HM 37 — MEXICAN 201ST SQUADRON

HOUSE MEMORIAL 37 55TH LEGISLATURE- STATE OF NEWMEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 2022 INTRODUCED BY Linda Serrato and Javier Martínez 6 8 10 A MEMORIAL RECOGNIZING AND HONORING THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNITED STATES MADE BY THE MEXICAN TWO-HUNDRED-FIRST SQUADRON DURING WORLD WAR II.

156 WHEREAS, the two-hundred-first squadron was formed by order of Mexican President Manuel Avila Camacho on July 10, e t 17 1944, after an agreement was reached with United States w l n d 18 President Franklin D.

and = = 19 a l WHEREAS, this all-volunteer contingent of three hundred i a e r 20 fifty Mexican fighter pilots and ground personnel was a t m m 21 affectionately known as "the white noses" by United States army d r e 22 ground fighting forces, but they called themselves the "Aztec c e s k 23 eagles";

and e a n b 24 WHEREAS, the two-hundred-first squadron, officially u [ attached to the fifty-eighth fighter group of the United States .222122.3 army air forces, served courageously in the liberation of the Philippines during World War II;

and HM 37 WHEREAS, the squadron left for the Philippines by ship Page 1 on March 27, 1945, traveling mostly at night and taking many evasive precautions during the day because of the Axis' submarine threats off the coast of California, and arrived in the Philippines thirty days later;

and 14 WHEREAS, these Mexican pilots flew Republic P-47D-30-RA thunderbolt single-seat fighter aircraft and carried out two thousand hours of combat flying;

and e t 17 WHEREAS, the fighter planes had double insignias, one for w l n d 18 Mexico and one for the United States;

and = = 19 WHEREAS, upon arrival, the men of the two-hundred-first a l i a e r 20 squadron were looked upon with disdain and distrust by the a t m m 21 American men of the fifty-eighth fighter group;

and d r e 22 WHEREAS, those sentiments soon ended as American pilots c e s k 23 recognized the bravery and ferocity of the Aztec eagles when e a n b 24 the men of the two-hundred-first squadron executed dangerous u [ dive-bomb runs from high altitudes;

and .222122.3 - 2 - WHEREAS, these bold pilots faced such grueling missions that they often needed to be pried out of their cockpits and helped off the tarmac;

and HM 37 Page 2 WHEREAS, the two-hundred-first squadron remains the only military unit in Mexico's history to engage in combat outside of its national borders;

and WHEREAS, despite losing seven pilots, the service of the Aztec eagles helped improve relations between the United States 14 and Mexico;

and WHEREAS, a tremendous debt of gratitude is owed by residents of the United States to this squadron of Mexican men e t 17 who bravely fought for the United States during World War II w l n d 18 against the Japanese;

= = 19 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF a l i a e r 20 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the Mexican a t m m 21 two-hundred-first squadron be recognized and honored for its d r e 22 contributions fighting for the United States during World War c e s k 23 II;

and e a n b 24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico congressional u [ delegation be encouraged to appeal to the administration of .222122.3 - 3 - President Joe Biden to honor the contributions of the Mexican two-hundred-first squadron nationally;

-HM 437 -Page 103 1225 14 16 e t 17 w l n d 18 = = 19 a l i a e r 20 a t m m 21 d r e 22 c e s k 23 e a n b 24 u [ .222122.3