I took some photos at Kent State last summer

[Diamond_Dog]

I am a Kent grad. I did not arrive there until 4 years after the shooting. I went to every May 4 commemorative gathering. I lived in the dorm right next to the parking lot where several of the students were shot. Emotions at that time were still very raw and it was such a scary feeling many of us had … “It could have been me.”

I stopped here on my way home from a get together last July. It was summer break. There was not a soul around, I was totally alone.

First, if anyone needs a reminder…

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/03/us/gallery/kent-state-massacre/index.html

Here is a photo of where this happened. Sorry the photos are not the best quality.



A metal sculpture at the top of the hill behind Taylor Hall took a bullet.




Detail of bullet hole at bottom right of sculpture



There are national historic markers on the ground where the students died. Here is one of them. It looked like someone had recently visited.




They had denoted the places in the parking lot where the other students were shot with some luminaries and were roped off. Each spot has a metal plaque with the student’s name on it.




I am glad this site and these locations are being preserved.

[Duncanpup]

1. Intense

[Diamond_Dog]

2. It is, especially for me

Thank you Duncanpup

[hamsterjill]

3. Thank you for sharing.

n/t

[Diamond_Dog]

4. You are welcome, hamsterjill

[pandr32]

5. What happened there that day needs to be remembered

...along with the why and the how.
'America' is fragile.

[Diamond_Dog]

6. I couldn't agree more.

Thank you pandr32

[yardwork]

7. Thank you for these photos.

I remember it very well. I was a kid, growing up in another college town in Ohio.

[Diamond_Dog]

8. I remember it well, too

So totally frightening. Thank you, yardwork

[yardwork]

11. It is frightening to know that the government can and has shot non-violent protesters just because.

Anyone not frightened by that isn't paying attention.

I cry every year on May 4. I know a lot of other people do too.

[Diamond_Dog]

18. I was tear-y when I took those photos.

And when TFG talked about shooting the BLM protestors in the legs ….

It all came back for me.

[yardwork]

21. I'm so sorry.

[Diamond_Dog]

22. Thank you.

[Duncanpup]

9. Question

Did they ever discover why the shooting started they could not have thought the kids were armed yet then I imagine the Ohio national guard were young kids as well.

[yardwork]

13. There were a lot of complicated undercurrents.

Some of the town's merchants were worried about property damage. There were some outside agitators trying to start trouble, hoping to spark a revolution that the American people would get behind. And there were ordinary kids walking to class who were shot and killed by other kids in the National Guard called out by the right-wing governor.

It came down to the same old things - fear of property damage, fear of leftist communists, fear of hippies, fear by the National Guard. Maybe somebody threw a rock and some kid panicked and started shooting.

[Duncanpup]

14. Ok thanks for explanation I was four at this moment

[Diamond_Dog]

15. The protesters were provoking the guard

Throwing rocks and taunting. The general of the guard ordered them to shoot after orders for the students to disperse went unheeded. Some sources say the order to shoot came directly from Gov. Rhodes.

[Duncanpup]

16. So they do a massacre over rocks

Criminal

[Diamond_Dog]

17. Yes

And some that were killed were just walking to class and not involved in the protest.

From History.com:

Over just a 13-second period, nearly 70 shots were fired in total. In all, four Kent State students—Jeffrey Miller, Allison Krause, William Schroeder and Sandra Scheuer—were killed, and nine others were injured. Schroeder was shot in the back, as were two of the injured, Robert Stamps and Dean Kahler.

[llmart]

28. I was married to a guy in the Ohio National Guard.

He wasn't called up for that, but he was 22 at the time and just out of college himself. If a guy had deferments all through college, they were draftable once they graduated, so he was fortunate enough to get a slot in the National Guard. Lots of the guys were very young and a lot of them weren't that enthusiastic about being in it, so they didn't take it that seriously. Just wanted to do their time and avoid Nam.

[Auggie]

10. Thanks for sharing. As I recall there were plans in the late 70s to develop some of these areas.

Dorms or a gym -- can't exactly remember. I was at another MAC school, OHIO (in Athens), and a member of the Student Senate then. We supported the KSU May 4th Coalition, along with other colleges and universities, in preserving these sites. It was a big deal.

