The 50th Anniversary of the Death of Robert Kennedy
It was 50 years ago today, on June 6, 1968 at 1:44 a.m. that Senator Robert Kennedy died. He was mortally wounded in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in the early hours of the previous day following his victory speech after winning the California Democratic Primary. He had just delivered his victory speech in the adjacent Embassy Ballroom. Robert Kennedy was 42 years of age when he died.
Kennedy had served as United States Attorney General from January 1961 until September 3, 1964, first in the cabinet of his brother President John F. Kennedy and then briefly under his nemesis Lyndon Johnson. He resigned to run for election to the United States Senate in New York, winning that election and being sworn in as Senator from New York on January 3, 1965. The approach of the 1968 presidential election saw the incumbent president Lyndon Johnson losing popularity during a period of civil unrest. There were riots in the major cities despite Johnson's attempts to introduce anti-poverty and anti-discrimination legislation, and there was significant opposition to the ongoing Vietnam War. The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in April 1968 led to further riots in 100 cities.
Kennedy entered the race for the Democratic Party's nomination for president on March 16, 1968, four days after Senator Eugene McCarthy, a candidate opposed to the war in Vietnam, received a large percentage of the vote in the New Hampshire primary against the incumbent President (42% to Johnson's 49%). Two weeks later, a demoralized Johnson announced he was no longer seeking re-election. One month later, Vice President Hubert Humphrey announced he would seek the presidency.
The 1968 California Primary took place on Tuesday, June 4. Four hours after the polls closed in California, Kennedy was declared the winner. At approximately 12:10 a.m. PDT, he addressed his campaign supporters in the Ambassador Hotel's Embassy Room ballroom. The government provided Secret Service protection for incumbent presidents but not for presidential candidates. Kennedy's only security was provided by former FBI agent William Barry and two unofficial bodyguards, former professional athletes Rosey Grier and Rafer Johnson. During the campaign, Kennedy had welcomed contact with the public.
Kennedy had planned to walk through the ballroom when he had finished speaking, on his way to another gathering of supporters elsewhere in the hotel.But Campaign aide Fred Dutton decided that Kennedy would forgo the second gathering and instead go through the kitchen and pantry area behind the ballroom to the press area. Kennedy finished speaking and started to exit when William Barry stopped him and said, "No, it's been changed. We're going this way." Barry and Dutton began clearing a way for Kennedy to go left through swinging doors to the kitchen corridor, but Kennedy, hemmed in by the crowd, followed maître d'hôtel Karl Uecker through a back exit.
Uecker led Kennedy through the kitchen area, holding Kennedy's right wrist but frequently releasing it as Kennedy shook hands with those he encountered. Uecker and Kennedy started down a passageway narrowed by an ice machine against the right wall and a steam table to the left. Kennedy turned to his left and shook hands with busboy Juan Romero. Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian with strong anti-Zionist beliefs, stepped down from a low tray-stacker beside the ice machine, rushed past Uecker, and repeatedly fired a .22 caliber Iver-Johnson Cadet revolver.
Kennedy fell to the floor and security man Bill Barry saw Sirhan holding a gun and hit him twice in the face while others, including maîtres d' Uecker and Edward Minasian, writer George Plimpton, Olympic gold medal decathlete Rafer Johnson and professional football player Rosey Grier, forced Sirhan against the steam table and disarmed him as he continued firing his gun in random directions. After a minute, Sirhan wrestled free and grabbed the revolver again, but he had already fired all the bullets. He was once again restrained.
The teenage busboy shown kneeling beside Senator Kennedy in the photo above is Juan Romero. In an LA Times interview given in 2010, Mr. Romero visited Arlington National Cemetery where Senator Kennedy is buried. Mr. Romero now works as a construction worker in San Jose. He told reporter Steve Lopez that he has been haunted for decades by the events of June 5, 1968. Here is an excerpt from that story, which can be found here:
Romero's family moved to California from Mexico when he was 10. He lived in projects for a while and might have gotten caught up in the gang life except that his stepfather yanked him out of that world and helped get him a job at the Ambassador Hotel.
When Kennedy called for room service a few nights before the California primary, Romero paid off another busboy for the privilege of delivering his food. Even though he was just 17, Romero knew that RFK was a man of empathy who had walked with Cesar Chavez, and he felt more accepted as an immigrant -- more American -- just knowing that Kennedy might become president.
When Kennedy shook Romero's hand, in the presidential suite, Juan was transformed. In that firm grip, he felt appreciated, he felt whole, he felt like a man. Two nights later, when Kennedy won the primary, Juan raced to the Ambassador pantry and shook RFK's hand again as the candidate went to deliver his victory speech.
After the speech, Romero pressed through the crowd again, his pride swelling. Once more, he shook Kennedy's hand. And then came the gunshot. Four and a half years after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and two months after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Bobby lay dying from an assassin's bullet.
He was shot while holding Romero's hand.
