Use of images from the collections of the Tom & Ethel Bradley Center is strictly prohibited by law without prior written consent from the copyright holders. The responsibility for the use of these materials rests exclusively with the user. The Bradley Center may assist in obtaining copyright/licensing permission to use images from the Richard Cross collection. http://www.csun.edu/bradley-center/contact
Description
A group of Salvadoran soldiers performing target practice at the Ilopango military base, El Salvador. A group of soldiers wait far from the targets while another group checks the targets. A U.S. advisor walks along the group of soldiers. American advisors were assigned to train and advise the El Salvadoran Armed Forces in their fight against the guerrillas. The Ilopango air base, whose pilots were mostly trained in the United States, was run by Gen. Juan Rafael Bustillo (the general was charged in 2017 for the El Mozote massacre, when approximately 1,000 people were executed by the Salvadoran armed forces at the hands of the Atlacatl Battalion during "Operation Rescate" in December 1981. More than half of the victims were children and adolescents). Starting in Spring 1983, the Ilopango air base became the center of C.I.A. operations to supplying the Nicaraguan Contras. Un grupo de soldados salvadoreños está realizando prácticas de tiro en la base militar de Ilopango, El Salvador. Ocho soldados esperan muy alejados de los objetivos, mientras otro groupo revisa los objetivos. Un asesor de los Estados Unidos camina a lo largo del grupo de soldados. Se asignaron asesores estadounidenses para entrenar y asesorar a las Fuerzas Armadas de El Salvador en su lucha contra la guerrilla. La base aérea de Ilopango, cuyos pilotos fueron entrenados en su mayoría en los Estados Unidos, fue dirigida por el general Juan Rafael Bustillo (el general fue acusado en 2017 de la masacre de El Mozote, cuando aproximadamente mil personas fueron ejecutadas por las fuerzas armadas salvadoreñas en las manos del Batallón Atlacatl durante la "Operación Rescate" en diciembre de 1981. Más de la mitad de las víctimas eran niños y adolescente). A partir de la primavera de 1983, la base aérea de Ilopango se convirtió en el centro de operaciones de la C.I.A. para abastecer a la contra nicaragüense.
Civil War El Salvador Documentary photographs Soldiers El Salvador. Ejército El Salvador--History--1979-1992 El Salvador--Politics and Government--1979-1992 Military uniforms Air bases Military assistance, American Military education Military training camps Targets (Shooting) Assault rifles
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
