Robert McNamara, the hippie artist and the Martha's Vineyard ferry.

This takes some beating. It is in today's Ephraim Hardcastle column in the Daily Mail (UK). Cover your keyboard.

"The death at 93 of controversial former US Defence Secretary Robert McNamara, who masterminded the disastrous Vietnam War, is marked with lengthy obituaries - and a strange, previously untold tale. While president of the World Bank, he caught the Martha's Vineyard ferry during a holiday. It was a night crossing in bad weather. McNamara was in the saloon, drink in hand, chatting with fellow passengers. A hippie artist (and anti-war activist) dashed in and told him there was a telephone call for him on the bridge. When McNamara came on deck, the artist tried to manhandle him over the railings into the sea. McNamara clung to the railings for dear life, "screaming blue murder", until other passengers saved him. Curiously, he decided against filing attempted murder charges when the ferry docked."

Well, I would half-expect American bohemians, artists, etc, to be a tad wilder than their European counterparts, but that was something else!

:P

In a way, it would make sense for McNamara not to want it publicised. Also, this columnist does have the "inside track" on a lot of political "carry-ons", here and in Europe, so I expect "insider", political anecdotes from the US would be also well within his bailiwick.

for Robert McNamara, as I find it difficult to attribute the war or its conduct to him, alone, or chiefly, but that he would probably have been, more, a mouth-piece; and, later, I believe was very remorseful for his role in that insane war. Pretty uncommon among the Great and the Good.

God knows the hearts of all of us, so it doesn't matter.

For anyone interested, I found a more detailed account of the event, written by Joseph L Galloway, in a newspaper called McClathchy:

"The most bizarre incident involving McNamara occurred when he was president of the World Bank and, off on his summer holiday, he caught the Martha's Vineyard ferry. It was a night crossing in bad weather. McNamara was in the salon, drink in hand, schmoozing with fellow passengers. On the deck outside a vineyard local, a hippie artist, glanced through the window and did a double-take. The artist was outraged to see McNamara, whom he viewed as a war criminal, so enjoying himself.

He immediately opened the door and told McNamara there was a radiophone call for him on the bridge. McNamara set down his drink and stepped outside. The artist immediately grabbed him, wrestled him to the railing and pushed him over the side. McNamara managed to get his fingers through the holes in the metal plate that ran from the top of the railing to the scuppers.

McNamara was screaming bloody murder; the artist was prying his fingers loose one at a time. Someone heard the racket and raced out and pulled the artist off.

By the time the ferry docked in the vineyard McNamara had decided against filing charges against the artist, and he was freed and walked away."