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.
1981–1982 · Attacks on advisers, infrastructure and a hostage siege
A later Senate hearing records an attack on U.S. advisers in 1981 and a 1982 Tegucigalpa power-plant bombing. Presidential remarks in July 1982 describe attacks on Honduran power stations. A San Pedro Sula hostage siege in September demanded removal of U.S. military advisers. Dates and casualty claims for the 1981 attack need reconciliation; the 1982 siege does not establish American hostages.
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.
13 June 1987 · SSG Randall J. Harris killed at Palmerola
Joint Task Force-Bravo records that U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Randall J. Harris was shot and killed while performing security duty at the front gate of Palmerola Air Base. JTF-Bravo later identified Harris as deployed from the 978th Military Police Company, Fort Bliss, Texas, in support of JTF-Bravo, and commemorates him as having died in the line of duty.
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
The State Department’s 1989 annual volume includes at least eight distinct Honduras entries, covering attacks, attempted attacks and nonmilitary targets. See the dated incident cards and source limits.
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.
Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, Trujillo and Honduras aviation routes
Dated records place civilian/diplomatic attacks in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula; a 1985 Air Force aircraft was lost off Trujillo. Other crash and border locations remain approximate. A place entry does not identify service members present.
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.
13 Jun 1987 · Palmerola Air Base · SSG Randall J. Harris
JTF-Bravo records that Harris was shot and killed while performing security duty at the front gate of Palmerola Air Base. A later official memorial record identifies his deploying unit as the 978th Military Police Company and states that he served in support of JTF-Bravo.
Classification note: The official sources establish a line-of-duty death during security duty. HVSR does not classify the death as combat or terrorist action without additional evidence.
8 Aug 1987 · China Palace bombing · Comayagua
Public Law 100-204 records congressional findings that a terrorist bomb exploded at the China Palace restaurant in Comayagua, Honduras; that it was directed at American soldiers; that American soldiers and an American contractor were wounded; and that the military personnel were assigned to Joint Task Force-Bravo.
The Congressional Record identifies five wounded soldiers as SFC Ronald W. Rodriguez, SFC Robin Jackson, SFC Ian Holt, SFC Direak McKeen and SFC David Lambert, and identifies contractor Barry Stein. Individual Purple Heart entitlement is tracked separately and is not inferred from the incident record.
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 · U.S. Air Force bus attack · north of Tegucigalpa
The State Department reported an ambush of a bus carrying Air Force engineering personnel about 13 miles north of Tegucigalpa. Its contemporary human rights account says six airmen were wounded, two seriously; a later State history says seven. The final count, unit and operation require primary records.
18–19 Apr 1985 · OA-37B crash · northern Honduras
The official 111th Attack Wing memorial records the deaths of Capt. Donald F. Benton Jr. and Capt. Ronald B. Schatz on different dates. The crash occurred during a training flight; exact position, accident findings and the date difference need underlying files. An engagement or close air support action is not established.
Additional Honduras incidents and research leads, 1981–1992
Military, diplomatic, contractor and broader historical events are labeled separately. A reported incident does not establish anyone’s presence, combat status, casualty status or award eligibility. H31 is a probable duplicate of the China Palace event and has no second card.
H04 · 7 Apr 1988; U.S. Embassy annex, Tegucigalpa
Violent attack/riot at annex, listed as arson in a State diplomatic-installation table; casualties not established. The State human rights report links related disorders in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, but their precise sequence needs separate documentation.
U.S. connection and evidence: Diplomatic installation; no U.S. military connection documented. V1, high for date and attack; moderate for arson classification.
H05 · 19 Dec 1988; Peace Corps headquarters, Tegucigalpa
Bombing; State human rights report says no injuries; damage not established from summary.
U.S. connection and evidence: U.S. government civilian target; no military link established. V1, moderate; obtain 1988 annual detail.
H06 · 30 Jan 1989; near Peace Corps building, Tegucigalpa
Homemade bomb found by a private residence roughly 100 m from Peace Corps building and disarmed; no responsibility claim; injuries not stated. This does not establish the intended target.
U.S. connection and evidence: No military link. V1, high for discovery.
