U.S. will catch killers Reagan

Press, 24 June 1985, Page 6

U.S. will catch killers Reagan

NZPA-AP Washington Vowing to “find the jackals” who killed four United States Marines in El Salvador last week, President Ronald Reagan pinned purple heart medals on the flag-draped caskets of the latest American victims of Central American violence yesterday. Mr Reagan swore that the killers “will not evade justice on Earth any more than they can escape the judgment of God”. As families of the four dead Marines and an honour guard stood by on a windy tarmac, Mr Reagan declared that the United States and the Salvadorean Government would “find the jackals and bring them and their colleagues in terror to justice”. He told 150 spectators that the United States would “move mountains” to catch the uniformed attackers who sprayed a cafe in San Salvador with gunfire, killing the Marines, two American civilians, and seven others on Thursday. Accompanied by Mrs Reagan, he placed purple heart medals on the caskets, which stood before the camouflaged Star Lifter transport that flew them home.

Mr Reagan said that he and his wife were attending the ceremony “to be with the families and friends of four American Marines, four young men whose bodies are being returned after they were murdered by communist guerrillas.”

The bodies were flown to Panama on Saturday where they remained overnight, before being flown home aboard the United States Air Force Star Lifter transport.