https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/z3oh5he El Salvador kidnapping task force photograph and letter, January 4, 1981 http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-RUU/1.0/ Gregory, Willard B. 1981-Jan-04 Beckman Instruments inter-office memo written by Bill Gregory. Included with the memo is a black-and-white photograph of the El Salvador kidnapping task force with ransom suitcase. Attached to the photograph is a detailed description of the photograph and each person's role in the task force. Beckman Instruments had a subsidiary company and manufacturing plant called Aplar in El Salvador. In 1979 the country was on the brink of a civil war that would ultimately span three decades. On September 21, 1979, the manager of the Aplar plant, Dennis McDonald, and a Beckman Instruments engineer, Fausto Bucheli, were kidnapped by members of the guerrilla movement and held for ransom. The terms of their release were the payment of a ransom as well as publication of a manifesto in various newspapers worldwide. Beckman Instruments paid the ransom and published the manifesto, leading to the release of the hostages after forty-seven days of captivity. Robert J. Steinmeyer, the leader of the hostage negotiation team, is in the center. Beckman Historical Collection 25.4 cm W x 20.3 cm H California--Fullerton English Ransom Political kidnapping Hostage negotiations El Salvador--Politics and government--1944-1979 El Salvador--History--Coup d'état, 1979 El Salvador--History--1979-1992 Beckman Instruments, Inc. image text business correspondence photographs https://digital.sciencehistory.org/downloads/deriv/1rsk36h/thumb_large_2X?disposition=inline https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/z3oh5he http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-RUU/1.0/ business correspondence photographs https://digital.sciencehistory.org/downloads/deriv/s6upzgd/download_full?disposition=inline https://digital.sciencehistory.org/downloads/deriv/c4ya3ed/download_full?disposition=inline https://digital.sciencehistory.org/downloads/deriv/1rsk36h/download_full?disposition=inline https://digital.sciencehistory.org/downloads/deriv/bjxjocw/download_full?disposition=inline