H09 · 23 Feb 1989; La Ceiba
Grenade at Standard Fruit Company offices; windows shattered, no injuries; perpetrators unknown.
U.S. connection and evidence: American affiliated business interest; military link unestablished. V1, high.
H11 · 16 Apr 1989; U.S. Embassy warehouse, Tegucigalpa
Device exploded prematurely while two people reportedly tried to plant it: one killed, one seriously injured; minor door damage; unexploded grenade found. These are attacker casualties, not U.S. casualties.
U.S. connection and evidence: Diplomatic facility; no military participation established. V1, high for event; police inference about intent attributed.
H12 · 10 Jul 1989; near Avance offices, Tegucigalpa
Honduran police disarmed timed dynamite under a car near a USAID funded educational organization; Americans reportedly on staff; prior threats reported by press. No injuries in report.
U.S. connection and evidence: U.S. aid connection; no military link. V1 for device, V2/R for reported staffing and threats.
H15 · 13 May 1991; Cerro la Mole
Retrospective account describes fatal UH-1H MEDEVAC crash and California Guard crew; casualty names/count and cause await official accident record.
U.S. connection and evidence: Guard connection from secondary account only. R, moderate for reported crash, low for particulars.
H16 · 31 May 1991; Tegucigalpa
Small bomb exploded roughly 50 yards from Burger King; no reported damage or injuries. Leaflets made anti-American references and expressed anger at former MPL-C members. Intended target is not established.
U.S. connection and evidence: No military link documented. V1, high for explosion; U for intended target.
H17 · 2 Dec 1991; San Pedro Sula
RPG attack on Cervecería Hondureña brewery, owned by U.S. firm Castle & Cooke; no injuries reported; damage estimated by State at $1 million. FPM faction claimed responsibility in taped message.
U.S. connection and evidence: U.S.-owned business; no military link documented. V1, high.
H18 · 17 Jul 1988; outside Confettis discotheque, San Pedro Sula
Armed attackers used guns and an explosive as U.S. servicemen boarded a vehicle. Initial report counted five wounded; subsequent reporting counted six. Exact weapon and final casualty roster require official files.
U.S. connection and evidence: Contemporary U.S. official statement identifies personnel as attached to JTF-Bravo at Palmerola; State 1988 human rights report independently notes an attack on U.S. military personnel without date. V2 with official confirmation of an attack, high for event, U for final count.
H19 · 25 Feb 1989; mountain in Honduras, exact location not given
Private Honduran air-cargo contractor’s DC-6, used to air-drop USAID-financed supplies to Resistance camps, crashed into a mountainside; all ten aboard killed. GAO says cause undetermined; AID officials believed fuel exhaustion. Nationalities and military status of those aboard not stated.
U.S. connection and evidence: U.S. government-funded contractor transportation; no U.S. military crew or hostile action documented. V1, high for crash and count, U for cause and identities.
H20 · Aug–Sep 1983; Olancho Department, exact disappearance date unknown
U.S. priest James Carney, who traveled with an armed guerrilla group, was reported missing to U.S. Embassy by late September. Fate and cause remain contested; a CIA inspector-general summary says available information cannot definitively rule out capture, interrogation and killing by Honduran military. Do not report a proven killing or perpetrator.
U.S. connection and evidence: U.S. citizen/consular interest, no U.S. military service connection established. V1 for disappearance; U for fate.
H21 · 11 Jan 1984; near Nicaragua border, landing in Honduras
Unarmed U.S. OH-58 took fire, landed in Honduras; pilot CW2 Schwab was killed after exiting, two U.S. passengers survived according to White House statement. Subsequent Pentagon investigation reportedly found possible/actual incursion into Nicaraguan airspace before the forced landing; flight path and sequence must be sourced to full inquiry.
U.S. connection and evidence: U.S. Army helicopter in Honduras exercise context, individual passengers/units and award status require records. V1, high for fatal attack, U for route/sequence.
H22 · 2 Feb 1984; mountainous south-central Honduras on El Aguacate–San Lorenzo route, precise site unresolved
U.S. Army UH-60 crashed in bad weather; contemporaneous U.S. Embassy statement gave four U.S. service members dead and six injured, three critically. Embassy said no indication of hostile action.
