Mexico Waxes Patriot Duties During Minuscule WWII Effort

[Ayatollahgondola]

What this is meant to do is hijack the effort of former immigrants from Mexico who became Americans, and then became soldiers during WWII, They are hoping to squeeze a little nationalism for Mexico from the American veterans by virtue of previous association:

March 18, 2014

No. 004

The Consulate General of Mexico in Sacramento is pleased to invite you to the screening
of "Escuadron 201 Aguilas Aztecas" :

"Escuadron 201 Aguilas Aztecas"
Thursday March 20, 2014
6:30pm to 9:00pm
Crest Theater
1013 K Street
Sacramento, Ca 95814

Escuadron 201 (201st Air Fighter Squadron) was composed of more than 300 volunteers;
30 were experienced pilots and the rest were ground crew. The ground crewmen were
electricians, mechanics, and radiomen. Its formation was prompted by the attack
by German submarines against Mexican oil tankers Potrero del Llano and Faja de Oro,
that were transporting crude oil to the United States. These attacks prompted President
Manuel Ávila Camacho to declare war on the Axis powers and to join Brazil as the
only Latin American countries to actually send military forces overseas.

For more information about how to obtain tickets ($15 each*) please contact Jaime
Arteaga at (916)657.9329**

*Proceeds to benefit the Mexican American Veterans Memorial
**Information from the Screeaning of Escuadron 201 promotional flyer.

[ilbegone]

I don't know what the film depicts (it probably has some pirated footage of the 1942 Battle of Midway to represent 1944-45 events involving Mexican nationals), but those people weren't "former immigrants" nor citizens of the United states at that time. It might be a propagandized version of a true story (as though Squadron 201 was the sole reason the Japanese were beaten back to the home islands). I haven't seen the film, I don't know. I suspect that the Mexican consul is trying to foster patriotic feelings among Mexico's ex-pats in the United States as well as propagandize the American born by giving the proceeds the the Mexican American Veterans Memorial, wherever that is. I will add that Elena had close relatives who fought in WWII, one was a tail gunner over Germany and another participated in the Battle of the Bulge. I understand that neither one would talk much about it, lots of bad memories - they probably went on a trip to 1940's Europe every night in their sleep until they died.

It is true that the tankers were attacked, they probably were sunk. I find it difficult to believe that Avila Camacho actually declared war on the axis powers, there is a statement that Mexico entered the war on May 23, 1942 - I don't currently have any specifics of what transpired on and between that date to the middle of 1944 except that Mexico opened its ports to the US Navy.

A survey by the magazine Tiempo reflected the indecisiveness of public opinion, but little by little the strong pro German feeling that was especially predominate in the middle classes (a reflection of traditional anti Yankeeism) began to move toward moderate sympathy for the Allied cause

...in the middle of 1944, Mexico sent a group of pilots into the Pacific war. This was squadron 201, which returned at war's end to a hero's welcome. They had fought in the Philippines, especially over Luzon and later over Formosa. Five of their planes had been shot down, and they had recieved an official message of appreciation from General Douglas MacArthur.

The Mexican cinema proceeded to make films about the exploits, real and imagined, of these descendants of the "illustrious lineage of the eagle warriors".

There's lot's of film on just about every subject and every point of view that is jam crock full of unmitigated bullshit that people somehow and uncritically take in as unbiased documentaries.