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Wednesday, June 6, 2018

EVEN IN DEATH BOBBY INSPIRES AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE LOT OF HUMANITY

50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF DEATH OF RFK

Los Angeles, California (JFK+50) New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy died 50 ago this morning, June 6, 1968, at the Good Samaritan Hospital here in Los Angeles.

The Senator's death at 1:44 a.m. came more than 25 hours after he was shot in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel* following a speech celebrating his California primary victory.  Doctors operated on RFK for 3 hours and 45 minutes but were pessimistic due to the extent of bullet and bone fragments they found scattered through the brain.

RFK had been walking through the hotel kitchen pantry and was shaking hands with some employees when 24 year old Sirhan Sirhan** opened fire.  The assassin fired 8 shots from a 22 caliber Iver Johnson pistol.  3 shots hit RFK.  

Five other people were struck by bullets but all survived.  They included...
Elizabeth Evans, Ira Goldstein, Paul Schrade, Irwin Stroll and William Weisel.
With the Senator at the time of death were his wife Ethel, sister-in-law Jacqueline Kennedy, brother Ted, Peter Lawford and Steven Smith.

"Bobby is now in the realm of legend and myth, and even in death inspires an effort to improve the lot of humanity."

                                   William J. Eaton, 1969
     
*The Ambassador Hotel (1921-1989) was located at 3400 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.  Designed by Myron Hunt and offering 500 rooms, it was frequented by many Hollywood celebrities.  Six Academy Award ceremonies were held there.

**Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was born in Jerusalem in 1944 and emigrated to the U.S. at the age of 12.  Described as a Palestinian Christian with Jordanian citizenship, he was tried for the murder of RFK in 1969  SBS was convicted and sentenced to death but received a commutation to life imprisonment in 1972. He has been held in solitary confinement at the Pleasant Valley State Prison in Colinga since October 2009.  

SOURCE

 "RFK assassination witness willing to testify for Sirhan Sirhan's lawyers," by Brad Johnson and Michael Martinez, www.cnn.com/. 


Robert F. Kennedy on Campaign
Photo by Evan Freed (1968)