Cattle Killed in War Games

An Army war game led to the death of 74 cattle that stampeded into the line of fire after apparently being frightened by gunfire, officials said today.

“We got the cattle out of the way earlier in the morning, but when we started exercising all our weaponry in our final defensive front, all the noise must have spooked them and they turned around and came running back in,” said Col. Lester (Red) Walkley.

“Five hundred soldiers were firing weapons” during last weekend’s drill, said Walkley, commander of the post about 150 miles south of San Francisco. Officers ordered a cease-fire after spotting the cattle, but it was too late.

“When you give a command to turn off 500 rifles and machine guns, it takes a few seconds for the order to go from the lieutenant to the sergeant down to the soldiers.”

Thirty-eight cattle were killed and another 36 were hurt and had to be destroyed.