Linda Davis
Title
Linda Davis
Description
Linda Davis was 14 years old in the summer of 1967 and remembers the presence of a National Guardsman on her street.
Publisher
Detroit Historical Society
Date
08/09/2016
Rights
Detroit Historical Society, Detroit, MI
Format
Text
Language
en-US
Type
Written Story
Text
Even though the ’67 riot was happening, the reality of it did not hit me until a national guardsman was stationed on my street. He stood stolidly across the street from my house basically to protect a hostess cake truck that somehow managed to be turned upside down on my street. Which I assumed still had all or most of its contents still inside. I was 14 years old and woke up to notice this truck and immediately decided to wander off my porch, not to steal anything but to satisfy my curiosity about what was happening. My father had mentioned something about staying close to the house at this time but he never said don’t go off the porch.
We as children at this time were accustomed to leaving the house and not coming back until the street lights came on. We felt safe hanging out in the streets. As soon as I began to venture off the porch I heard a voice and looked up to see this guardsman motioning with his gun to move back on to the porch. The look on his face was as if he was saying I will shoot you if you come towards that truck. I assumed he was there to protect the contents of that truck until it was removed from my street, but as an adult I now realize that guardsman may have been ordered to shoot anyone for whatever reason. For whatever the reason he was there, either to keep order, to scare off looters, or just to intimate, they all were effective.
We as children at this time were accustomed to leaving the house and not coming back until the street lights came on. We felt safe hanging out in the streets. As soon as I began to venture off the porch I heard a voice and looked up to see this guardsman motioning with his gun to move back on to the porch. The look on his face was as if he was saying I will shoot you if you come towards that truck. I assumed he was there to protect the contents of that truck until it was removed from my street, but as an adult I now realize that guardsman may have been ordered to shoot anyone for whatever reason. For whatever the reason he was there, either to keep order, to scare off looters, or just to intimate, they all were effective.
Original Format
Email
Submitter's Name
Linda Davis
Submission Date
08/07/2016
Collection
Citation
“Linda Davis,” Detroit Historical Society Oral History Archive, accessed November 5, 2024, http://detroit1967.detroithistorical.org/items/show/346.