'Aztec Eagles' A Dying Breed; Only 10 of 300 Still Living
Otis Willie
(EXCERPT) By Rudi Williams American Forces Press Service
ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct. 21, 2003 The more than 300 Mexicans who
volunteered to help the United States kick the Japanese out of the
Pacific islands during World War II are slowing passing on. Only 10 of
them are still around.
Only three of them -- two combat pilots and one ground crew member --
were well enough to travel here from Mexico to be honored for their
contributions by the Defense Department on Oct. 16 and 17. They were
former "Aztec Eagles" pilots, retired Mexican air force Col. Carlos
Garduno and Capt. Miguel Moreno Arreola, and ground crewman former
Capt. Manuel Cervantes Ramos.
"Only 10 of us are still alive," Garduno said sadly during an
interview at the Hyatt Regency Orange County Hotel here during DoD's
Hispanic American Heritage Month observance.
The Mexican war hero said the Mexican Fighter Squadron 201, "El
Escuadron 201," was composed of more than 300 volunteers 36
experienced pilots and the rest ground crewmen. The ground crewmen
were electricians, mechanics, radiomen, and armament "all the
specialties that are required for a typical fighter squadron," the
colonel said.
The Aztec Eagles were attached to the U.S. Army Air Forces 5th Air
Force's 58th Fighter Group during the liberation of the main
Philippine island of Luzon in the summer of 1945. The pilots flew
P-47D "Thunderbolt" single-seat fighter aircraft carrying out tactical
air support missions.
"We flew close air support missions for American and Filipino infantry
troops on the ground, and had to hit where we saw a smoke bomb go
off," Garduno said. "Otherwise, we could have hit friendly troops,
because the difference in distance was about 300 yards between the
enemy and the friendly troops.
"We were 31 pilots (who) went to war," said Garduno, who flew 26
combat missions and served more than 37 years in the Mexican air
force. "Originally, we were 38 pilots, but two were killed in training
and the others were eliminated from training. All the time we were in
the war, we never got a replacement pilot. It took a long time for
training, and by the time they were going to be shipped out it was too
late."
The squadron left Mexico for the United States on July 24, 1944,
arrived at Laredo, Texas, on July 25, and moved on to Randolph Field
in San Antonio, where they received medical examinations and weapons
and flight proficiency tests. They received five months of training at
Majors Field in Greenville, Texas; Pocatello (Idaho) Army Air Base;
Foster Field in Victoria, Texas; and Randolph. The pilots received
extensive training in armament, communications or engineering as well
as combat tactics, formation flying and gunnery.
This marked the first time Mexican troops were trained for overseas
combat. The "Aztec Eagles" flew 59 combat missions, totaling more than
1,290 hours of flight time. They participated in the Allied effort to
bomb Luzon and Formosa (now Taiwan) to push the Japanese out of those
islands.
"We were trying to get three more squadrons to have a whole group of
Mexican air force in the war," Garduno said. "I joined the squadron of
Aztec Eagles because as a professional military man, I was dedicated
to serving my country, which had declared war against the Axis.
Professional men have to accept the call to duty.
"They sent me to learn dive-bombing at North Island in San Diego with
the Navy for eight months," continued Garduno, who noted his English,
which he started learning at age 7, helped him during his military
career. "But I flew only 26 missions because I had an accident and
spent three weeks in the hospital."
Garduno said he remembers Mexican President Manuel Avila Camacho
saying in his welcome home speech that "your pilot comrades that are
not with you because they've passed on to the hills of Mexico, you
live to remember them forever."
"It was like an order that each one of us never forgot," Garduno said.
"So we formed an association of veterans, called "Asociacion Mexicana
de Veteranos II Guerra Mundial" (Mexican Association of World War II
Veterans), which is very small now only 10 members. We remember them
every time one dies. Every year we have a very important celebration
on Nov. 18, which is the day we came back from the war."
Garduno, the association's president and international issues
representative, has printed on the back of his business card, "This
card identifies those who believe in the principles of freedom, for
which veterans of many countries gave their lives. Voluntary
affiliation will help to preserve their memory."