U.S. connection and evidence: Flight supported joint U.S.–Honduran exercise; unit/occupants require accident/casualty records. V2 with contemporaneous official statement reported, moderate to high.
H23 · 18 Jun 1986 (derived from “last Wednesday” in 24 Jun report); forested eastern Honduras, exact site unknown
Contemporary account citing U.S. and Honduran officials says Staff Sgt. Timothy Hudgens was fatally stabbed by a Honduran soldier and Sgt. Christopher Bresko wounded in the leg. It describes the stabbing as accidental, but the U.S. Embassy said an investigation was ongoing; motive and legal determination remain unresolved.
U.S. connection and evidence: Both were taking part in Cabañas 86 joint maneuvers according to the report; specific unit assignment needs official personnel records. V2/R, moderate; date inferred from relative wording.
H24 · 22 Jan 1985; sea off Trujillo, Colón Department
U.S. C-130A (56-0501) crashed while attempting to land; all 21 aboard died. The Air Force wing history says seven crew and fourteen passengers, differing from the initial press description of five crew and sixteen passengers. Do not assign occupant categories without manifest.
U.S. connection and evidence: 440th Tactical Airlift Wing aircraft; military airlift from Panama to Honduras documented. No hostile action established. V1, high for date, crash, 21 deaths and wing; U for passenger breakdown and cause.
H25 · 11 Jun 1986; eastern Honduras, exact site unknown
Contemporary U.S./Honduran military statements reported that U.S. soldier Paul J. Sexton died of a heart attack during Cabañas 86 maneuvers. This is a medical death, separate from H23's stabbing. Another nonofficial chronology gives 17 Jun; obtain casualty record to resolve.
U.S. connection and evidence: Joint maneuvers reported; particular unit/medical finding unverified from primary record. V2/R, moderate for reported death; U for exact date.
H26 · 26 Nov 1983 (inferred from 29 Nov report's “Saturday”); Regional Military Training Center, near Puerto Castilla
Honduran army communiqué reported a high-voltage cable touched metal security works, killing Honduran soldier José Iván Tróchez and seriously burning eleven Honduran soldiers. No U.S. casualties stated.
U.S. connection and evidence: Accident at center where U.S. Special Forces trained Salvadoran soldiers; the source does not establish U.S. personnel witnessed or participated in accident. V2/R, moderate; original communiqué needed for V1.
H27 · c. 12–14 Dec 1984; northeastern Honduras river, exact site unverified
A contemporary press item cited in a federal-hosted research report said two U.S. Navy members died in a demolition accident. A veteran advocacy chronology identifies Arthur Fusco and Michael Uyeda and places it at Río Amatingni on 12 Dec, but neither names nor location has been checked against Navy records.
U.S. connection and evidence: Navy connection reported, unit and mission unverified. L/R, low to moderate.
H28 · 16 Dec 1984; near Mocorón, eastern Honduras
Capt. W. Drew Harrington was killed and three U.S. soldiers injured when U.S. mortar rounds landed short during practice. A 1985 report cites Army investigative transcripts; alleged old ammunition and safety lapses are attributed to witnesses and need the complete Army findings.
U.S. connection and evidence: U.S. Army Ranger training reported; exact unit/order and investigation outcome require records. V2/R, moderate to high for deaths/injuries, U for cause beyond short mortar fire.
H29 · 1981 (possibly 23 Sep, disputed); Tegucigalpa (verify)
Later specialist history reports a vehicle with five U.S. military advisers was ambushed and two wounded. Former ambassador Negroponte recalled an attack on two U.S. advisers in late 1981, one critically wounded; contemporary press likewise recalled an early-1981 attack with two seriously wounded. A 1985 U.S. government paper, as described by a veteran advocacy group, may say two were killed; the original page has not yet been independently inspected and this conflicts with the wound accounts. The proposed 23 September date is not established by the hearing and conflicts with the contemporary press retrospective’s “early 1981”; confirm whether sources describe the same event. Do not publish a fatality count or a precise date.
