European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 10, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 4 the stars and stripes monday june _ a wisc a i Kimii Timi m 1 4 in 19?89 4 Days in 1963 another Nightmare in the american dream editor s note there was an awful symmetry about them those four Days that be Gan in Dallas for one brother and in los Angeles for theother. Here is a moving account of the events that saw Robert Kennedy killed and the dark parallels to that other killing 1% years earlier. A by Saul Pett and Jules Loh associated press writers "0, my god i am heartily sorry for having offended thee the priest said for himself an for us in trauma room 1 in was the offence whose was it not again the same searing Struc Ture of events. Four Days then four Days now. Yet another night Mare in the american the same remorseless crowds on a note of the guns go off. And one kills a president named Ken Nedy who had been a senator and the other kills a senator named Kennedy who might have been president. Shock horror profound disarray in the Ameri can Republic the agony of look ing inward deep into our nation Al soul. My god we cry we cried then what Are we coming to now locked together four Days in 1968, four Day sin 1963. Two events two men now locked together into history by name and style and purpose and by the manner of their coming and manner of their go came to their last place for political reasons Robert Ken Nedy to California on the Road he hoped to the democratic presidential nomination John Kennedy to Texas to help unify democrats there on the Road he hoped to reelection in 1964.John Kennedy wanted to be president he said because that was the ultimate Center of action to affect his time. Rober Kennedy wanted to be president he said because in the presi Dency More than any other place changes can be made inthe direction of the be cause too said a Friend of Robert Kennedy he feels a sense of incompleteness about his brother s administration. And this is almost the last Mountaintop and people everywhere in the screaming leaping crowds they both attracted noted the similarities in the two Brothers. More than the differences the similarities would be remembered. Kennedy mystique the Elan of youth Money motion Confidence style. The Ken Nedy mystique it was called. And Between them the Sam sense or irony self depreciating humor aversion to pomposity the same manner of speaking right hand pumping same accent cadence and rhythm. Robert Kennedy exhibited less detachment and poise. He used humor More but laughed less an that led you to notice his eyes and in Hose eyes was the big Dif Ference Between the two men in the years that one lived and theother did t. In those Blue eyes and on that taut angular face of Robert Kennedy there was a look of infinite sadness of terrible Hurt and people who knew h i m said it was t there before Kennedy believed with Julius Caesar that death a Neces sary end would come when it would come and he did not fear it. Bobby a Man who climbed mountains skied canned in rap ids and played a hard game of touch football was asked re journeys paralleled Robert f. Kennedy and John Are joined again after Long and similar journeys. A gently if he enjoyed physical risk. He said it was part of a Man s he quoted an essayist men Are not made for Safe two weeks ago he re marked to the French writer remain Gary there is no Way to protect candidate during the Campaign. You must give yourself to the crowd and from then on you must take your chances. In an Case you must have Luck to be elected president of the unite states. You have it or you Don t. I know that there will be a attempt on my life sooner or later. Not so much for political reasons but through contagion through shared his brother s fatal ism a sense of the anybody really wanted to shoot the president of the unite states president Kennedy re marked on the last morning of his life it is not a very difficult Job. All one has to do is Geton a High building some Day with a telescopic Rifle and therein nothing anyone could do to defend you against such an get Down get Down at the Start of the last week of his life Robert Kennedy was giving himself to the crowd a Oxnard calif., standing on the seat of a convertible As it inched through mobbed streets. Some one shouted that Guy has Agun an aide raced Back to the convertible and cried to the sen Ator get Down get Down the gun wrestled from theman s hands proved to be a toy. Robert Kennedy did no know that. But he did not get seven minutes after mid night june 5, 1968, Robert Ken Nedy was very much up on his feet and up in spirit. After los ing to sen. Eugene Mccarthy in Oregan he needed to win the California primary in the Politi Cian s phrase to stay 12 07 . He was still a viable candidate. The return showed him ahead of sen. Mccarthy by a percentage Point 44to 43, but los Angeles county was just beginning to Roll in Roll in heavily for Kennedy. Los Angeles would make him a win Ner politically speaking. Robert Kennedy his wife Ethel and a few aides took the freight elevator Down to the Kitchen of los Angeles Ambas Sador hotel just behind the ornate fiercely lighted embassy room where 2,000 supporters waited his triumphant entry. The route was Odd. Typical Ken Nedy style was not to slip in the Back