Forgotten Men of the 201st Mexican Fighter Squadron

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#1

201st Mexican Fighter Squadron

The 201st Mexican Fighter Squadron assembles in front of a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter on Porac strip, Clark Field, Luzon

I was completing an overdue homework assignment that George Eller gave me on the Dutch East Indies and I came across this information on the site he gave me for the Dutch East Indies. Umm, please don’t tell George I was playing hookie, okay? If we all keep quiet about it, he may never find out. :roll:

I couldn’t find anywhere on the site or in the archives where this information had already been posted, so here it is. Vivan los combatientes de Mexico! Let us never forget them.

Thank you to Panzerknacker for translating “long live the fighting men of Mexico” into Spanish for me. Gracias, mi amigo.

"The 201st Mexican Fighter Squadron of the “Fuerza Area Expedicionaria Mexicana” is the only Mexican military unit that has seen combat outside Mexico.
Affectionately known as the “Aztec Eagles,” the squadron flew combat missions in the Philippines from May to August 1945. The 201st was attached to the American 58th Fighter Group, 5th Fighter Command, 5th Air Force and flew P-47 Thunderbolts.

 Mexico declared war against the Axis powers in 1942 after U-boats sank two Mexican ships. In 1944, The Mexican Air Force formed 300 pilots and crewmen into El Escuadron Aereo de Pelea 201 and sent them to Idaho and Texas for training.

 The 201st flew its first combat missions in support of American ground troops in June 1945 during the advance into northern Luzon.  In July the squadron flew long range fighter sweeps from the Philippines to Formosa and in August they flew a dive-bombing mission on the Port of Karenko, Formosa.

 During its four-month tour, the squadron flew 791 sorties including 96 combat missions, dropped 1,497 bombs and fired 166,922 rounds of 0.50 cal. ammunition. Five of the squadron's 31 pilots were killed during the war.

 The MEAF was disbanded after returning to Mexico from the Philippines. The 201st is still an active duty squadron, flying the Pilatus PC-7 from Cozumel, Quitna Roo."

American sentiment towards the men of the 201st in the words of Reynaldo Perez Gallardo, a veteran of the 201st in WWII:

"The North Americans used to call us the “White Noses” because our mechanics had painted the nose of our airplanes white. We became very popular. On one occasion, I was in the hospital getting treated for little things that happen to us over there when a wounded soldier that was next to me noticed that I wasn’t North American. He was very injured, but got up and came to the bed where I was lying. He asked me, “Do you fly a white nose?” and I said “yes.” He embraced me and said, “You can’t imagine how much we love you, because you have helped us so much.” From this site: http://utopia.utexas.edu/explore/latino/narratives/02PEREZ_GALLARDO.HTML

Here is a picture of a White Nose plane http://erickr0.tripod.com/

Pictures and other information are from:
http://www.geocities.com/dutcheastindies/201squadron.html and http://www.flightsuits.com/patch_201mfs.html

Missions completed by the 201st Mexican Fighter Squadron

• 53 ground support missions flown in support of American troops in Luzon from 4 June to 4 July 1945,

• 37 training missions from 14-21 July 1945 (including missions of transporting new aircraft from Biak Island, New Guinea),

• 4 fighter sweeps to the island of Formosa, 6-9 July 1945,

• 1 dive bombing mission against the Port of Karenko, Formosa, 8 August, 1945.

• 1 convoy escort mission in the Sea North of the Philippines, 26 August 1945.

Mexican Expeditionary Air Force Personnel Losses

SubTte. P. A. Crisoforo Salido Grijalva , KIFA Texas, USA, 23 January 1945

Tte. P. A. Javier Martinez Valle, KIFA Texas USA, 13 March 1945

SubTte. P. A. Fausto Vega Santander, KIFA P.I., 1 June 1945

Tte. P. A. Jose Espinoza Fuentes, KIFA, 5 June 1945

SubTte. P. A. Hugo Gonzalez y Gonzalez, KIFA USA, 9 July 1945 (Replacement Group pilot)

Tte. P. A. Hector Espinosa Galvan, KIFA New Guinea, 16 July 1945

Capt.2/o. P. A. Pablo L. Rivas Martinez, missing off New Guinea, 19 July 1945. Officialy declared dead in 1947

SubTte. P. A. Mario Lopez Portillo, KIFA P.I., 21 July 1945

Tte. P. A. Roberto Gomez Moreno, KIFA USA, 26 September 1945 (Replacement Group pilot)

Sgt.2/o. Radio Operator Francisco Rodriguez Castaneda, died in Santa Fe, New Mexico Military Hospital due to illness contracted in the P.I., 2 November 1945.

More information about the 201st Mexican Fighter Squadron can be found on the following sites:

http://www.neta.com/~1stbooks/unit10.htm
http://utopia.utexas.edu/explore/latino/narratives/02PEREZ_GALLARDO.HTML
http://unitpages.military.com/unitpages/unit.do?id=701286
http://erickr0.tripod.com/

Hope everyone enjoys the information. I’d better go finish my homework before I get totally busted!

#2

Naughty, naughty Francesca…I’ll let it slide this time :slight_smile:

But, you get an A+ for the extra credit. Very well done and nicely organized.

Interesting too, that the 201 veterans are the only veterans of foreign wars in Mexico’s history. And they flew my favorite WWII fighter no less.

Great info…Now back to your reading assignment! :smiley:

P.S: I will email you later today. Have really been tied up this week. I like your new signature - it looks great.

#3

Never new Mexicans fought in WWII. Thanks for that.

Marek

#4

As having done research of them in the past, this squadron never saw combat with other aircraft as it was already too late in the war. There was some air-to-ground combat. Reynaldo Gallardo lives in Austin, Texas. I’ve visited him a couple of times.

#5

Your welcome, Marek. ww2admin, will you tell us more about Reynaldo Gallardo? I think that’s great the you have met him!

#6

George Eller wrote: "Naughty, naughty Francesca…I’ll let it slide this time

But, you get an A+ for the extra credit. Very well done and nicely organized.

Interesting too, that the 201 veterans are the only veterans of foreign wars in Mexico’s history. And they flew my favorite WWII fighter no less.

Great info…Now back to your reading assignment!"

:shock: Oops, I forgot to say thank you to George for his mercy, the extra credit, and his many compliments. He is a truly good and merciful teacher. I thought I was gonna get suspended for playing hooky and I got off with a warning. Whewww, what a relief! :wink:

#7

Thank you :cool: - Keep up the good work :smiley:

#8

Very interesting information. I knew Mexico had declared war, but I didn’t know they’d ever sent active units to fight.

I did at first think you were worried you’d get into trouble for playing hockey though.

#9

Thanks GB, I’m glad you found the information interesting. Now if only ww2admin would tell us more, since he met one of the men. He’s probably got all sorts of good gossip. :wink:

#10

He was a lowly truck driver up until a year ago, when they fired him cuz of his age. Poor guy hates Mexico—they tried to assassinate him once. Long story. Good movie material.