U.S. connection and evidence: U.S. adviser connection reported, identities/units unknown. R/U, low to moderate; first-priority casualty verification.
H30 · 8 Dec 1988; near La Ceiba, northern Honduras
U.S. Army CH-47 crashed during maneuvers; subsequent contemporaneous accounts say all five Americans aboard died, after initial reports counted only three or four confirmed dead. Cause requires Army accident board.
U.S. connection and evidence: U.S. Embassy spokeswoman identified personnel as stationed with JTF-Bravo at Palmerola. Do not infer a particular brigade, crew duty or hostile action. V2 with attributed U.S. Embassy confirmation; high for crash and five fatalities, U for cause.
H32 · Before 14 Jul 1982; Honduras power stations, including Tegucigalpa plant per later recollection (precise attack dates/sites unresolved)
President Reagan publicly described recent attacks on Honduran power stations that interrupted power to hospitals, water and other essential services. Former ambassador John Negroponte recalled a Tegucigalpa power-plant bombing in 1982. Neither source supplies a casualty count or proves these accounts refer to only one attack.
U.S. connection and evidence: Honduran infrastructure and U.S. diplomatic concern; no U.S. military target or participant established. V1 for official acknowledgment; R/U for event count, date and specific sites.
H33 · 17–25 Sep 1982 (contemporary account says last hostages freed 25 Sep); Chamber of Commerce, San Pedro Sula
Cinchoneros took Honduran business leaders and officials hostage, demanding release of prisoners and removal of U.S. military advisers. Contemporary hostage estimates differ as releases occurred; do not give a single verified total. Former ambassador Negroponte recalled roughly one hundred held for about a week. No American hostage or casualty is established.
U.S. connection and evidence: Demand targeted U.S. adviser presence; contemporaneous press reported U.S. Embassy military officers arriving to meet Honduran command during siege, without proving U.S. participation in assault or negotiation. V1 for documented U.S. diplomatic testimony about event; V2/R for reported adviser movements.
Do you remember an incident?
Were you there, or do you have records related to a dated incident above? Note the incident ID, date and place as you remember them; say what you directly observed and what you learned later. Identify your unit as self-reported and describe any orders, logs, photographs or reports you can share. Do not post personal or medical details publicly. A recollection remains testimony until separately corroborated. Contact HVSR through the existing contribution page; request permission before any public use.
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.
1981–1992 incident recovery queue. Obtain 1987, 1988 and 1990 State incident volumes; 1981 adviser/casualty and 1984 helicopter inquiry; 1985 and 1988 aircraft board and passenger manifests; 1990 bus casualty roster; 1982 infrastructure and hostage files. Cross-reference the inventory cards. A pending request is not evidence that a claimed event or unit assignment occurred.
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 historical record
A History of Joint Task Force-Bravo
Supports: Records that on 13 June 1987 U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Randall Harris was shot and killed while performing security duty at the front gate at Palmerola Air Base.
Limits: The chronology entry does not establish motive, perpetrator, combat status or award entitlement.
Open sourceLinked record entries
Official memorial record
JSF members pay tribute to fallen MP
Supports: Identifies Harris as deployed from the 978th Military Police Company at Fort Bliss in support of JTF-Bravo and states he was killed while performing security duty at the front gate.
Limits: Memorial reporting does not by itself establish motive or classify the shooting as combat or terrorism.
Open sourceOfficial / primary record
Public Law 100-204 §1213 · Terrorist Bombing in Honduras
Supports: Congressional findings that the 8 August 1987 China Palace bombing in Comayagua was directed at American soldiers, wounded American soldiers and an American contractor, and involved personnel assigned to JTF-Bravo.
Limits: Does not establish individual Purple Heart entitlement.
Open sourceLinked record entries
Official congressional record
Congressional Record · China Palace wounded personnel
Supports: Identifies Ronald W. Rodriguez, Robin Jackson, Ian Holt, Direak McKeen and David Lambert as wounded U.S. soldiers and Barry Stein as the wounded American contractor in the 8 August bombing.
Limits: Names and incident linkage do not independently establish later award determinations.
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.