Kent State Incident Essay

One of the most infamous blemishes on the Nation Guard’s reputation is The Kent State Incident. The Kent State incident on May 4, 1970, had the entire nation in an uproar after the shooting and killing of four students, two of which were bystanders, and another nine students wounded by the National Guardsmen. “Seconds later, four students lay dead, with nine others wounded. Two of the dead had been demonstrators 250 feet away from the guardsmen. The other two were bystanders, almost 400 feet away” (Cayton 814). Kent State is a university in Ohio infamous for the shooting of four students on campus grounds during a strike in 1970. The strike was held because of President Nixon’s decision to move troops into Cambodia, despite his promise to

However, in 1969, Nixon authorized the U.S. bombing of communist camps in the border regions in Vietnam (Foner). Again, in the spring of 1970, Nixon escalated the war by sending American troops into Cambodia. He explained that the ‘incursion’ would force North Vietnam into serious negotiations by cutting off the supply lines (Hillstrom 328). During the press conference on May 8, 1970, Nixon defends his decision of invasion of Cambodia. With this announcement, college students across America intensified their strikes, marches, and rallies (History). As outrage spread across America, college students rebelled against the government in support of the antiwar movement. While many of these protests were peaceful, many turned violent. Many colleges had to shut down as a result of the students’

The protestors, just realizing the Guardsmen had live rounds and fired upon the crowd, advanced on the troops, intent on exacting revenge (Lewis). After a moment, Glenn Frank, a school official, spoke to the students begging them not to pursue their current objective (Bos). As the speech went on, the students realized the truth to his words, no matter the feelings they harbored towards the National Guard. For years after the massacre, the Guardsmen did not face any legal responsibilities for the shooting at Kent State. In 1974, District Judge Frank Battisti dismissed the charge against eight National Guardsmen. The legal aftermath ended nine years later, when it was decided that a financial settlement of $675,000 would be provided to the wounded students and the parents of the killed students