On this day in 1962,

East German Guards Shoot Peter Fechter 

as He Attempts to Climb Over Berlin Wall 

Bleeds to Death as World Watches

On this day in 1962, East German guards shot Peter Fechter as he attempted to cross the Berlin Wall and let him bleed to death in front of hundreds of witnesses, a story reported worldwide by TV news and one which I remember well.

It was one of the ugliest incidents to take place at one of the ugliest symbols of the Cold War.  

On August 17, 1962, two young men from East Berlin attempted to scramble to freedom across the wall. One was successful in climbing the last barbed wire fence and, though suffering numerous cuts, made it safely to West Berlin. 

While horrified West German guards watched, the second young man was shot by machine guns on the East Berlin side. He fell but managed to stand up again, reach the wall, and begin to climb over. More shots rang out. The young man was hit in the back, screamed, and fell backwards off of the wall. For nearly an hour, he lay bleeding to death and crying for help. West German guards threw bandages to the man, and an angry crowd of West Berlin citizens screamed at the East German security men who seemed content to let the young man die. He finally did die, and East German guards scurried to where he lay and removed his body. 

In 1997, after the reunification of East and West Germany, two East German border guards pled guilty to Fechter's murder, apologized, and said they would forever live with guilt for their actions.

Great Wikipedia Article Peter Fechter