Transcripts For CSPAN3 1970 Kent State Photographs 20240712

CSPAN3 1970 Kent State Photographs July 12, 2024

Lost. Without further ado, please welcome howard ruffner. First of, all its great to see a familiar face. Lots of people from pasadena village, relatives, my daughter and his parents are there from where i live. Id like to thank my wife from being here. As most of us know, your spouse is the one who picks up, and kept me organized, kept me going and make sure i did not lose too much of the focus i was going for this. So let me get started. The intention of my book is to let you know more about me from the beginning. Before i intended, and the rest of my story starts with when i enrolled in 1969. Ill give you a glimpse of the campus life i know. The rest of it is about my photography fee, and through may want to may 4th. Thats me in my photos staying next to my mom, looking up at my newest brother. The cleveland press back in those face thought the family thought it would be a good human interest, so the song was sing a song of sixpence. Theyve done a photographer to our home, captured an image of us all. Came into our, house look to run and find a place to gather us altogether. He positioned us and took the picture. The photo went on the front page of the afternoon paper the next day, above the fold. And friends and neighbors could not get we were famous. We are now seven boys in eight years, and our youngest brother make was on the left, three of us on the service, tomorrow will be joining when air force. It was a year after high school, and during my first two years in waco texas, i applied and was accepted to a place called defense during the eight weeks of broadcast journalism, we were taught how to write for tv news and incorporate news film and slide and television broadcast. I was assigned to the American Forces network, and why duties included editing film, running a Television Camera during our live news shows, and this sharp in my ability to frame and compose pictures. Whether behind a Television Camera or nsl, are my visual awareness was growing. Later i became the primary news director that got to call all the shots at the station. The baseline for, me a lot of opportunity to take pictures of celebrities. Many u. S. All shows for comedians, singers, movie stars and they were on the way to vietnam. General Benjamin Davis of this photograph, the highest ranking african american, created bob hope. He was asked to serve on the unrest, and investigate the shootings at candidate in 1970. Many of the voters i took during the daily television show. Now, i had a professional camera. Next, fronting my images. They really taught me how to make a finish photograph, and washing your own photo and the developer was like magic. I was now giving myself assignments and taking pictures daily and finding what i thought was good. After a while, they encourage me n]qnto enter a photo competi. I entered this photo, which one first place. I ended another one, first place for landscapes. Not having completed one, it gave me a real sense of accomplishment encourage me to get better. Now that my photography was taking off, so to speak. I decided to submit a recent photo i took to the newspaper. It around with my credit, and took some planning to get exactly what i wanted, now im feeling that i was starting to become more accomplished as a photographer. Now its march of 1969, and ive been rolled in cannes state university, ready to pursue my degree. It was a time to enjoy college life beyond books, these were a team like a natural way to break the ice, get to know your fellow classmates. It help me realize there is a lot more to college at this point than just studying. While i was surprised by seeing this, it just reminded me that it was safe and a playful way to relieve the tensions of school. From mud fights to dating, casual fridays had not been invented yet, few students wore jeans. It was a night that spring, and they arrived with mutton chops, and in outrageous outfit. They look like they were going to job interviews. Cant student conservative side. This was my First Student protest photograph. Up until an, how the school was very quiet as far as protests were concerned. Students had been working on signs and banners during the week, and the mourning of the anti war march. It was 1969, students Left University campus, and protested the vietnam war. They did this on thursday because kent was a suitcase campus, a lot of students went home and it was a kind of school when the campus was deserted. The anti war settlement was on the minds of many, especially the young men who were referred to the draft as long as we were in school. This would change whoever, and other than this protest march, most of the protesting occurred was in the classrooms and the student union. The large anti war gathering would not occur until may 1st, 1973 to 500 students will attend a rally. By the fall, the Anti War Movement had grown off of colleges and they decided to drive to washington d. C. To join the anti war protest on november 13th. A few weeks after our own home company, we arrived in time to honor the soldiers in vietnam. That, night 18 of us sloped in one room, and our feet pointed in and out. The next morning, we headed to the mall, i was impressed by the size of the crowd and by the focus and steadfastness to be part of something so big. This is my first trip to washington d. C. Everything was new and exciting. The resentment of half 1 Million People of this continued movement as i move my way through the crowd. Their determination to have their voice heard was definite. This protester dimension into the war. I needed to push my way through the crowds to find out where the march began. After a lot of walking and nudging my way around, i came to the beginning of the fray. I stood and awe, and i nuts my way through to get as close i couldnt took my photos. Locked arm and armed with governor king, and others showed the strength of unity and commitment. I was moved to such committed people who opposed the war. Now, its my first on campus. May 1st, 1970. 