Vintage weapons, US Embassy El Salvador

[GRA556]

I'm fairly certain the first time I was deployed there was 1998. We did a lot of watching, with some occasional engagements.

I flew in to El Salvador often from late 1996 to about late 2000. I’m a retired Deportation Officer and we used to have to escort deportees back there on deport flights. I never knew then we had GI(s) deployed there and definitely never knew of any engagements involving US military personnel. This kind of surprises me as Salvador is so small. Seems like it’s not the place to keep a secret very long simply because folks will either see or hear of anything happening.

I do remember all too well the 45 minute ride from the airport in to the centrum of San Salvador. I recall the big billboard/sign you passed just outside the airport area that warned of San Salvador’s water supply testing positive for cholera. On that drive through the valleys we would often see their military moving some of their bigger guns around. I knew there had been war there in the 80(s) but thought that had subsided by the mid to late 90(s).