Posted on 12/26/2005 2:02:18 PM PST by Covenantor
Description
American Gunfight is the fast-paced, definitive, and breathtakingly suspenseful account of an extraordinary historical event -- the attempted assassination of President Harry Truman in 1950 by two Puerto Rican Nationalists and the bloody shoot-out in the streets of Washington, D.C., that saved the president's life.
Written by Pulitzer Prize-winner Stephen Hunter, the widely admired and bestselling novelist and author of such books as Havana, Hot Springs, and Dirty White Boys, and John Bainbridge, Jr., an experienced journalist and lawyer, American Gunfight is at once a groundbreaking work of meticulous historical research and the vivid and dramatically told story of an act of terrorism that almost succeeded. They have pieced together, at last, the story of the conspiracy that nearly doomed the president and how a few good men -- ordinary guys who were willing to risk their lives in the line of duty -- stopped it.
It is a book about courage -- on both sides -- and about what politics and devotion to a cause can lead men to do, and about what actually happens, second by second, when a gunfight explodes.
It begins on November 1, 1950, an unseasonably hot afternoon in the sleepy capital. At 2:00 P.M. in his temporary residence at Blair House, the president of the United States takes a nap. At 2:20 P.M., two men approach Blair House from different directions. Oscar Collazo, a respected metal polisher and family man, and Griselio Torresola, an unemployed salesman, don't look dangerous, not in their new suits and hats, not in their calm, purposeful demeanor, not in their slow, unexcited approach. What the three White House policemen and one Secret Service agent cannot guess is that under each man's coat is a 9mm German automatic pistol and in each head, a dream of assassin's glory.
At point-blank range, Collazo and then Torresola draw and fire and move toward the president of the United States.
Hunter and Bainbridge tell the story of that November day with narrative power and careful attention to detail. They are the first to report on the inner workings of this conspiracy; they examine the forces that led the perpetrators to conceive the plot. The authors also tell the story of the men themselves, from their youth and the worlds in which they grew up to the women they loved and who loved them to the moment the gunfire erupted. Their telling commemorates heroism -- the quiet commitment to duty that in some moments of crisis sees some people through an ordeal, even at the expense of their lives.
The authors did very well in describing the 39.5 second or so gun fight at the Blair House in which Truman was staying while the White House cross the street was undergoing major renovations. Not a simple task given the shortness of the actual event. They interleave the backgrounds of the participants with detail accounts of the event itself.
This nearly tragic attempt resulted in a complete overhaul of the Secret Service approach to presidential protection.
The authors point out that there were actual two distinct gunfights, one from each of the approaches to the Blair House by each of the would be assassins. Each gunfight was an event unto itself, very different from the other. The outcomes were in the main determined by the training and personalities of the actors.
A very riveting account of that day.
Interesting that in that era, with no movie or video press corps in attendance, the best approximation of the time elapsed was obtained by timing the response of a 19 year old electrician working up the strreet. On hearing the first shots he immediatley ran to the sounds of gun fire and to aid a downed officer. Reconstructing his dash provided the time.
ping
Was these terrorists members of the same group that Clinton pardoned?
I'd have to go back and check. Probably, as there seems to have been only one main group. Interestingly having lost in the plebescite by a huge margin, rather than listening to the voters, they immediately decided on terror tactics.
Yes, the evil Clintons pardoned the whole crew to help Hillary seize the Senate seat in NY. The story of the terrorists is far more brutal than this short article describes.
BTTT
4 protesters held for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at Navy vehicle on Vieques
News/Current Events Breaking News News Keywords: VIEQUES, PUERTO RICO, TERRORIST ATTACK ON NAVY, MARXIST SCUM
Source: The San Juan Star Published: Thursday, August 9, 2001 Author: By Laura Albertelli
Posted on 08/09/2001 22:05:01 PDT by 4Freedom
Four masked anti-Navy activists - two women and two men - were arrested by local police Wednesday in the Mount Carmelo area of Vieques after allegedly throwing four Molotov cocktails at a Navy military convoy.
Police Superintendent Pierre Vivoni said the four may face "severe criminal charges." including attempted arson, violation of the Explosives Law, and hiding one's identity during the commission of a crime.
At press time, the four suspects were at the District Attorney's Office in Fajardo waiting to be charged in court.
