Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

there was a congregation of students at the Victory Bell, which resulted in the Chief of Police of Kent State
to attempt to enlist the help of the Highway Patrol; however, the patrol refused to make its way on campus
unless there were illicit activities that called for arrests (Best, 2010). Later that evening, the ROTC building
began to suffer some damage and destruction. Rocks were launched at the ROTC building and then fire was
set to it. An American flag was also incinerated (U.S. President’s Commission on Campus Unrest, 1970).
Firefighters attempted to extinguish the fire, but their attempts were futile, because students damaged the
hose and launched rocks at the firefighters. The firefighters eventually left the scene. The fire died out on its
own. Then, the fire seemed to have rekindled itself by means of live ammunition.
Many different authority figures arrived at Kent State. “[Campus] police, sheriff’s deputies, highway
patrolmen, and National Guardsmen had assembled on campus” (U.S. President’s Commission on Campus
Unrest, 1970, p. 251). General Del Corso informed McElroy, who, in turn, informed Governor James A.
Rhodes that the National Guard was in the downtown area of Kent and at Kent State University (U.S.
President’s Commission on Campus Unrest, 1970). The State Highway Patrol made their way to campus
because arrests were warranted and necessary (U.S. President’s Commission on Campus Unrest, 1970).
Firefighters had made their return to campus in an attempt to extinguish the burning ROTC building once
again. Guardsmen, along with Kent State police, attempted to guard the firefighters, while they
extinguished the massive fire. The firefighters successfully extinguished the fire. However, it was too late.
There was basically nothing left of the ROTC building, except ash. There was $86,000 worth of damage
and destruction (U.S. President’s Commission on Campus Unrest, 1970).
The message sent by the incineration of the ROTC building was that people were very opposed to the
war in Vietnam. They did not believe in war. They did not believe in training people to take other human
lives. Their message appeared to be purely political. It was later discovered that the majority of people who
played a major role in the incineration of the ROTC building were not students of Kent State University
and it was thoroughly planned before the incident actually occurred, which is evident because no person
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