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The Mexican Expeditionary Air Force ( es, Fuerza Aérea Expedicionaria Mexicana, FAEM) was a military aviation unit which represented
Mexico declared war on the Axis Powers in support of the Allies on May 22, 1942, following losses of oil ships in the Gulf. The ''201 Squadron'' name—also known as ''Aztec Eagles''—applied to all pilots, mechanics, armorers and other personnel who were trained in the FUERZA AÉREA EXPEDICIONARIA MEXICANA ESCUADRÓN DE PELEA 201
''Aztecamodels.com'' Accessed on 24-10-2008. Founded by order 8606 of the ''Dirección de Aeronáutica'' of the Secretariat of National Defense, the unit was officially made part of the
Mexico
Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...
on the Allied side during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. It is notable as the only Mexican military unit ever to fight outside Mexico itself.
History
Mexico declared war on the Axis Powers in support of the Allies on May 22, 1942, following losses of oil ships in the Gulf. The ''201 Squadron'' name—also known as ''Aztec Eagles''—applied to all pilots, mechanics, armorers and other personnel who were trained in the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
from July 1944 onward to take part in the conflict. The unit was previously known as the ''Grupo de Perfeccionamiento de Aeronáutica'' ("Aeronautical Training Group").
On 29 December 1944, Mexico's Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...
authorized these troops to be sent into combat''Aztecamodels.com'' Accessed on 24-10-2008. Founded by order 8606 of the ''Dirección de Aeronáutica'' of the Secretariat of National Defense, the unit was officially made part of the
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army ( es, Ejército Mexicano) is the combined land and air branch and is the largest part of the Mexican Armed Forces; it is also known as the National Defense Army.
The Army is under the authority of the Secretariat of National ...
on 1 January 1945. Its structure was organised as Command (''Mando''), Command Group (''Grupo de Comando''), ''Escuadrón'' 201 and Reinforcement Group (''Grupo de Reemplazos''), to be consistent with the structure of a U.S. fighter squadron, though the unit flew with its own markings and remained under Mexican command—Colonel P.A. Antonio Cárdenas Rodríguez
General de División Antonio Cárdenas Rodríguez (6 October 1903 – 4 July 1969) was a military aviator and head of the Mexican Air Force. As a Colonel he made a goodwill flight of several countries in Latin America. He traveled almost ...
(1905–1969) was appointed its commander.
Trained on various bases in the U.S., at the end of their training they were reviewed by the Under Secretary of National Defense, general Francisco L. Urquizo
Francisco Luis Urquizo Benavides (21 June 1891, San Pedro de las Colonias, Coahuila – 6 April 1969, Mexico City) was a Mexican soldier, writer and historian who fought in the Mexican Revolution, rose to the rank of Major General, and served as ...
on 23 February 1945 at Major's Field Airbase in Greenville, Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. Due to their knowledge of Spanish and the victories in Europe the U.S. War department assigned these Mexican troops to the Pacific theater. They sailed out of San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
in the U.S. Navy transport ''Fairisle'' on 27 March, to aid other Allied forces in the liberation of the Japanese-occupied Philippines. On arrival in Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital city, capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is Cities of the Philippines#Independent cities, highly urbanize ...
on 30 April, Colonel Cárdenas was welcomed by General Douglas MacArthur, supreme Allied commander in the southwest Pacific. The FAEM was then given a base at camp Porac, Pampanga
Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga ( pam, Lalawigan ning Pampanga; tl, Lalawigan ng Pampanga ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tar ...
, in the Clark Field
Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...
complex on the island of Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, ...
, forming part of 58th Fighter Group, V Fighter Command, U.S. Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organi ...
.
FAEM's operational element— ''Escuadrón'' 201, commanded by 1° P.A. Radamés Gaxiola Andrade (1915–1966)—led 59 combat missions over Luzón and Formosa
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is an island country located in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, formerly known in the Western political circles, press and literature as Formosa, makes up 99% of the land area of the territori ...
, of which 50 were deemed successful, making an efficiency of 85%, dropping 252 bombs totalling and firing 138,652 machine gun rounds, with only five of its pilots killed in action. This implies a high efficiency since it was in action only from June–August 1945. At the end of the war, the FAEM returned to Mexico, where it paraded on Plaza de la Constitución in Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley of ...
on 18 November 1945.
References