300 students to understand the nixon decision to envoy it cambodia. He did this without the consent of congress, and according to steve sheriff, he murdered the constitution. Therefore, it was dead and needed to be buried. With the constitution, the grass didnt back up and went on their way. But what last gratitude and finds a way to speak to the dwindling crowd to understand how important it was, and the discussion of the war needs to continue to can turn to the same way on, monday, may 4th. This really took place between 12 noon and 1 00. Most students were leaving before the lunch period ended. After the rotc building was set on fire on saturday, i stayed up late on saturday night into sunday morning and watched as the National Guard took a position on the campus. I had a surreal feeling as i observed the movement of the troops. What are they come from so quickly . How did they even get here . What kind of trouble what happened when students arrived back on campus . Well, students walked around the building on sunday morning as they return to campus. A flimsy wooden fence had been erected while they were gone and kept from being too close. There were no more new protesting. Everything had quieted to ground, so why would the National Guard be there . One reason was that on may 1st. An entourage of officials arrived on campus. They were there to survey the student protesters. They were running for the congressional seat, and the election was made a day later, two days away. It was just Media Coverage to be splashed across in the state. He wanted to impress voters that he was a law and order candidate, so they would send them to washington. They didnt. Just using streetlight and searchlights from helicopters, students estates a sit in the center of town. They want to do hear from the mayor and wanted to know what was happening, who was in charge, and what was the National Guards exact role. Confusion reigned all around. On may fourth around 11 30 am, from sudanese gathered to continue the rally of may 1st. I adjusted it to allow specific students to stand out. You cant see it very well. In the front row of the legs and arms of jeffrey mueller, standing behind a female student. This was jeffrey miller. And carrying a dog, he has become the most recognizable student protester, the most iconic. She is right here. 14 years old, and there are two individuals and the photo. On the right, a native of Cincinnati Ohio where he was born in 1950. To his left, sandy sawyer. Fully attempting going to class, and was born in 1949 and young son, ohio. I watched as they reach the crest of the hill and the guard continue to advance. On the right, just under was the photo i took off our. She was a freshman honors student, and she was born in cleveland in 1951. This photo is difficult to look at, and i go back to 1969. And the banner that read bring all the troops home. At this point, it seemed to complete the objective, they dispersed to students from the crowd, and yet the guardsmen were still advancing. What more did i need to accomplish . What was the objective here . What they really wanted was for this all to ensure that they could just go home. I redness the rear, and then the gunshots began. I thought to be shooting blanks i take the photographed and fired, and then stood there. A moment later i thought to myself i should get down anyway. I would like a great target with this hanging around my neck, and i didnt have any so i swung around and went down to the ground, and just as i was dropping to my knees, i heard a young woman scream, oh my god there, using real bullets. Theyre shooting real bullets. I was 80 feet in front of bglcte guard when they turned and fired. This photo shows the ground in front, where the National Guard turned and fired. It is not show evidence of anything thrown at the guard, or anything that would have put their lives in danger. As he will testify in civil trials. I show this because we look at a photograph, you look at what the photographer intent for you to see, which is his interest. In the first photograph, you see the guns pointed in the air, the bayonets and people looking. If i go back feel, see what i mean. When i talk about someone in that right spot, youre kind of getting close to looking at me in my direction. Theyre looking in my closet position, i spotted john clearing just my left and a little bit behind me. He was at the base of the metal sculpture in front of taylor hall, i could not tell if he was dead or alive. He was lucky, he survived a shot in the chest. The first of my photo was on the cover of live magazine. Someone from life had comey a week before. Very well five or, you you would your. At the memorial, visitors see these exact words as they enter the memorial plaza. If youve not been to the memorial, you will not beginning it from there, but its a thing to see. And the first word is inquire. I asked myself hundreds of questions about what my photographs really captured, who is to blame for killing unarmed students, what role did the students have . Where the guardsman alpharetta risk, and was there in order to fire . For the word lauren, shortly after the shooting, i realize that subsequent killing of students precipitated the closing of colleges around the country. I remember reading this in the local paper and watching it on the television news. It was later that more than 4 Million Students and more than half of the 2500 colleges and universities went on strike during the week of may 4th. In response, this is all response, and making the largest in protest in history. The last word is reflect. Ive given talks on Public Schools to all great levels, College Classes and local community groups. My proudest moment happened in october of 2016. I told my story about hanoi university, where i was invited to speak to 200 undergraduates. And i could not have done this without the help from kent state international. These Young Students that heard about the protests in the United States from their parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles, but this was the first time they had heard the story from someone who actually was there, and a primary witness. The other thing is the students have recognized that the sacrifice in 1970 is what determined the ending