He said even today, the Mexican president, secretary of defense, air
force and others support the surviving Aztec Eagles when they remember
their dead on Nov. 18. The American Legion and Veterans of Foreign
Wars, as well as British and French veterans organizations in Mexico,
always participate in the observance.
"We all get together for International Remembrance Day on Nov. 10,"
Garduno noted. "It's just a very important day for us."
Arreola, who finished pilot training on June 3, 1944, remembers
arriving at San Antonio's Randolph Field, which, he said, at that
time, was the best school for pilot training.
"Sometimes something nice happens," Arreola said with a big smile.
"When I was waiting for my training, a beautiful lady arrived and
said, 'Are you Arreola?' I said, 'Yes I am.' And she said, 'I'm your
instructor.' "I was totally surprised because I never thought that a
woman would be giving me training."
Arreola was one of 34 out of 36 pilots to pass the examinations. "We
left from San Francisco on March 27, 1945, and arrived in Manila on
April 30 and (were) attached to the 58th Group," said Arreola, who
started out as a wingman and later became a commander. "Then they sent
us about 70 miles north to one of the big islands. We arrived May 1,
1945, and raised our battle flag the second day there.
"We flew some very dangerous missions from Clark Field in the
Philippines to Formosa, now called Taiwan," continued Arreola, who
flew 36 missions, including two over Formosa, during his six months in
the Pacific. "We saw more frequent airplanes from Japan on that
650-mile trip than ever before. But they didn't want to have combat
with us, because they knew our P-47s were better than their
Mitsubishis. We could fly higher and faster."
Arreola said the Aztec Eagles didn't find out until Aug. 8, 1945, that
the United States had dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, on
Aug. 6. "We didn't know what it destroyed, or if it destroyed
anything," he said. "Then on Aug. 9 they dropped another atomic bomb
on Nagasaki."
After the war ended, the Mexican pilots were sent to Okinawa and
placed on standby.
Arreola said the Aztec Eagles dedicated a monument in Manila on Sept.
25, 1945, honoring the five pilots who were killed.
They left the Pacific and returned home triumphantly on Oct. 21, 1945.
They were greeted as national heroes in Mexico City on Nov. 18 by huge
crowds, including President Camacho.
"I said to the president, the mission is over," said Arreola, who got
out of the air force and flew civilian airliners in Mexico for 36
years. "That's one of the best memories I have."
But today, the enormous crowds are gone and in most cases, the Aztec
Eagles are all but forgotten. "Now, we receive more attention in the
United States than in our own country," Arreola noted. "We have a very
small pension, not like the pension veterans in American have. We have
very few dollars per month.
"But we're very proud to have served with the American veterans in
World War II," he said.
Garduno said the cooperation between Mexico and the United States in
World War II "to go fight and help the Allied countries was very
important."
"In those days," he noted, "Mexico still had a tremendous resentment
toward the United States for the Mexican War of 1846 and 1847 and for
the American occupation of Veracruz in 1914 during the Mexican Civil
War. So about 90 percent of the population of Mexico was against
cooperation with the United States during World War II."
He said Mexican President Camacho had a tremendous opposition to
cooperation with the United States. "It took the sinking of two
Mexican oil tankers in the Gulf of Mexico by U-boats for the Mexican
congress to accept a declaration of war on the Axis," Garduno noted.
"As small as Mexico's contribution was compared to the big nations, it
was very significant," he said. "We're trying to convince the people
that regardless of past conflicts we had with the United States, the
important thing is to be together (as we were) in the Second World
War. Unity, cooperation and integrity for our beliefs in freedom are
the important thing. We won the war, but we still want to be winning
the peace that we've had since then.
"So our sentiments were with the United States to save the freedom
that we're still enjoying today," Garduno said.
NOTE: This is a plain text version of a web page. If your e-mail
program
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Oct2003/n10212003_200310214.html
---------------------------
Otis Willie
Associate Librarian
The American War Library
http://www.americanwarlibrary.com
Poop Dogg
news:iobbpvs8bvt1qpqe7...@4ax.com...
