Summary
The late Charles A. Thomas spent more than 3 decades investigating many of the unresolved issues in the 1970 Kent State shootings
CHARLES A. THOMAS WAS A 32-YEAR-OLD SPECIALIST in vintage radio recordings at the National Archives in 1975 when he was given the task of cataloging the film footage of the Kent State shootings that occurred on May 4, 1970.See the full content of this document
Extract
One Man's Quest
In the noon brightness of that Monday, following a weekend of sometimes violent protests in Kent and on campuses around the country against expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia, at least 10 members of the Ohio National Guard fired 63 shots, some in the air but most at Kent State students.
The 13-second barrage would leave four students dead and nine wounded, including one permanently paralyzed. Even though the guardsmen later said they felt their lives were in danger, the nearest victim was 71 feet away, the farthest 730 feet - a distance of more than two football fields.As he began cataloging the film, Thomas made a disturbing finding: None of the footage showing dead and wounded students after the lethal volley had been used in the public hearings of the Scranton Commission in the months following the shootings.Suspicious, Thomas pulled the so...See the full content of this document
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