LAST TIME THEY TRIED TO KILL THE PRESIDENT
This year we have seen Latino anger over American immigration policies erupt into street demonstrations that shocked many U.S. citizens. Illegal immigrants brazenly waved foreign flags and flew the flag of the United States upside down and beneath the foreign flag. Citizens who have held counter demonstrations such as the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) and local Minuteman organizations have been met with violent resistance on occasion. The reaction of Americans is surprising, as Latino violence against Americans is not a new phenomena. There have been several incidents of Latin Americans living in this country turning to violence and taking up arms in reaction to U.S. policy. The following is but one of them.
In 1898 America went to war with Spain, ostensibly over the sinking of the Battleship Maine in Havana Harbor, but in reality it was to crush the Spaniards brutal attempts to quell the rebellion of its Cuban colony. It would be ignominious to try to pass that off as the only reason America went to war. There were certainly economic aspirations. Spain as a world power was in its last death throes, but America was a world power on the rise, riding the tide of the industrial revolution. Senator John M. Thurston of Nebraska declared "War with Spain would increase the business and earnings of every American railroad, it would increase the output of every American factory, it would stimulate every branch of industry and domestic commerce."
Victory came quick with a stunning defeat of the Spanish Navy. America graciously granted Cuba its independence, but in our own self-interest we held onto the the island of Puerto Rico. It was seen as a gateway to the eastern approaches of what would soon be the crowning achievement of American ingenuity, the Panama Canal, and the U.S. Navy wanted to guard it tenaciously.
To placate the Puerto Rican people the U.S. Congress granted them full American Citizenship in 1917, erasing a border with a people with whom we really did not share a cultural background. After several decades over one-fourth of all Puerto Ricans were residing on the mainland. One of these transplanted Puerto Ricans was the illegitimate son of a wealthy trader for who an American official had arranged a scholarship in 1912.
Pedro Albizu Campos was a brilliant young man by any cultures standards. He attended Harvard and received a law degree from the same. Most people would assume that one so lucky as Pedro would come to love his adopted country which offered him so much opportunity. But as often happens, that was not to be. Campos became resentful. He became homesick. He also became our enemy.
Campos finally left America and returned home, where the charismatic young man began to speak out for Puerto Rican independence. He quickly rose through the ranks and became leader of the Nationalist Party. To his followers, he became known as "El Maestro", and when his bid to win election failed, "El Maestro" took the route so familiar to Latin American leaders, armed rebellion. When over a dozen of his commrades were killed in 1937, Campos was sentenced to 10 years in the Atlanta federal prison.
When Campos was released from prison, he returned to Puerto Rico and quickly went back to his old ways. Following another Latin American tradition, he planned a coup. It was to take place on Nov. 4, 1950. Just so the world would take notice of this small island nations struggle, the assasination of President Harry S. Truman was to take place the next day. Word got out early though, and their dastardly deeds came to light. A premature and bloody assault by the militants bogged down outside the Governor's Mansion, and loyal police officers surrounded "El Maestro" at his San Juan headquarters. Word got back to the "Nuyorican" sympathizers in Manhattan, which set off a deadly sequence of events in Washington, D.C.
Back in the U.S., especially in New York, Puerto Rican Nationalists were quite upset about the predicament that "El Maestro" was in, and they were going to do something about it.
The date is November 1, 1950 and the weather is unseasonably warm in Washington, D.C. At 2:20 P.M. President Truman is taking a nap in a second floor bedroom of Blair House, a guesthouse on the White House complex, as his regular quarters are being re-modeled. At this time two men in suits arrive at the scene with murderous intent. One, Griselio Torresola, is armed with a German Luger. His shorter accomplice, Oscar Collazo, carries a Walther P38, the type of handgun made famous by James Bond.
This operation was supposed to take place on Nov. 5, but events in Puerto Rico have moved the assassination attempt up. Torresola and Collazo are Nationalist operatives who have been in the U.S. for some time and have extensive firearms training. Perhaps events happening as they did may have thrown their plan off just ever so slightly. After arriving at Blair House the two quickly separate. Collazo goes to the steps of Blair House where he comes up behind Police Officer Donald Birdzell. He draws his P38 and attempts to fire. The gun jams. Collazo pounds it with his fist and as Officer Birdzell turns around he is shot through the right knee at close range. Secret Service Agent Floyd Boring and Police Officer Joe Davidson hear the shot and can see what's happening, but they are separated from Birdzell by a wrought iron fence. They both pull their weapons and take aim at the intruder. Agent Boring is one of the Secret Service's best shots and had recently qualified with an almost perfect score. Luckily for Collazo the hail of bullets ricochet off the iron fence. Birdzell has now gotten up on his wounded leg and starts firing at Collazo himself. Agent Boring takes dead aim at Collazo's head and squeezes off an almost perfect shot. The round pierces Collazo's hat but instead of punching through his skull, it tears a flesh wound through his scalp. Officer Davidson squeezes off a round that pierces the right side of Collazo's back and exits his chest, lodging in his right arm. Collazo's gun is empty, and he sits down on the steps of Blair House to reload.
