On Saturday, Oct. 20, 1973, he resigned rather than follow President Nixon's command to fire Archibald Cox, the Watergate special prosecutor.
He said engineers were working to reboot the craft's control system and then there would be another attempt to send the command to fire the engines.
Soldiers were commanded to open fire at peaceful protesters, arrest activists, and close down entire cities, towns, and villages.
Soldiers were commanded to open fire at peaceful protestors, arrest activists, and close down entire cities, towns, and villages.
Later the whipsawed aide would affirm the truth of what he wrote at the time, but nervously added language pleasing to White House lawyers: "She did not command me to fire them".
Other soldiers, thinking they had heard the command to fire, followed suit.
A sheriff gave the command to fire and Wilkerson braced for the barrage.
Ordering his escort into line of battle, Blunt turned to give the command to fire, but found his troops "in full gallop over the prairie, completely panic-stricken".
Amid the welter of conflicting testimony, Adams demonstrated that no one knew for sure who, if anyone, had given a command to fire.