At Arlington on Saturday, Romero, now 60, walked slowly. His chest was tight and his shoulders stiff as he made his way toward the simple, small white cross that marks RFK's grave. He had wept the night before as he anticipated this moment, telling me how he had refused to wash Kennedy's dried blood off his hand.
Kennedy had served as United States Attorney General from January 1961 until September 3, 1964, first in the cabinet of his brother President John F. Kennedy and then briefly under his nemesis Lyndon Johnson. He resigned to run for election to the United States Senate in New York, winning that election and being sworn in as Senator from New York on January 3, 1965. The approach of the 1968 presidential election saw the incumbent president Lyndon Johnson losing popularity during a period of civil unrest. There were riots in the major cities despite Johnson's attempts to introduce anti-poverty and anti-discrimination legislation, and there was significant opposition to the ongoing Vietnam War. The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in April 1968 led to further riots in 100 cities.
Kennedy entered the race for the Democratic Party's nomination for president on March 16, 1968, four days after Senator Eugene McCarthy, a candidate opposed to the war in Vietnam, received a large percentage of the vote in the New Hampshire primary against the incumbent President (42% to Johnson's 49%). Two weeks later, a demoralized Johnson announced he was no longer seeking re-election. One month later, Vice President Hubert Humphrey announced he would seek the presidency.
The 1968 California Primary took place on Tuesday, June 4. Four hours after the polls closed in California, Kennedy was declared the winner. At approximately 12:10 a.m. PDT, he addressed his campaign supporters in the Ambassador Hotel's Embassy Room ballroom. The government provided Secret Service protection for incumbent presidents but not for presidential candidates. Kennedy's only security was provided by former FBI agent William Barry and two unofficial bodyguards, former professional athletes Rosey Grier and Rafer Johnson. During the campaign, Kennedy had welcomed contact with the public.
Kennedy had planned to walk through the ballroom when he had finished speaking, on his way to another gathering of supporters elsewhere in the hotel.But Campaign aide Fred Dutton decided that Kennedy would forgo the second gathering and instead go through the kitchen and pantry area behind the ballroom to the press area. Kennedy finished speaking and started to exit when William Barry stopped him and said, "No, it's been changed. We're going this way." Barry and Dutton began clearing a way for Kennedy to go left through swinging doors to the kitchen corridor, but Kennedy, hemmed in by the crowd, followed maître d'hôtel Karl Uecker through a back exit.
Uecker led Kennedy through the kitchen area, holding Kennedy's right wrist but frequently releasing it as Kennedy shook hands with those he encountered. Uecker and Kennedy started down a passageway narrowed by an ice machine against the right wall and a steam table to the left. Kennedy turned to his left and shook hands with busboy Juan Romero. Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian with strong anti-Zionist beliefs, stepped down from a low tray-stacker beside the ice machine, rushed past Uecker, and repeatedly fired a .22 caliber Iver-Johnson Cadet revolver.
Kennedy fell to the floor and security man Bill Barry saw Sirhan holding a gun and hit him twice in the face while others, including maîtres d' Uecker and Edward Minasian, writer George Plimpton, Olympic gold medal decathlete Rafer Johnson and professional football player Rosey Grier, forced Sirhan against the steam table and disarmed him as he continued firing his gun in random directions. After a minute, Sirhan wrestled free and grabbed the revolver again, but he had already fired all the bullets. He was once again restrained.
The teenage busboy shown kneeling beside Senator Kennedy in the photo above is Juan Romero. In an LA Times interview given in 2010, Mr. Romero visited Arlington National Cemetery where Senator Kennedy is buried. Mr. Romero now works as a construction worker in San Jose. He told reporter Steve Lopez that he has been haunted for decades by the events of June 5, 1968. Here is an excerpt from that story, which can be found here:
Romero's family moved to California from Mexico when he was 10. He lived in projects for a while and might have gotten caught up in the gang life except that his stepfather yanked him out of that world and helped get him a job at the Ambassador Hotel.
When Kennedy called for room service a few nights before the California primary, Romero paid off another busboy for the privilege of delivering his food. Even though he was just 17, Romero knew that RFK was a man of empathy who had walked with Cesar Chavez, and he felt more accepted as an immigrant -- more American -- just knowing that Kennedy might become president.
When Kennedy shook Romero's hand, in the presidential suite, Juan was transformed. In that firm grip, he felt appreciated, he felt whole, he felt like a man. Two nights later, when Kennedy won the primary, Juan raced to the Ambassador pantry and shook RFK's hand again as the candidate went to deliver his victory speech.
After the speech, Romero pressed through the crowd again, his pride swelling. Once more, he shook Kennedy's hand. And then came the gunshot. Four and a half years after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and two months after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Bobby lay dying from an assassin's bullet.
He was shot while holding Romero's hand.
At Arlington on Saturday, Romero, now 60, walked slowly. His chest was tight and his shoulders stiff as he made his way toward the simple, small white cross that marks RFK's grave. He had wept the night before as he anticipated this moment, telling me how he had refused to wash Kennedy's dried blood off his hand.