By now his comrade, Torresola, joins the fray. He comes upon a small guardhouse where Police Officer Leslie Coffelt sits. Coffelt sees Torresola and goes for his gun but it's too late, the assassin pumps four shots from his Luger, three of which hit Coffelt in the torso. Torresola rushes towards his prime objective, Blair House and the President. He is blocked by Police Officer Joe Downs, but like Coffelt he can't get to his gun in time. Torresola hits him in the hip, then two more shots rip into his chest and neck. Downs is out of the fight and Torresola keeps moving. He now runs into Birdzell, the first officer shot in the leg by Collazo. Torresola raises his gun and fires, hitting Birdzell in his other leg, felling him to the ground and taking him out of the action. As Birdzell lay unconscious on the pavement Torresola moves in to finish him off, but he is out of ammo. He reloads and continues on towards Blair House.
Oscar Collazo has also reloaded, but his wounds get the best of him and he falls unconscious to the ground. He is now out of the fight, but Torresola moves forward. He gets to within 30 feet of President Truman. Truman is now awake, startled by the gunfire. He comes to the bedroom window and looks down. He sees Torresola, which means Torresola can see him. It should be an easy shot, but he won't get to take it. Leslie Coffelt, who had been shot three times and is dying, takes aim. He drills a shot straight through Torresola's head, killing him. Coffelt draws a few last breaths and dies himself. The entire battle lasted less then a minute and about 30 shots have been fired.
This was not an isolated incident. In 1954 four Puerto Rican Nationalists attacked the U.S. House of Representatives, wounding five lawmakers. During the 70's the FALN (Armed Forces of National Liberation) committed over 100 bombings. One in New York in 1974 killed four people.
All this violence from an island of only 4 million people who were granted U.S. citizenship. Imagine what will happen if we grant citizenship to 20 million people and they don't get what they want.
James J. Calautti
In 1898 America went to war with Spain, ostensibly over the sinking of the Battleship Maine in Havana Harbor, but in reality it was to crush the Spaniards brutal attempts to quell the rebellion of its Cuban colony. It would be ignominious to try to pass that off as the only reason America went to war. There were certainly economic aspirations. Spain as a world power was in its last death throes, but America was a world power on the rise, riding the tide of the industrial revolution. Senator John M. Thurston of Nebraska declared "War with Spain would increase the business and earnings of every American railroad, it would increase the output of every American factory, it would stimulate every branch of industry and domestic commerce."
Victory came quick with a stunning defeat of the Spanish Navy. America graciously granted Cuba its independence, but in our own self-interest we held onto the the island of Puerto Rico. It was seen as a gateway to the eastern approaches of what would soon be the crowning achievement of American ingenuity, the Panama Canal, and the U.S. Navy wanted to guard it tenaciously.
To placate the Puerto Rican people the U.S. Congress granted them full American Citizenship in 1917, erasing a border with a people with whom we really did not share a cultural background. After several decades over one-fourth of all Puerto Ricans were residing on the mainland. One of these transplanted Puerto Ricans was the illegitimate son of a wealthy trader for who an American official had arranged a scholarship in 1912.
Pedro Albizu Campos was a brilliant young man by any cultures standards. He attended Harvard and received a law degree from the same. Most people would assume that one so lucky as Pedro would come to love his adopted country which offered him so much opportunity. But as often happens, that was not to be. Campos became resentful. He became homesick. He also became our enemy.
Campos finally left America and returned home, where the charismatic young man began to speak out for Puerto Rican independence. He quickly rose through the ranks and became leader of the Nationalist Party. To his followers, he became known as "El Maestro", and when his bid to win election failed, "El Maestro" took the route so familiar to Latin American leaders, armed rebellion. When over a dozen of his commrades were killed in 1937, Campos was sentenced to 10 years in the Atlanta federal prison.
