The robbery reflected the times.
John Robert Bruns, 40
The unknown robber targeted a gathering place in Denver for men who had risked their lives for their country.
The day was Thursday, Feb. 17, 1972, a time when Democrat candidates for president were largely trumpeting their opposition to President Richard Nixon’s stance on the Vietnam War.
One candidate, Sen. George McGovern, told families of American prisoners in North Vietnam that if he was elected he would announce an immediate withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Indochina within 90 days, end support for the current Saigon government and then press for return of POWs.
Anti-war protests had turned into riots across the nation. Protesters called veterans returning home from tours in Vietnam baby killers at airports.
Nixon on that day was embarking on a trip to China to meet with Premier Mao Tse-tung.
40-year-old John Robert Bruns and his wife, Lorein, who lived on the 1100 block of Logan Street, had gone on a date at Lowry Post No. 501 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
The couple left the VFW club at 10:45 p.m. and walked to their in the car parking lot at 1825 Welton St.
A man walked into the lot from the east side, then circled back to the Bruns’ car, moved up along the left rear and swung open the door on the driver’s side.
A recent Denver police report indicates that Bruns did not recognize the man who suddenly opened his car door, according to a Denver Post article that ran on Feb. 18, 1972.
“Shortly after Mr. Bruns entered his vehicle, he was confronted by an unknown suspect,” the report says.