1981–1982 · Regional conflict and U.S.–Honduran alignment
The proposed opening period remains under research. The earlier site refers to a 1982 temporary-presence arrangement; its underlying record is still needed.
HISTORICAL EVIDENCE · SERVICE · RECOGNITION
Preserving the record of U.S. military service in Honduras.
A source-driven public record of the operations, places, units, incidents and firsthand experiences connected to U.S. service in Honduras. Follow the evidence, see what remains unresolved, and help recover the records.
1981–1992
Proposed recognition period · historical research continues
WHAT IS HVSR?
Preserving Honduras service. Seeking appropriate recognition.
Honduras Veterans Service Recognition (HVSR) is a historical research and recognition effort documenting the service of U.S. military personnel who served in Honduras during the proposed 1981–1992 recognition period. HVSR is building a source-driven record of the units, operations, locations, engineering missions, hostile incidents, casualties, awards and firsthand experiences connected to that service.
HVSR seeks appropriate federal recognition for qualifying Honduras service while also preserving the historical record for the soldiers, airmen, Marines, sailors, Guardsmen and Reservists who served there. The effort does not assume that every person, event or award claim is already established. Claims are evaluated against official records, corroborating evidence and clearly identified testimony, and unresolved questions remain labeled as such.
PreserveRecover and protect the historical record.
VerifyConnect claims to evidence and source provenance.
RecognizeBuild the documented case for appropriate federal recognition.
Service and recognition. “Honduras service members” includes people across services and components without assuming that Honduras service alone establishes a particular veteran status, benefit or award. Recognition is an objective of this effort; individual status is not decided by this website.
THE HONDURAS RECORD
A developing operational history
Documentary support in this public collection is strongest from 1983 onward. Proposed boundaries and unresolved claims remain labeled.
August 1983–1984 · Ahuas Tara / Big Pine and joint task force presence
A joint task force was established at Palmerola in August 1983. GAO also documents Ahuas Tara II construction.
1985–1987 · Continued joint/combined operations
GAO documents continued presence, exercises and construction through this period. Broader operation-by-operation reconstruction remains open.
March 1988 · Operation Golden Pheasant
Official Army history describes the March 1988 Golden Pheasant deployment following a Nicaraguan incursion.
1989 · Fuertes Caminos and documented attacks
State Department reporting records four attacks; see the dated incident cards.
1990 · Continued exercise environment and reported bus attack
A March 1990 attack involving U.S. personnel associated with Ahuas Tara 90 is a priority incident-reconstruction project. Official incident and award records remain targets.
13 May 1991 · Cerro la Mole MEDEVAC loss
A retrospective account describes the fatal UH-1H MEDEVAC loss and California Army National Guard crew. Official accident records remain sought.
1 February 1992 · Proposed closing point
Proposed comparator endpoint only. The cited El Salvador provision does not designate an end date for Honduras.
THE HONDURAS RECORD
Places connected to the record
Place names do not establish an individual’s presence. Coordinates remain omitted pending source-controlled location review.
Soto Cano Air Base / Palmerola
GAO documents the joint-task-force hub and support functions from 1983.
Camp Castle / Puente Grande
Camp Castle / Puente Grande is a location research lead. Exact site, coordinates and 1989 unit relationships remain unresolved.
Yoro Department
Location of the February and April 1989 convoy incidents.
La Ceiba / northern coast
La Ceiba is named in the July 1989 incident entry.
Puerto Cortés
Port and logistics association reported in service recollections. An approved account and unit records are needed before a specific mission is established.
Puerto Castilla
Important Caribbean military/logistics location; detailed period-specific unit associations remain to be entered.
San Pedro Sula
Appears in hostile-incident and movement research; event-by-event source reconciliation is required.
Jocón / Olanchito
GAO names Jocón and Olanchito in earlier Cabanas road-project discussion. A connection to particular 1989 routes remains unresolved.
THE HONDURAS RECORD
Incidents, documented with care
An official report supports only what it records. Individual identities, award eligibility and aggregate casualty totals require separate evidence.
1 Feb 1989 • Yoro Province
State reports fire on a seven-vehicle convoy during Fuertes Caminos; no injuries reported. Participant identities remain unresolved.
Read dated entry · PDF page 818 Feb 1989 • Comayagua area
State reports a bombing beside a contract bus returning to Soto Cano, with injuries.
Read dated entry · PDF page 911 Apr 1989 • Yoro Province
State reports an ambush, exchanged fire and vehicle damage; no casualties reported. Attackers’ contrary claims are not accepted as findings.