When Campos was released from prison, he returned to Puerto Rico and quickly went back to his old ways. Following another Latin American tradition, he planned a coup. It was to take place on Nov. 4, 1950. Just so the world would take notice of this small island nations struggle, the assasination of President Harry S. Truman was to take place the next day. Word got out early though, and their dastardly deeds came to light. A premature and bloody assault by the militants bogged down outside the Governor's Mansion, and loyal police officers surrounded "El Maestro" at his San Juan headquarters. Word got back to the "Nuyorican" sympathizers in Manhattan, which set off a deadly sequence of events in Washington, D.C.
Back in the U.S., especially in New York, Puerto Rican Nationalists were quite upset about the predicament that "El Maestro" was in, and they were going to do something about it.
The date is November 1, 1950 and the weather is unseasonably warm in Washington, D.C. At 2:20 P.M. President Truman is taking a nap in a second floor bedroom of Blair House, a guesthouse on the White House complex, as his regular quarters are being re-modeled. At this time two men in suits arrive at the scene with murderous intent. One, Griselio Torresola, is armed with a German Luger. His shorter accomplice, Oscar Collazo, carries a Walther P38, the type of handgun made famous by James Bond.
This operation was supposed to take place on Nov. 5, but events in Puerto Rico have moved the assassination attempt up. Torresola and Collazo are Nationalist operatives who have been in the U.S. for some time and have extensive firearms training. Perhaps events happening as they did may have thrown their plan off just ever so slightly. After arriving at Blair House the two quickly separate. Collazo goes to the steps of Blair House where he comes up behind Police Officer Donald Birdzell. He draws his P38 and attempts to fire. The gun jams. Collazo pounds it with his fist and as Officer Birdzell turns around he is shot through the right knee at close range. Secret Service Agent Floyd Boring and Police Officer Joe Davidson hear the shot and can see what's happening, but they are separated from Birdzell by a wrought iron fence. They both pull their weapons and take aim at the intruder. Agent Boring is one of the Secret Service's best shots and had recently qualified with an almost perfect score. Luckily for Collazo the hail of bullets ricochet off the iron fence. Birdzell has now gotten up on his wounded leg and starts firing at Collazo himself. Agent Boring takes dead aim at Collazo's head and squeezes off an almost perfect shot. The round pierces Collazo's hat but instead of punching through his skull, it tears a flesh wound through his scalp. Officer Davidson squeezes off a round that pierces the right side of Collazo's back and exits his chest, lodging in his right arm. Collazo's gun is empty, and he sits down on the steps of Blair House to reload.
By now his comrade, Torresola, joins the fray. He comes upon a small guardhouse where Police Officer Leslie Coffelt sits. Coffelt sees Torresola and goes for his gun but it's too late, the assassin pumps four shots from his Luger, three of which hit Coffelt in the torso. Torresola rushes towards his prime objective, Blair House and the President. He is blocked by Police Officer Joe Downs, but like Coffelt he can't get to his gun in time. Torresola hits him in the hip, then two more shots rip into his chest and neck. Downs is out of the fight and Torresola keeps moving. He now runs into Birdzell, the first officer shot in the leg by Collazo. Torresola raises his gun and fires, hitting Birdzell in his other leg, felling him to the ground and taking him out of the action. As Birdzell lay unconscious on the pavement Torresola moves in to finish him off, but he is out of ammo. He reloads and continues on towards Blair House.
Oscar Collazo has also reloaded, but his wounds get the best of him and he falls unconscious to the ground. He is now out of the fight, but Torresola moves forward. He gets to within 30 feet of President Truman. Truman is now awake, startled by the gunfire. He comes to the bedroom window and looks down. He sees Torresola, which means Torresola can see him. It should be an easy shot, but he won't get to take it. Leslie Coffelt, who had been shot three times and is dying, takes aim. He drills a shot straight through Torresola's head, killing him. Coffelt draws a few last breaths and dies himself. The entire battle lasted less then a minute and about 30 shots have been fired.
This was not an isolated incident. In 1954 four Puerto Rican Nationalists attacked the U.S. House of Representatives, wounding five lawmakers. During the 70's the FALN (Armed Forces of National Liberation) committed over 100 bombings. One in New York in 1974 killed four people.
All this violence from an island of only 4 million people who were granted U.S. citizenship. Imagine what will happen if we grant citizenship to 20 million people and they don't get what they want.
James J. Calautti
posted by James at 3:10 PM
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