AUSTIN -- Monday’s deadly shootings at Virginia Tech conjured up thoughts of another horrible attack at a college campus.

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University of Texas Tower, the day after Charles Whitman's shooting rampage. August 2, 1966

Last summer was the 40th anniversary of the infamous massacre at the University of Texas tower in Austin.

At the time -- that was the nation’s worst mass shooting.

On August first of 1966, Charles Whitman went to the 28th floor observation deck of the UT Tower and began shooting at people below.

The UT student killed 16 people and wounded nearly three dozen before police killed him.

Authorities later determined Whitman also killed his wife and mother in the hours before he went to the tower.

Ramiro Martinez is one of two officers who made their way to the top of the tower on August 1, 1966 to stop Charles Whitman’s killing rampage.

Whitman had a small arsenal with him as he fired from the tower.

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Charles Whitman killed 16 and injured dozens more before an Austin cop killed him.

Officer Martinez stepped over the dead and dying victims as he headed to the top of the tower, armed with only a pistol.

“There was a problem up there that we had to take care of, and the quicker we took care of that problem, the quicker we could get those people out,” recalls Martinez.

Officer Martinez went on to serve as a Texas Ranger.

He was honored last year by the City of Austin.