Sen. John Matthews was a young teacher and newlywed 40 years ago, when he made a routine stop by his mother's house in Bowman and heard the dreadful news.

District 95 Rep. Jerry Govan, a school boy weeks shy of his 10th birthday, remembers seeing the rubble and debris left downtown and armored personnel carriers blocking city streets.

Now, 40 years later, Matthews and Govan reflect on the anniversary of the Feb. 8, 1968, killing of three South Carolina State University students by state police in the wake of campus unrest.

"My father was the first one who told me about it," Matthews said. "I was in his kitchen ... We stood there 20 or 30 minutes, just talking about the tragedy and the community. It's a tragedy that people had to lose their lives ... But when you have those trying times in life, you use that experience to make life better."

The anniversary itself, Matthews says, "symbolizes the progress we've made in the city of Orangeburg."

"It's clearly a reminder to the community of where we were compared to where we are and the changing of time. History is important to keep us focused on where we were and where we are," he said. "It also symbolizes we have a long way to go. The city is clearly a better place than it was 40 years ago for those minorities whose freedoms were restricted or denied."

Despite his young age, Govan says the events of 1968 are "very vivid in my memory."

"I can remember vividly the events that took place at the bowling alley. We passed by after going to the movies and we saw the crowd gathering. When we came back ... we didn't own a car and we walked everywhere ... I can recall the debris in the parking lot. I wondered what was going on."

Not until the next day, Govan says, did he hear of the shootings. And when he rode the bus to school that morning, he recalls, he saw armored personnel carriers in the city streets.

"It's very real for me," he said. "My mother told my sister and nephew ... she insisted they stay in the house that evening. They wanted to go up on campus, but my mom said no ... One of the young men who was killed (Delano Middleton) was a high school student. My sister went to school with him and knew his family. I was very much aware of what was going on."

Remarking on his particular perspective of local history, Govan says he "remembers a very different Orangeburg" during segregation.

"It was a real unique time and period to grow up in. I grew up in the midst of a very different community than the one we have now," he said. "It was an interesting period when you talk to folks of my generation. I've seen two different Americas and, to be honest with you, it has really made the difference in terms of shaping my life and what I stand for."

Because of the difficult times in the community's history, Govan says, there continues to be a need for healing. And the anniversary observance is an important part of that healing.

"The observance of the 40th anniversary of the Orangeburg Massacre is a very solemn event in the history of Orangeburg and one that is to be treated with respect," he said. "Throughout the years, it's been as much about trying to heal a community ... as well as moving forward to the next generation, working together in harmony for the future."

As a result, Govan notes, the anniversary "is going to be covered and documented by ETV, which I think is significant. It allows not only the residents in the city of Orangeburg who usually participate in this event, but also allows a much broader audience."

T&D Government Writer Tucker Lyon can be reached by e-mail at tlyon@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5545.

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