4 Agents Slain by Waco Cult Are Eulogized

The four federal agents who died in the Feb. 28 gun battle with cult leader David Koresh and his followers in Waco, Tex., were eulogized Thursday as public servants who stood up “to a violent criminal who was ready to harm anyone in his way.”

“These were the good guys just wanting to go after the bad guys,” Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen said in an emotional tribute to the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents slain in the initial assault.

“I’ll never ever know how deep the losses have hurt you,” Bentsen told their families. “I’ll never share your emptiness. No one can. But I’ll understand when you ask over and over again, ‘Why? Why did it have to happen to them?’ No matter how many times you ask, I’m sorry, but there’ll never be an answer. And that’s part of the price of serving your country.”

The names of Conway C. LeBleu, Todd W. McKeehan, Robert J. Williams and Steven D. Willis will be engraved on the wall of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial next year, joining those of the 178 ATF agents and 13,078 other law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty.