ordered the guardsmen there. They were pulled from a nasty teamsters strike. Many of them were the same age as the students. During that time, it was fair game to verbally and physically attack anyone in a military uniform.

It was a tragedy from both sides. Lives should not have been lost on that day. But, all of the blame should not be on the guardsmen. There were many other factors leading up to the shootings. The protestors have to carry some of the blame as well. They distroyed the city of Kent in the week leading up to the shooting. The ones throwing rocks and such at the armed guardsmen should also shoulder the blame.

The students burned down the ROTC building. That is a direct attack on our military. The same military that is here to protect our country. To protest a war or "police action" as 'nam is called in history books is one thing. To attack a military base or building is another. That is an act of treason.

Majority of the soilders sent to 'nam were not volunteers. They were drafted. Many who came back home to the good ole USA were spat on and treated as second class citizens. That is absurd. Many were beaten by the so called "Give peace a chance" crowd. Maybe if they actually protested peacefully, no one would have died.

BMW - Thank you very much! When my husband came back from Nam he was spit on and called a baby killer - he did what he ordered to do not what he wanted. While so many ran to Canada to avoid the draft many young men died for our country. What happened at Kent State is a crime but the Guardsman did what they were trained to do. Everyone concerned was a victim of this horrible war just like the one we're fighting now!

Everyone is an expert!

Most of the comments made here make me sick. I was there the day of the killings, i know first hand what happened and this country can never forget this tragedy. Jeffery Miller was in front of me, his blood all over me and i kept asking myself why are they shooting. There was no reason to shoot or kill anyone, the national guard where never in any danger of being hurt, i know i saw, they could have turned back, or gave a warning shot if they felt that way. Certain people wanted to make a statment that day and scare all who were against the war. What kind of country shoots you for your beliefs and values. That day i felt ashamed to be an american, i trusted no one after that and no one has yet to take responsibilty. This tragidy will never leave my heart and mind. Most people don't understand how trapped they are and how controlled they are and how they live in an illusion. Things to buy, things to hope for, all to keep you under control. We should not be afraid of the goverment the goverment should be afraid of the people.It's so hard for people to understand what the killings really meant and how they should have never happened. A loss of freedom, a loss of rights that i will never forget.

the saddest thing is the response of Filo's uncle, which has been voiced similarly by later students and others who have totally missed the issues and the cause of what was an American tragedy of major proportions...

its a great article, and extremely good to see how these people went to do something significant and responsible with there lives

my wife was crossing at that exact point going to class, and the horror of that day was really weeks long, as the community ill-reacted themselves...and still do

Yawn...

how droll....

I was getting ready to graduate from high school that year. It was a horrible thing that happened. I hope nothing like that EVER happens again.
And yeah, what the heck was a 14 year old run away doin' there, anyway? Her speech was so-so and she doesn't know how to speak in public

something that should never be forgotten.

OK, she was 14 and she "shouldn't have been there". Fact is, that was never the point. She was there. Get over it. And, it wasn't the Kent State riots. It was a demonstration. What happened the night before was clearly distinct from what happened on the morning of May 4th, 1970. Governor James Rhodes and more are roasting in Hell for the events of that day.

TruthPatrol & Betamax, absolutely spot on. A whole article about this runaway wanna-be radical, just to milk her 3 minutes of fame for yet another year. Time to wheel her and Canfora back into the closet for another dusty year until their slanted red views are required again for more newspaper filler.

These guardsmen had were already burned out from dealing with a strike, then got sent down Kant State to deal with hooligans spurned on by outside forces. The torching of the ROTC building and the attempted chopping up of fire hoses speaks volumns for the lack of respect to authority these instigators showed.

The trashing of the downtown areas speaks volumns for the anti-establishment mindset, most likely the same that they now carry hidden as adults.

Vecchio.....go to he!!.

Typical Kent State thugs...riots in the seventies, and riots now.

They'll never be to UA's level...

Guardsman up 48 hours plus. Not trainedd for riots. Pulled from truck strike into a campus riot.

Civil disobediance,scared guradsman that were teachers, mechanics, office workers, alls walks of life.

An act of aggression by the crowd. Scared guardsmen and s shot was fired.

Who's Fault. The rioters. Sad note the bullets hit students that were not participating in the violence. The blood is on the hands of the rioters who caused the problem. Not the guardsmen.

Note this was the last campus riot.

I woulk definatly state that this was caused by the radical left wing people of the USA .

Sorry I could care less about this story

Sorry, gotta blame the guns. The students were innocent & did not have weapons. Excellent story & photos & this sad anniversary of the students deaths needs to be remembered, always.

whatever...