> 'Aztec Eagles' A Dying Breed; Only 10 of 300 Still Living
>
> (EXCERPT) By Rudi Williams American Forces Press Service
>
> ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct. 21, 2003 The more than 300 Mexicans who
> volunteered to help the United States kick the Japanese out of the
> Pacific islands during World War II are slowing passing on. Only 10 of
> them are still around.
>
> Only three of them -- two combat pilots and one ground crew member --
> were well enough to travel here from Mexico to be honored for their
> contributions by the Defense Department on Oct. 16 and 17. They were
> former "Aztec Eagles" pilots, retired Mexican air force Col. Carlos
> Garduno and Capt. Miguel Moreno Arreola, and ground crewman former
> Capt. Manuel Cervantes Ramos.
That's very interesting, I was unaware that Mexico participated in
WWII at all. I thought their long-standing policy was not to get
involved in world conflicts. How did the Mexican presidente
sell the military involvement to the Mexican people?
Douglas S. Ladden
Either you didn't bother to read the article, PD, or it was simply
beyond your ability to understand. The article clearly answers what you
ask.
--Douglas
Poop Dogg
> > That's very interesting, I was unaware that Mexico participated in
> > WWII at all. I thought their long-standing policy was not to get
> > involved in world conflicts. How did the Mexican presidente
> > sell the military involvement to the Mexican people?
> >
> Either you didn't bother to read the article, PD, or it was simply
> beyond your ability to understand. The article clearly answers what you
> ask.
I did read the article but it didn't mention the reason. Anyway, my
question was answered by a blurb on the History channel the other
day that said Mexico declared war on the Axis powers after German
subs sank several Mexican ships.
Douglas S. Ladden
That's exactly what was in the article in the original post.
--Douglas
H. Reader
"Poop Dogg" <nos...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:2KednZ6aicO...@bravo.net...
> "Otis Willie" <war...@pacbell.net> wrote in message
> news:iobbpvs8bvt1qpqe7...@4ax.com...
> > 'Aztec Eagles' A Dying Breed; Only 10 of 300 Still Living
> >
> > (EXCERPT) By Rudi Williams American Forces Press Service
> >
> > ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct. 21, 2003 The more than 300 Mexicans who
> > volunteered to help the United States kick the Japanese out of the
> > Pacific islands during World War II are slowing passing on. Only 10 of
> > them are still around.
> >
> > Only three of them -- two combat pilots and one ground crew member --
> > were well enough to travel here from Mexico to be honored for their
> > contributions by the Defense Department on Oct. 16 and 17. They were
> > former "Aztec Eagles" pilots, retired Mexican air force Col. Carlos
> > Garduno and Capt. Miguel Moreno Arreola, and ground crewman former
> > Capt. Manuel Cervantes Ramos.
>
> That's very interesting, I was unaware that Mexico participated in
> WWII at all.
To say that Mexico participated in WW II because 30 or so Mexicans
were trained in the US and flew US planes with US support is a bit
of a stretch. It's an embarrassment, actually.
Poop Dogg
> To say that Mexico participated in WW II because 30 or so Mexicans
> were trained in the US and flew US planes with US support is a bit
> of a stretch. It's an embarrassment, actually.
I don't want to denigrate these Mexican pilots, but you do make a
point. It is like how the U.S. claims that the recent Iraq War
was an "international coalition" because Cameroon (I think)
contributed a half dozen troops and perhaps some spears.
Nick
> point. It is like how the U.S. claims that the recent Iraq War
> was an "international coalition" because Cameroon (I think)
> contributed a half dozen troops and perhaps some spears.
Over 3000+ were trained of which only 300 were selected (and 38 were
pilots). Many were left back at the bases in the US. You must remember
that it was only about 20 years earlier when the US was at war against
Mexico in the Mexican/American War. This war was one of the worst
revolutions to hit a country in years and Mexico was so poor that they
could not even afford their own army. The least they could do was send
an elite "all volunteer" force to help the Allies in WWII.