Read dated entry · PDF page 1013 Jul 1989 • La Ceiba
State reports a grenade attack injuring U.S. military policemen in La Ceiba during their Fuertes Caminos assignment.
Read dated entry · PDF page 1231 Mar 1990 • bus attack
Priority reconstruction: obtain official incident/security records, unit records, contemporary reporting and Purple Heart documentation before publishing aggregate claims.
18 Apr 1985 • OA-37B / CAS claim
Research lead concerning reported close-air-support activity. Unit, mission, JTF relationship and operational records must be verified.
THE HONDURAS RECORD
Units and organizations
Presence, participation, attachment, assignment and command relationships are different questions.
Joint Task Force-Bravo
GAO documents JTF-Bravo’s support roles at Palmerola / Soto Cano.
Task Force 16 / TF-16
Task-force designation retained as a research lead; 1989 command, attachment and route records are still needed.
16th Engineer Brigade
Ohio Army National Guard engineer organization identified in the prior research record. The specific 1989 tasking and attachment remain to be documented.
612th Engineer Battalion
Engineer battalion identified in the prior service research. An approved, source-linked public unit history remains to be developed.
Aviation elements
Aviation, airlift, MEDEVAC and contingency missions will be profiled by unit and operation as official records are reconciled.
Security / Military Police
Force protection, convoy security and hostile-incident records are a dedicated unit-history and evidence track.
Medical / Veterinary
Medical and veterinary support associated with exercises and civic-support missions will be indexed by operation, location and unit.
Logistics / Port support
Soto Cano and Caribbean port/logistics activity will be reconstructed from movement, port and support records.
ENGINEERING & FUERTES CAMINOS
Building the operational record
Engineering in the official record
GAO describes airfield, road and base construction. The 1989 incident report identifies Fuertes Caminos as a road-building exercise.
The 1989 project picture
Road, bridge, airfield, base, logistics, medical and veterinary activity is being reconstructed by year, unit, project and location. Public documentation is still needed to establish TF-16, 16th Engineer Brigade and 612th Engineer Battalion relationships to Camp Castle and the Yoro area.
Records that can helpRECOGNITION
Recognition built on evidence
HVSR seeks a formal, fair review of qualifying Honduras service in the proposed 1981–1992 period. The campaign is not seeking retroactive hazardous-duty pay or interest.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
The AFEM initiative is a request for review and recognition. Neither this website nor a supporting resolution establishes an already authorized Honduras eligibility period.
Regional comparators
El Salvador provides a documented regional and temporal comparison. Panama remains a separate comparison track; differences in operations, dates and eligibility must be addressed. A comparison is not an entitlement determination.
Resolutions establish an organization’s position or a legislature’s action. Historical claims and casualty or award totals within them still require source-level verification.
THE HONDURAS RECORD
Organizational support and state action
Source review: 17 September 2026. Earlier reported statuses are retained with qualifications where this review could not confirm them.
VFW
Resolution 419 approved in the national convention proceedings.
American Legion
NEC Resolution 3 • 8–9 October 2025 • calls for Honduras AFEM recognition.
Marine Corps League
Resolution 2-2026 • published text carries adoption wording; convention adoption date remains unresolved.
DAV
The earlier site reports DAV support cited in Mississippi HCR 56. The primary DAV resolution and accessible corroborating text are still needed.
North Dakota
HCR 3007 • passed; last official filing action 21 March 2025.
Mississippi
HCR 56 • adoption in 2026 reported by the earlier site. Official text was located but could not be retrieved for this review; adoption status remains unconfirmed here.
Retrieval pending: official Mississippi document. Located link is not a completed verification.
Illinois
HR 868 • adopted 28 May 2026.
Louisiana
HR 37 • adopted 92–0 on 11 May 2026; presented to Secretary of State 21 May.
Ohio
HCR 18 • introduced and referred to committee in the inspected official report. Prior reporting of hearings remains to be reconciled.
Kansas
HR 6046 • enrolled in the 2025–2026 session.
New Jersey
AR 66 • earlier site reported “introduced; committee” as of 22 August 2026. Current status has not been independently checked.
Missouri
HCR 27 • earlier site reported “committee referral” as of 22 August 2026. Current status has not been independently checked.
Kentucky
HCR 121 • earlier site reported “introduced; committee” as of 22 August 2026. Current status has not been independently checked.
Iowa
HR 103 • earlier site reported “introduced/listed” as of 22 August 2026. Current status has not been independently checked.