Only in Ohio...people on this forum seem to support shooting college students with deadly force...and then wonder why there is a serious brain drain in NEO. Kill the educated, keep the ignorant, and you've got...well, I guess you people on this forum will get what you want, a state of violent, intolerent morons who think its fine to kill students.
So little value for your own lives you can't see that murders were committed on Kent's campus.

@Wildflower

It seems you are missing the point. Majority on here agree that no one should have died. However, what happened is not the sole responsibility of the guardsmen. Yes, innocent students that may not have been apart of the demonstration and riots leading up to the shootings were killed. I get that. What you and some others are forgetting is during that time the military was attacked in this country for wearing a uniform. The guardsmen were pelted with rocks and such. That is not a "peaceful" demonstration.

I believe the persons responsible for torching the ROTC building need to shoulder most of the blame here. That is an act of treason.

While it is tragic that 4 students died. It is also tragic what the "give peace a chance" crowd did to the city of Kent. No one has be held accountable for lost business', lost jobs, and the fear the tax-paying residents had to endure while the students were tearing up their town.

@ John Lewis

Very good post.

@undrcvrbro - Don't be so glib. UA had its days for unrest and rioting on campus. Does Katheryn Place ring a bell. For years UA's annual spring celebration turned into meaningless riots with fires and burning of furniture along with many arrests. Also, during the 70s students took over and occupied Buchtel Hall and to this day, the origin of the 1971 burning of Buchtel Hall until it was a hollowed out shell has never been resolved.

The difference being, the peace activists didn't have guns. Students were innocent & this anniversary needs remembered so it doesn't happen again.

when are all you right wingers going to forget reagan?what a tool that guy was.

Forget Reagan? Never!

By looking at the picture of Mary Vecchio she should slow down a bit. It was said that Mama Cass Elliot herself died while hogging down a ham sandwich.

39 years ago we heard "the kids deserved it" and it saddens me that 39 years later there are still mentally-deranged people who post the same evil message. Some of you people are vile, and little better than terrorists. Shame on you. Your children must be ashamed of you, and that is sad.

Those hippies were burning down buildings, trashing businesses, assaulting motorist and trying to remove them from their cars. They tipped cars on the street that had people still in them. Kind of a double standard would you agree…Protesting the war by having their own.

These were hippies and thug looking for a place to happen. The unfortunate side of this was the fact they intermingled with innocent people and or the innocent intermingled with them.

As for the war being “unjust and illegal” I don’t know. But this I do know…the riots and mayhem that was taking place in Kent was illegal.

As it was, is, and always will be, whenever there is an event happening people will flock to catch a glimpse of what is going on. Many themselves will also join in. And by the way…joining in was what the hippies and thug protestors wanted the students to do.

That bunch was protesting the war, and anything that drew reference or association to the war or military were sitting targets including the National Guard that was ordered to show up. Those young men in uniform already knew of the sentiment that was held towards them by those likeminded people. I guess the Guard should have just let themselves be attacked with rocks and bottles while the chants of “give peace a chance” rung out.

Proverbs 4:14-16
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

Revelation 18:4
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Wildflower, read Lewis's post. AGAIN.

i know several veterans who were shocked to find the national guard had murdered students at kent state.without the protests(that were nationwide) were the main factor in bringing an end to the occupation of a foreign country.who knows how long the government would have continued their phony war? if vietnam had oil that would be different.it would be called operation freedom.

Fat-By looking at the picture of Mary Vecchio she should slow down a bit. It was said that Mama Cass Elliot herself died while hogging down a ham sandwich

You're one to talk...when was the last push up you saw?

It sure is amazing to still see the anger & hatred that flows through the air with memories of 39 years ago. There certainly is no shortage of blame to sling as prior comments indicate. There is responsibility on all sides to some degree, nothing happens in a vacuum; although the people with guns absolutely deserve the harshest judgment, this was a major national event unfolding before our eyes. The resulting violence shows how far this country had come in division of ideals, with revolution in the air. I truly feel for the fear people felt who had gotten trapped in the middle of this dangerous tsumani of energy. The war was evil & unjust, which was by far the biggest player in our push for continued national growth and these were deadly growing pains. The stage was set for these opposing forces to come together at Kent State and history was made; for those who may not get it, this was supposed to happen. For good or ill again, it's part of who we are, we can look now to measure how far we've really come. One good measure I think of is, even 39 years, as terrible as these killings were, in Tiananmen Square potentially hundreds of protesters were killed. Only in that regard can we see this still deadly and as less painful for our culture; it seems that's all we needed to "get it" and begin to change directions. If we look at the measure of "letting go" of our fear & hatred, that doesn't look so good. By the way, I just keep thinking that if prior comments were made by folks who weren't alive & aware at this time in history, their input has little validity in this discussion.