“You think you’re over it, but there is always something that will remind you of that dark moment in history.”Īfter hearing of Romero’s guilt Schrade reassured him that the gunman’s motive was clear and that the assassination was inevitable. “I was angry at myself, I was angry at God,” Romero said as he wiped his eyes. He has thought that if Kennedy had not stopped to shake his hand, or if he had been standing in front, Kennedy would not have been harmed. Romero spoke of his extensive guilt in the aftermath of the assassination. When I visited, I felt that I didn’t have his back.” “I don’t know too much about politics, but I know that the Kennedys acted from the heart and their intentions were to right the wrongs,” Romero said. “There were a hundred rosaries to replace the one I left in Kennedy’s hands,” Romero said.Īccording to Romero, he was particularly supportive of the Kennedy family’s politics because of its support of the Farm Worker’s Movement and Cesar Chavez. Kennedy died in a hospital hours after he was assassinated. Immediately after the shooting, Romero comforted Kennedy and placed a rosary in his hands. “All I noticed was a circle of shoes around Bobby Kennedy’s body and nobody offered to help him up,” Romero said. Later that night, after Kennedy had won the California Democratic primary election, he was assassinated while shaking Romero’s hand once again. “I walked out of the room feeling I was 20 feet tall.” Then 17-year-old Romero was allowed to deliver food on June 4, 1968, to Kennedy’s suite. Romero reflected on his first time meeting Kennedy, when Romero was a busboy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Rapaport contacted Schrade, a former United Auto Workers executive and friend of the Kennedy’s, via telephone. History teacher David Rapaport, who hosted the event, also invited American Broadcasting Company reporter Rigo Chacon and Paul Schrade to speak with Romero. Juan Romero, the man who held Robert Kennedy’s head in his hands upon the senator’s assassination, spoke of God, guilt and remembering the past late last month at Palo Alto High School.

History teacher David Rapaport thanks Juan Romero for giving his first talk ever to a group of high school students.

Rfk assassination busboy photo