[Diamond_Dog]

12. It absolutely was a big deal, Auggie.

Yes the plans to build a new gym there were scrapped, thankfully. Thank you for your support. We will never forget….

[Wuddles440]

19. Appreciate your submission!

I try to make a pilgrimage there every year and was just there this morning for some of the events. However, one little correction to the photo narrative - the circular plaques (such as the one pictured for Alan Canfora) are a recent addition to the site to recognize the locations of the nine wounded students. Although installed two years ago, they were officially dedicated this week. The memorials in the parking lot are for the four students that were killed (i.e. by homicide) on May 4th. Incidentally, the sister of Alan Canfora (now deceased) was one of the scheduled speakers this year.

[Diamond_Dog]

20. Thank you Wuddles440

I appreciate your comments



What’s going on there today?

[Wuddles440]

23. There's been events running...

from Monday to today such as luncheon/lecture series, musical performance, candlelight walk and vigil, author event, commemoration, and an evening with Jon Meacham. Due to Covid, this is the first in-person commemoration since 2019 and reflects some of the 50th Anniversary activities that had been planned for 2020. Although I was in nearby Pennsylvania and only in seventh grade when this tragedy occurred, it had an immediate, profound, and visceral effect on me that remains to this day. I get emotional every time I visit. Incidentally, my wife's second cousin is John Filo, who was the KSU student-photo journalist responsible for taking the photo of the Mary Ann Vecciho grieving over the body of Jeffery Miller.

[Diamond_Dog]

24. Totally awesome

That photo by John Filo sums up that whole day and probably is one of the most famous in the world. I can’t imagine what it must have been like being there and getting that shot of excruciating pain and fury.

I share the feeling of being deeply emotionally affected and it wells up every time I visit, which, alas, is not too often any more.

[electric_blue68]

25. Oh... TY for these poignant photos, your memories!...

Wow... I had know idea about various markers, and the sculpture! I did know in some hazy memory about it being declared a national historic site.

It makes perfect sense that you'd feel weirded out arriving there relatively soon after this event.

As for event itself...oh, I remember! I was 17. A HS senior ready to go to college. Surreal, and horrifying! Shock, then anger! A little later hearing esp in NYC the haunting "Ohio" by C, S, N & Y playing on our Rock stations over, and over.

[Diamond_Dog]

26. Thank you so much electric_blue68

It seems like eons ago and it seems like yesterday to me at the same time.

[electric_blue68]

33. YW, and Totally Understandable

[sinkingfeeling]

27. I've never been back to Kent. Last time I was there was when my sister got her masters in 1969.

[Diamond_Dog]

30. One of these days I'll get around

to seeing the May 4 visitors’ center

https://www.kent.edu/may4visitorscenter

[Ohiya]

29. We just got back from KSU

We went Monday morning and attended several events. It was a very moving experience. My wife was there in 1970. One movie that was shown was "Fire in the Heartland",

[Diamond_Dog]

31. Awesome

Did you go to the May 4 Visitors Center?

[Ohiya]

32. Yes, we had been there a few years ago, but it was worth revisiting.

It's worth it just to see the short film that is shown there again.

We had never been to any of the May 4th events before though, and to be honest, I was not very enthusiastic about going on this trip, but I knew it meant a lot to my wife. However, I just had a wonderful experience! I think we will probably go again next year.

We met the president of KSU. My wife told him she was a 1972 graduate and he asked if I also attended KSU. I had to admit to being a Buckeye and he offered his condolences!

We also met and talked to one of the wounded survivors. He was also a very nice person.
It was a few very full days. I feel both exhausted and exhilarated.

[Raine]

34. Thanks for sharing these

even after all these years it brings up all the emotions from that long ago time. 😢

[Diamond_Dog]

35. It certainly does, Raine.

Thank you.

[livetohike]

36. Thank you for capturing the emotion of it all.

All so quiet and peaceful now. May we never forget.

[Diamond_Dog]

37. Thank you livetohike.

My biggest fear is that with the Republican clampdown on free discussion of all historical events in America in our public schools,, this will not be taught about in very many schools from here on in. And it such an important story to tell and learn from. My heart just aches for our country sometimes.