One Man's Tragic Protest

One Man's Tragic Protest At the Washington Monument, a loner self-destructs

For Norman Mayer, there was method to his madness on the Mall. Always a loner, he singlehanded tried to halt the threat of one kind of annihilation with that of another and died as he had lived, alone, troubled, but strangely sympathetic. What began as a righteous cause for this polite and abstemious antinuclear advocate became an obsession and ultimately ended in a hollow if not insane act of protest. Yet before his bluff was called, Mayer, 66, a balding drifter, managed to frighten the city of...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!