Police identified the suspects as Juan Ramon Rodriguez Santiago, a 29-year-old Bayamon resident; Armando Felix Ramos, a 26-year-old Vieques resident; Myrna Cuzman Vega, an 18-year-old University of Puerto Rico student; and Wilmary Rodriguez Santos, 19, a Sacred Heart University student, "I don't know exactly what we will charge them with, since some of the witnesses haven't been able to make it to Fajardo yet. But what Vivoni said makes sense . . . maybe not attempted arson, but attempting to do damage to property," said case prosecutor Laura Hernandez at press time.
Vivoni dubbed the incident as something that goes far beyond "peaceful acts of civil disobedience." He said, "these are criminal acts that can lead to someone's death and cannot be condoned under any circumstances."
Vivoni was called back to the tiny island from a meeting in St. Thomas to deal with the situation.
According to Vivoni, the four were spotted by a police patrol car throwing bottles filled with flammable material against a Navy military vehicle a few feet inside Camp Garcia gates. The youths were allegedly throwing the bottles from a cement platform overlooking Federal land.
"The patrol car stopped to check what was going on because they saw smoke. Three agents saw them throw bottles at a Navy vehicle that was driving by. The Explosives Unit confirmed the bottles were what is known as Molotov cocktails," Vivoni said.
The superintendent added that four other bottles "prepared to be thrown" were found near the cement structure where the incident occurred around 10:30 a.m.
The two girls were arrested on the spot. The other two, who attempted to run away after they saw the police car, were nabbed later, he said.
"Violating the Explosives Law can lead to maximum sentences of 20 to 30 years in jail," Hernandez said.
Anti-Navy protest leader Ismael Guadalupe said he doesn't support such violent acts on behalf of activists struggling to get the Navy out of Vieques. However, he said, "this is a predictable reaction from desperate people who don't have alternatives to fight back against those who attack them."
If you believe it was "evil" for Clinton to pardon the terrorists that attempted to murder members of congress, how "evil" was it of Bush and Rove to not even prosecute these 4 Puerto Rican terrorists for attempting to murder enlisted, active duty, U.S. Navy personnel on the island of Vieques in 2001?
ncountylee - "Was these terrorists members of the same group that Clinton pardoned?"
FormerACLUmember - "Yes, the evil Clintons pardoned the whole crew to help Hillary seize the Senate seat in NY. The story of the terrorists is far more brutal than this short article describes."
Not really. The attacks on the Blair House and later on the Capitol in the 50's were carried out by the Puerto Rico Nationalist Party, as part of an ill-fated revolt that was to occur on the island.
The terrorists that Clinton pardoned were part of another group, based mostly in Chicago and New York, the FALN, who carried out terror acts in the mainland in the 70's and 80's. They sometimes operated in conjunction with the island based "Macheteros".
It must be noted that the Puerto Rico pro-independence movement is tiny, a fringe movement actually, and this thugs wanted to get through violence what they couldn't get through the ballot box. They are all mostly out of action now.
Puerto Rico ping.
FreepMail me if you want on or off the list.
I read the book and I agree that it is a good book about the gunfight. What I don't agree with is with the author's sympathetic view of the nationalists. They and their actions are almost universally aborred on the island.
"Not really. The attacks on the Blair House and later on the Capitol in the 50's were carried out by the Puerto Rico Nationalist Party, as part of an ill-fated revolt that was to occur on the island."
And most of this bunch were pardoned by Jimmy Carter in the late 70's.
"The attacks on the Blair House and later on the Capitol in the 50's were carried out by the Puerto Rico Nationalist Party, as part of an ill-fated revolt that was to occur on the island."
And most of this bunch were pardoned by Jimmy Carter in the late 70's."
They are of the same species.
I was going to say that Jimmah Cartah pardoned most of the 1950s Puerto Rico Nationalist Party terrorists who shot up Congress and attempted to assassinate President Truman, but I see that you already mentioned it.
If that's true and your statement isn't more BS, then these 4 terrorists are in jail for attempted murder, right?
The majority of the residents of Puerto Rico that love America so much and not just our money and the convenience of an American passport demanded that these 4 animals be locked up for attempting to murder American soldiers. Right?