Way. Typical Kenned style was to plunge straight through the crowd through the clutching and tearing and wild adoration. But that would have meant delay and the people had been waiting Long enough in the hot room. Besides Robert Ken Nedy had planned a Small Victor party with a few friends at a night spot called the factory and the hour was late. He decided he would make his speech and leave by the Kitchen too. He made his Way to the podium and smiled the subdued crinkle eyed smile the Kenned smile and waved still the Din of want he said to express my gratitude to mar dog Freck Les who s been maligned and i Don t care what they say a Franklin Roosevelt said i Don t care what they say about debut when they Start to attack my dog. Typical open witha few easy gags and then to the serious stuff. A great country the nomination was still Long Long away and there was a National television audience watching and Robert Kennedy restated again his goals and his beliefs in his intense Way. Work ing together he said Ameri cans could put an end to the division the violence the disenchantment with our America he said is a great country and a selfless country and a compassionate , As he had begun he ended on a buoyant note so my thanks to All of you and on to Chicago and let s win there he said. Then he stepped Down fro the podium and into the cheers the cheering was reaching a climactic Roar that Day in dal Las As the president s motor Cade rolled on toward Houston and Elm. Despite Advance signs of extreme anti Kennedy feeling there John Kennedy was receiving a tremendous . President said the wife of the governor of Texas you can t say Dallas does t love John Kenned agreed. The motorcade was now Only about 30 seconds away from the Texas school Book depository. Out rear Doormat 12 16 ., Robert Kennedy followed a procession of aides and friends out the rear door of the embassy room into the Kitchen. Roosevelt Grier was with him the huge lineman of the los Angeles rams and Rafer Johnson the olympic ath Lete tall and quiet and Broad shouldered and Billy Barry Al ways Bill Barry the big Grin Ning irishman who was Rober Kennedy s bodyguard and de voted Friend and Milt Gwirtz Man of the issues staff and several others All anxious Roget to that party at the factory. And of course Ethel Kenned was there pregnant again but looking Bright and chirpy a usual. They All passed through the crowd in the Kitchen corridor hotel employees reporters an others strangers. Smiling when hit Robert Kennedy stretched across a Long steel work table to accept the reaching hands of the Kitchen Crew and he was Smil ing when the bullets hit. One hit him in the armpit and course upward and one hit him behind the right ear and ripped into his brain. And the gunman was still Kennedy made no out cry. He fell backward to the floor and in one awful moment the world had gone mad again and screams and curses and cries filled that hotel gunman was clearly visible in the flashes from his cheap .22-caliber pistol that lit the room and Bill Barry grabbed him an Roosevelt Grier grabbed him and Rafer Johnson grabbed him. And again and again Roos Evelt hit the hand holding the pistol against the steel table and it fell finally and Rafer picked it up and Roosevelt cried Don t let anything happen to him. We want him alive on the floor Milt Gwirtzman cradled the bloody head of Rob Ert Kennedy in his hands and priest placed a Rosary in the senator s hand and he took it and the priest began the act of contritions5 am heartily sorry � l a there Yere others on the floor some Here some five other bleeding crowd Ted screaming and weeping crying out like men atop Mountain cursing the sky in tempest crying and cursing and pleading of no no no 3again, of no no no not again i and the police came and Billberry shoved the gunman at them and they took him away and outside red lights flashed and sirens wailed and million watched on television in another electronic Marvel of bringing madness into their living rooms and the ambulance came an men with a Stretcher took Rob Ert Kennedy away took him away and that big Man that big Black Man that gentle Man Roosevelt Grier wept like a was 12 30 . In Dallas when the Bullet that counted for everything hit John Kennedy be Hind the right ear. It was 12 16 . In los Angeles when the Bullet that counted for every thing hit Robert Kennedy be Hind the right ear and lodged deep in his brain. John Kennedy it is said was hit by a Rifle that Cost $19.95. Robert Kennedy it is said was hit by a pistol that Cost $30.95. The total Cost of eliminating a president of the United states and a candidate for president of the United states was $50.90. How much other history can you buy these Days in the world s most affluent society for $50.90? heard heartbeat the ambulance took Rober Kennedy to Central receiving Hospital where he appeared tour. Victor Baz to be practically the patient had no pulse beat. He was not breath ing. His heart gave no sound through the Stethoscope. Or. Baz furiously massaged Robe Kennedy s Chest Over the heart. He gave him adrenalin and have him oxygen and then Ai Long last he heard a the frantic m n rations Ethel Kennedy though her husband was gone a h two older Brothers and sister ripes european edition col. James w. 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