The State - News from May 19, 1985

An Army war game turned into an “unfortunate” cattle slaughter when 74 animals stampeded into rifle and machine-gun fire from a battalion of 500 troops training at Fort Hunter-Liggett, about 250 miles north of Los Angeles. “We got the cattle out of the way earlier in the morning,” said Col. Lester Walkley, “but when we started exercising all our weaponry . . . all the noise must have spooked them, and they turned around and came running back in.” He said said a cease-fire was ordered as soon as the panicky animals were spotted, but the cattle were mowed down before the firing stopped. Thirty-eight cattle were killed immediately and 36 others were injured so badly that they had to be destroyed later. Rancher Martin Jaureguy, who owned the cattle, said they were worth about $600 each. “They better pay for ‘em,” he said. “They killed ‘em.”