"Police identified the suspects as Juan Ramon Rodriguez Santiago, a 29-year-old Bayamon resident; Armando Felix Ramos, a 26-year-old Vieques resident; Myrna Cuzman Vega, an 18-year-old University of Puerto Rico student; and Wilmary Rodriguez Santos, 19, a Sacred Heart University student, "I don't know exactly what we will charge them with, since some of the witnesses haven't been able to make it to Fajardo yet. But what Vivoni said makes sense . . . maybe not attempted arson, but attempting to do damage to property," said case prosecutor Laura Hernandez at press time."
Tell us what prison these animals are in.
You can't, because they're not. The residents of Puerto Rico don't care how many 'Grigos' are killed as long as there's enough of them left to pay Puerto Rico's bills.
No. Most of these were pardoned by Jimmy Carter.
-Theo
He just lets them go and gives in to their demands.
4 Protesters Held For Allegedly Throwing Molotov cocktails At Navy Vehicles On Vieques
4 protesters held for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at Navy vehicle on Vieques
News/Current Events Breaking News News Keywords: VIEQUES, PUERTO RICO, TERRORIST ATTACK ON NAVY, MARXIST SCUM
Source: The San Juan Star
Published: Thursday, August 9, 2001 Author: By Laura Albertelli
Posted on 08/09/2001 22:05:01 PDT by 4Freedom Four masked anti-Navy activists - two women and two men - were arrested by local police Wednesday in the Mount Carmelo area of Vieques after allegedly throwing four Molotov cocktails at a Navy military convoy.
Police Superintendent Pierre Vivoni said the four may face "severe criminal charges." including attempted arson, violation of the Explosives Law, and hiding one's identity during the commission of a crime.
At press time, the four suspects were at the District Attorney's Office in Fajardo waiting to be charged in court.
Police identified the suspects as Juan Ramon Rodriguez Santiago, a 29-year-old Bayamon resident; Armando Felix Ramos, a 26-year-old Vieques resident; Myrna Cuzman Vega, an 18-year-old University of Puerto Rico student; and Wilmary Rodriguez Santos, 19, a Sacred Heart University student, "I don't know exactly what we will charge them with, since some of the witnesses haven't been able to make it to Fajardo yet. But what Vivoni said makes sense . . . maybe not attempted arson, but attempting to do damage to property," said case prosecutor Laura Hernandez at press time.
Vivoni dubbed the incident as something that goes far beyond "peaceful acts of civil disobedience." He said, "these are criminal acts that can lead to someone's death and cannot be condoned under any circumstances."
Vivoni was called back to the tiny island from a meeting in St. Thomas to deal with the situation.
According to Vivoni, the four were spotted by a police patrol car throwing bottles filled with flammable material against a Navy military vehicle a few feet inside Camp Garcia gates. The youths were allegedly throwing the bottles from a cement platform overlooking Federal land.
"The patrol car stopped to check what was going on because they saw smoke. Three agents saw them throw bottles at a Navy vehicle that was driving by. The Explosives Unit confirmed the bottles were what is known as Molotov cocktails," Vivoni said.
The superintendent added that four other bottles "prepared to be thrown" were found near the cement structure where the incident occured around 10:30 a.m.
The two girls were arrested on the spot. The other two, who attempted to run away after they saw the police car, were nabbed later, he said.
"Violating the Explosives Law can lead to maximum sentences of 20 to 30 years in jail," Hernandez said.
Anti-Navy protest leader Ismael Guadalupe said he doesn't support such violent acts on behalf of activists struggling to get the Navy out of Vieques. However, he said, "this is a predictable reaction from desperate people who don't have alternatives to fight back against those who attack them."
These 4 Puerto Rican terrorists are running around loose, so are the ones Carter and Clinton pardoned and there are morons that are stupid enough to think that they can goad FReepers into publishing their adresses with a dare.
It must be something in the water down there. It's probably a chemical reaction between all the dirty Pampers, empty beer bottles and raw sewage released every time there's a heavy rain on the island.
LOL!
I imagine such decisions are made by local prosecutors, not by the President and his direct staff. Likely there wasn't enough evidence to obtain a conviction. Since this was in 2001, and since President Bush, unlike President Clinton, did not replace all federal prosecutors at the beginning of his administration, this decision was most probably made by a Clinton appointee.
Of course there's no follow up at the link posted, so how are we to know what the final charges and dispositions were?
The two female terrorists didn't run.
They were caught red-handed in their ski masks at the scene where they had already thrown 4 Molotov cocktails and with 4 more in their possession and ready to be thrown.
That's enough evidence for any court.
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