of the vietnam war. And what happened and kent state, 90 of the troops in vietnam were scheduled to leave, and they recognize that. They really responded to what i had to say, actually. The people i told you about, those were the four students that died. So, id like to turn this over to questions. Im interested in your transition from a family that had many people in the military and how your experience in the military affected your view of what was going on, if you became an anti war activist at some point, or just even or without being an activist. Im interested in that transition or relationship. Growing up in a family of seven boys, my dad never drove, we actually did not have money for college. And as a young, poor middle class kid, i stood out of school for a year working several jobs. Trying to go to an Extension School but realizing its not going to work out well. A friend came in and decided he had just joined the air force and decided to join it to, they didnt take about half a second. Im with you, i was ready to go. As far as the war goes, sure, i was against the war. But i knew that if i did not enlist and get gi bill money, i could be something other than what i was, because in 1965 when i enlisted, when you got to your draft place, if they had drafted you, if the marines did not have enough marines to fill the quota, you are a marine, your marine. Air force and navy did not even have that problem. I thought it was better to enlist instead of taking my chances of being an army or marine. Then, when i was in the service, they probably did not have the same experience the same people did. Have a brother who was a mechanic in vietnam, i wrote press releases in waco, texas. My view of the war was still the same, i dont think it was just, i had no reason to believe it needed to be there. When i got to kent state, i held that view but my personal desire to do photography was stronger than my desire to be a protester, so i chose that in that way. I had to keep myself more objectified than trying to do one side or the other. Okay . Yes. I can explain that, really. Thats quite strange. When governor roads arrived on campus, he had a private appearance and they were fire police, state police, National Guardsmen, some reporters. And his words were being broadcast also to the facilities where the National Guard was very clear and the pronouncements of the fire station that he said that the students are worse than the brown shirts of world war ii. We are not going to let them get away with anything. This kind of stuff is going to stop here. We are no longer going to burn down 1 Million Dollar buildings, the building burned down was in 1942, world war ii barracks, worth about 100,000 dollars. He gave the guard and that top permission to use any force they could to stop the protesting. Would become very confusing and is probably something that needs more entering than they had ordered, why did the university give up their role and protecting their students . And why they feel they had to give up their position to the Ohio Governor . The Ohio Governor and governor roads gave up and took control of the university. He gave permission to the generals to do whatever they could to stop writing. That included that there would be no protests of any kind, peaceful or otherwise. So at 12 15 on may 1st, where the students were gathering, the students had to disperse or suffer the consequences. Although we did not know, it the guns were locked and loaded. Their bayonet were out, they had to gas masks on and even though, if i were to go back, the people in front of the crowd, maybe three to 500 protesters, and behind there were people that said, maybe cheerleaders or whatever. Behind that, you just had onlookers. I cant stay this was a school 18,000 students at this time. And the number of real protesters was fairly small. The guards just said that they had permission to disperse the crowd. The problem is they didnt have a plan b. Kent is a huge campus, like many college campuses, and they chased them and they disappeared. But when you look at the book you see that the guard ended up in what is a practice football field which is surrounded by six feet chain link fences, and they had nowhere to go themselves, and the students gathered again right in front of them. They couldve gone down backed rotc building very easily and easily avoided any confrontation, but they despair chose to disperse the students. From a military standpoint they chose to do it by chasing them up a hill, giving the guarded 20foot advantage over the parking lot of the football field, so when they reached that spot, there were a certain number of guards who turned and fired. We just heard them fire. A lot of conspiracy things about was there an order to fire, some people say there were, some say they might have been a gunshot. It really did not matter because the guard claimed their lives were in danger and we know that to be a lie. Regardless of what the guard had said, they shot and fired, and it took 10 years for one guardsmen to admit to a reporter that he intentionally stood there and shot two bullets into joe lewis, a student 60 feet in front of the guard when they fired. So, theres a lot of secrets, a lot we dont know, but we do know the guard got away with murder that day. There was a report that there was a tape where the word fire was heard. Have you heard that or any opinion on that . I have heard about the tape. I know who has the tape. The person who the audiologist who listened to it, he has passed away, so he cannot testify to anything anymore. I think it is interesting. I was 80 feet in front of the guard when they fired. I did not hear anything. It could have happened, but to me, it does not matter. I feel that there was a group of guardsmen there were a group of older, more seasoned guardsmen, and it seems they are the ones who stayed back as they marched up to the hill, and it was only that Certain Group who turned and fired. If you go back and look at that picture, you will see that the general is far ahead. Thats one of the things that is confusing about kent because no one knows who had c

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