Lets not forget about the thousands of Mexican citizens that fought
with the US Military in other branches (Navy, Army, etc).
As far as I know, Mexico's contribution far outweighs some of the
other rich rich countries fighting in Iraq's war today.
David Eduardo
"Nick" <tooplan...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:3997749f.0310...@posting.google.com...
> > I don't want to denigrate these Mexican pilots, but you do make a
> > point. It is like how the U.S. claims that the recent Iraq War
> > was an "international coalition" because Cameroon (I think)
> > contributed a half dozen troops and perhaps some spears.
>
> Over 3000+ were trained of which only 300 were selected (and 38 were
> pilots). Many were left back at the bases in the US. You must remember
> that it was only about 20 years earlier when the US was at war against
> Mexico in the Mexican/American War.
The Mexican war in the period of 1911 to the end of the decade was the
Revolution, essentially a civil war.
> This war was one of the worst
> revolutions to hit a country in years and Mexico was so poor that they
> could not even afford their own army. The least they could do was send
> an elite "all volunteer" force to help the Allies in WWII.
The Mexican American War was before the US Civil War. In other words, a
hundred years, give or take, earlier.
Nick
> > Over 3000+ were trained of which only 300 were selected (and 38 were
> > pilots). Many were left back at the bases in the US. You must remember
> > that it was only about 20 years earlier when the US was at war against
> > Mexico in the Mexican/American War.
>
> The Mexican war in the period of 1911 to the end of the decade was the
> Revolution, essentially a civil war.
>
> > This war was one of the worst
> > revolutions to hit a country in years and Mexico was so poor that they
> > could not even afford their own army. The least they could do was send
> > an elite "all volunteer" force to help the Allies in WWII.
>
> The Mexican American War was before the US Civil War. In other words, a
> hundred years, give or take, earlier.
David, you are correct. It was my mistake, I meant to call it the
Mexican Revolution---but remember about the border troubles between
Pershing and Mexican revolutionaries. That's what I meant. It almost
was a war, though.
H. Reader
> > point. It is like how the U.S. claims that the recent Iraq War
> > was an "international coalition" because Cameroon (I think)
> > contributed a half dozen troops and perhaps some spears.
>
> Over 3000+ were trained of which only 300 were selected (and 38 were
> pilots).
Oh, gosh, 3,000...wow. About that many Americans died in the first hour
of D-Day.
> Many were left back at the bases in the US.
Tough duty.
> You must remember
> that it was only about 20 years earlier when the US was at war against
> Mexico in the Mexican/American War
What an idiot.
>. This war was one of the worst
> revolutions to hit a country in years and Mexico was so poor that they
> could not even afford their own army. The least they could do was send
> an elite "all volunteer" force to help the Allies in WWII.
Right. That was the *least* that could be done. Nobody did less,
actually.
> Lets not forget about the thousands of Mexican citizens that fought
> with the US Military in other branches (Navy, Army, etc).
Bullshit.
> As far as I know, Mexico's contribution far outweighs some of the
> other rich rich countries fighting in Iraq's war today.
And those countries aren't taking any credit for doing anything
in Iraq, unlike Mexico's taking *credit* -- hilarious -- for
participating in WW II.
Poop Dogg
news:KvTrb.18821$n6....@nwrddc03.gnilink.net...
>
> "Nick" <tooplan...@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:3997749f.0310...@posting.google.com...
> > > I don't want to denigrate these Mexican pilots, but you do make a
> > > point. It is like how the U.S. claims that the recent Iraq War
> > > was an "international coalition" because Cameroon (I think)
> > > contributed a half dozen troops and perhaps some spears.
> >
> > Over 3000+ were trained of which only 300 were selected (and 38 were
> > pilots).
>
> Oh, gosh, 3,000...wow. About that many Americans died in the first hour
> of D-Day.
I don't want to belittle Mexico's contribution to the war, but their
involvement was largely symbolic. I guess the Mexican government had
to do something when Mexican ships were attacked by the Nazis, so
contributing a token force to fight under American command served
that purpose without Mexico actually having to expend any of its
resources on war.