SEPARATE AWARD INQUIRY
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
U · Unresolved questionJMUA research is maintained separately from the general historical narrative and the AFEM initiative. Official award orders, covered dates and documented command or personnel relationships must be examined. No individual or unit eligibility is asserted here.
VOICES OF HONDURAS SERVICE
Many experiences. A shared history.
Firsthand accounts from U.S. service members who served in Honduras can reveal daily work, places, relationships and events that the official record leaves incomplete.
Contributions are welcome across services, the National Guard and Reserve, specialties and periods of service. Each approved account receives the same editorial treatment; no individual’s story defines the collection.
Help build the collection
No individual story is published in this local QA edition. Accounts will appear only after permission, privacy review and explicit HVSR publication approval. Testimony remains labeled even when approved for publication.
Were you there?CONTRIBUTE
Help preserve your part of the record
Service members, witnesses, families, document holders and researchers are invited to contribute stories, photographs, records or corrections.
Prepare your contribution
Describe your branch/component, unit, dates, locations, role and firsthand experience. Distinguish what you witnessed from what someone told you. Identify approximate dates and uncertainty.
Keep originals intact. A document description can help begin review; do not place unredacted personnel records or other people’s private details in public material.
Download printable contribution guide (PDF)Review before publication
- Private intake and consent review.
- HVSR privacy, relevance and source assessment.
- Separate historical classification and publication decision.
- Only the approved, redacted version is published.
Permission to publish is not historical verification. Verification alone is not permission to publish.
Local QA edition: secure intake is not connected. This site does not collect, upload or send submissions. A controlled intake channel must be configured before public launch.
RECORDS RECOVERY
Follow the research while it happens
These entries show public-safe research activity, not findings. A request proves that records were sought. Only responsive records are evaluated as historical evidence.
Records Research Note. “No responsive records located” means that the named repository did not locate records responsive to that request. It does not establish that the underlying event did not occur.
1 February 1989 • Yoro convoy incident
Records sought include SITREPs, significant-incident reports, command journals, operations logs, intelligence/message traffic, convoy and passenger records, MP/security records, QRF records and after-action reports.
- USSOUTHCOM
- SC 26-134-S · Search underway
- Army CID
- FA26-4875 · Search completed · no responsive CID/MP records located
- North Dakota / TF-164
- Request submitted · response status pending
1989 • JTF-Bravo / Fuertes Caminos
Broad records recovery covering JTF-Bravo/SOUTHCOM operations, Fuertes Caminos/Blazing Trails, the 16th Engineer Brigade, 612th Engineer Battalion, Puerto Cortés, Soto Cano/Palmerola, Yoro, hostile incidents, threat reporting and force-protection activity.
- USSOUTHCOM
- SC 26-133-S · Search underway
- Scope
- 1 January–30 June 1989
CW2 Jeffry C. Schwab • 1984 incident research
Parallel searches are being used to determine what operational, investigative, safety and award records survive.
- Army CID
- FA26-4884 · No responsive records located
- USACRC
- FA-26-0526 / FP-26-034033 · Repository scope does not include hostile/combat losses
- Army HRC
- Request submitted · response status pending
31 March 1990 • USAF bus attack
Seeking official incident/security records, unit records, casualty documentation and award determinations. Exact location, personnel, unit and casualty details remain under reconciliation.
18 April 1985 • OA-37B / CAS incident
Seeking aircraft, mission, engagement, personnel and award records before treating the reported close-air-support event as an established historical finding.
13 July 1989 • La Ceiba / northern coast
Seeking Embassy/security records, MP records, medical documentation, unit journals, award files and Honduran investigative material to reconstruct the event beyond the existing official summary.
How a research lead becomes part of the historical record
Reported incident → Research need → Records request → Agency response → Evidence evaluation → Historical record update
COVERAGE & COMMENTARY
Public discussion, clearly separated from historical evidence
Commentary can document the recognition debate and generate research leads. It does not substitute for primary records.
The Hill • Honduras recognition gap
An opinion article concerning recognition for Honduras service. It is catalogued as public commentary, not as primary evidence for historical incidents, casualty totals, award counts or eligibility.
Open articleEVIDENCE LIBRARY
Follow the source
Official government and archival sources come first, followed by approved HVSR preservation copies and credible secondary corroboration. No HVSR preservation copies or private personnel files are included in this edition.
Each card identifies its scope and limits. Links require an internet connection; the website itself works offline.
Document labels: Verified source means the publisher and cited content were checked. Secondary account identifies reviewed testimony or secondary research. Awaiting review means the document is a lead. None of these labels substitutes for HVSR publication approval.
