Throughout history, Mexico has always remained neutral in wars and international conflicts; nevertheless, that status changed on 22 of May 1942. The oil tankers Potrero de Llano and Faja de Oro, which carried supplies for the US Army, were torpedoed in the Gulf of Mexico by German troops. This gave way to the creation of the 201st Fighter Squadron, also known as Aztec Eagles.
The attack prompted the Mexican President, Manuel Ávila Camacho, to declare the war to the Axis alliance formed by Germany, Italy, and Japan. The decision was made after the Germans refused to apologize and indemnify the country. The people united behind the war effort, and after obtaining permission from the Senate to send troops overseas, an air unit, The 201st Fighter Squadron, was assembled to join the World War II.
This air combat unit was part of the Fuerza Aérea Expedicionaria Mexicana —Mexican Expeditionary Air Force— (FAEM, by its Spanish acronym), and it was the first unit to fight outside Mexico. They were known as the Aztec Eagles and served with the American 5th Air Force’s 58th Fighter Group. The Aztec Eagles took part in several air campaigns in Japan, Philippines, and Formosa. The 201st Fighter Squadron was formed by 299 people, although only 30 of them participated in active missions.
They flew over 59 missions as wingmen of the Allies, dropped 2,457 bombs, and fired 166,922 rounds of ammunition. They accumulate 1,966 flight hours in combat zones. Their last mission was on August 26, 1945, just before the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
On the year of their return, members from the FEAM inaugurated a monument to commemorate the Mexican soldiers killed in the war. The creation and deployment of the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force was one of the first successful intergovernmental projects between the United States and Mexico.
The men of the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force were highly decorated, earning a Presidential Unit Citation from the Philippine Ministry of Defense, and many other honors. Twenty of them received the U.S. Air Medal. In Mexico, the pilots were decorated by the President with the Medalla Por Servicio en el Lejano Oriente –a special medal that is only ever awarded for foreign combat by Mexican military personnel.
When we think about World War II, we usually think of the courageous men and women who fought in France, and we remember the American soldiers and the British troops. But we often forget about the brave Mexicans who also helped win the war. The next time you talk about WWII remember to pay a tribute to the 201st Fighter Squadron.
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