30 Years Ago Now

March 30, 1981, 2:27 p.m., Rawhide Waves

A split second later, Rawhide Down

Seconds later

A recovering President with Nancy

Sitting tall again

We Are a Shining City on a Hill

The recently released book, Rawhide Down, by Del Quentin Wilber, tells the gripping story of   the assination attempt and near death of President Ronald Reagan March 30, 1981, 2:25 p.m. The assassin, John Hinckley, Jr., pulled off six shots from a .22 caliber handgun with Devastator hollow-point bullets. Four of the Devastators found a mark. The first hit Presidential Press Secretary, James Brady in the head. Other bullets wounded District of Columbia police officer Thomas Delahanty and Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy.

The final round ricocheted off a panel of the Presidential limo and tore through Reagan. It lay spent just one inch from the President’s heart. Reagan thought the pain he felt came from landing sharply on his rib as lead Secret Service Agent Jerry Parr thrust the president into the car. Reagan lived because of Parr’s action then and his decision to go to the Hospital, Not the White House. Still, Rawhide was nearly lost. He had lost half of his blood by the time the Emergency room team could act.

The entire story is riveting. Go ahead own it; read Rawhide Down.