Official / primary record
U.S. Military Presence at Soto Cano Air Base
Supports: JTF presence from August 1983; command, intelligence, communications, logistics and base facilities.
Limits: Does not establish individual participation, hostile action or award entitlement.
Open sourceOfficial / primary record
Honduras exercise construction review
Supports: Airfields, base camps and engineering activity; Cabanas road projects involving Jocón and Olanchito.
Limits: Earlier construction is not proof of a particular 1989 unit assignment or route.
Open sourceOfficial / primary record
Significant Incidents of Political Violence Against Americans: 1989
Supports: The four dated 1989 incident summaries linked below.
Limits: Does not identify every participant or establish personal award entitlement. Perpetrator claims are not casualty findings.
Open sourceOfficial historical research
313th MI Battalion deploys for Golden Pheasant
Supports: Deployment of the 313th MI Battalion and the Golden Pheasant contingency.
Limits: An official retrospective history, not an individual service record.
Open sourceLinked record entries
Official / primary record
VFW 124th National Convention proceedings
Supports: Convention approval of Resolution 419, Honduras.
Limits: Approval of advocacy does not independently verify the historical assertions within a resolution.
Open sourceLinked record entries
Organization primary document
NEC Resolution 3: Honduras service
Supports: Calls for AFEM recognition for service in an area of hostility in Honduras, 1981–1992.
Limits: Organization-hosted resolution copy; not federal award authorization.
Open sourceLinked record entries
Organization primary document
Resolution 2-2026: Honduras Operations
Supports: Published resolution calls for AFEM, Combat Action Ribbon or similar recognition.
Limits: The document says adopted but does not provide a convention adoption date. Its casualty characterizations are not adopted as historical findings here.
Open sourceLinked record entries
Official / primary record
North Dakota HCR 3007
Supports: Passed; last official action records filing on 21 March 2025.
Limits: State advocacy does not authorize a federal award.
Open sourceLinked record entries
Official / primary record
Kansas HR 6046
Supports: Enrolled resolution honoring and supporting Honduras service, 1981–1992.
Limits: Resolution assertions about award totals need separate military records.
Open sourceLinked record entries
Official / primary record
Louisiana HR 37
Supports: Adopted 92–0 on 11 May; presented to Secretary of State on 21 May.
Limits: Records a request to Congress, not federal eligibility.
Open sourceLinked record entries
Official / primary record
Illinois HR 868 legislative action
Supports: Resolution adopted 28 May 2026.
Limits: Member listing substantiates the action; use the measure text for its full wording.
Open sourceLinked record entries
Official / primary record
Ohio 136th General Assembly status report
Supports: Introduced 15 September 2025; referred to Veterans and Military Development in the inspected report.
Limits: Living report may change. The prior site’s hearing claim is not independently established by this table.
Open sourceLinked record entries
Secondary research / testimony
Cerro la Mole MEDEVAC account
Supports: Describes the 13 May 1991 fatal MEDEVAC crash and California Guard crew context.
Limits: Secondary narrative includes testimony. Official accident and casualty records remain needed; this is not proof of enemy action.
Open sourceLinked record entries
Official / primary record
El Salvador recognition comparator
Supports: Records the El Salvador period, 1 January 1981–1 February 1992, and individual determination requirement.
Limits: El Salvador provisions do not establish Honduras eligibility.
Open sourceLinked record entries
Official document lead
Mississippi HCR 56 document
Supports: No adoption or historical finding is verified from this document in this edition.
Limits: Content and adoption status await review.
Open sourceLinked record entries
Additional evidence categories
Individual service records, official casualty documentation, National Guard annual reports, contemporaneous reporting and military professional studies remain important evidence categories. The earlier site references a Schwab DD Form 1300; that document is not available in this package, so its contents are not presented here as a verified finding.
Research compilations and attack collages supply leads, not verified aggregate casualty, Purple Heart or POW totals. Historical research and reasonable inference must remain labeled and distinct from official facts.
ABOUT HVSR
Preserve the record. Build the case.
HVSR is a developing collective effort to document U.S. military service in Honduras and seek appropriate recognition. Proposed roles include a steering committee, evidence and archives, federal affairs, a state legislative network, VSO liaison, communications and research partnerships.
State volunteers can help identify sponsors and service contacts. Cooperation with existing researchers, including USContraWar, is a potential source of leads; it does not replace HVSR’s independent verification or imply an established partnership.
Content and presentation
VETREC/HVSR is responsible for historical content, evidence, source documentation, recognition material and publication approval. The VSO application is responsible only for the presentation and framework. Shared intake, storage, security and other infrastructure belong with OPSCTR Engineering.