Mexican

[Louis]

The Fuerza Aerea Expedicionaria Mexicana (FAEM; translates as Mexican Expeditionary Air Force) was a military aviation unit which represented Mexico on the Allied side during World War Two.

The name covered all pilots, mechanics, armourers and other personnel who were trained in the United States from July 1944 onwards to take part in the conflict - the unit was previously known as the Grupo de Perfeccionamiento de Aeronáutica or Aeronautical Training Group.

They sailed out of San Francisco in the US Navy transport ship Fairisle on 27 March, to aid other Allied forces in the liberation of the Japanese-occupied Philippines. Arrived in Manila on 30 April 1945.-

FAEM's operational element, Squadron 201, commanded by 1° P.A. Radamas Gaxiola Andrade, led 59 combat missions over Luzon and Formosa, of which 50 were deemed successful, making an efficiency of 85%, dropping 252 bombs totalling 1,000 pounds and firing 138,652 rounds of .50 calibre, with only 5 of its pilots killed - a high efficiency since it was only in action from June to August 1945. (wikipedia)

 

[Louis]

 

[Louis]

President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Mexican President Manuel Avila Camacho (right) during a state visit to Monterrey, Mexico.- 20 April 1943

 

[Louis]

 

[Louis]

Staff Sergeant Marcario Garcia (1920-1972) born in Villa de Castaño, Mexico, was the first Mexican to receive the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military decoration. He received the award for his heroic actions as a soldier during WW2.

 

[Louis]

Lost images were cleaned.

 

[Louis]

“For travel to Tokyo and Hirohito. With love. From the F.A.E.M.,” (referring to the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force).

 

[Louis]

Mexico, in addition to Brazil, was the only country in Latin America to send troops against the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis.
Here, Gen. MacArthur welcomes the Mexican force.

 

[mTk]

That's not very many.

 

[Gunner]

Luis's pictures have a tendency to take me to further investigations.....

The Aztec Eagles (including 33 pilots and more than 270 support personnel) arrived in Manila Bay in the Philippines on April 30, 1945. Over the next few months, they flew 795 combat sorties and logged almost 2,000 hours of flying time, including conducting bombing missions over Luzon and Formosa and providing support for U.S. airmen.
Seven pilots from Squadron 201 died in the conflict; the surviving members returned to a heroes’ welcome in Mexico after Japan’s surrender.

The squadron played an important symbolic role, inspiring national and cultural pride among Mexicans at home and helping to keep them invested in the war effort.

Mexico also allowed the U.S. military to register and conscript Mexican nationals living in the United States during the war. According to one estimate, around 15,000 Mexican nationals served in the U.S. military during World War II.

Of these, some 1,492 are believed to have been killed, imprisoned, injured or disappeared.

 

[Louis]

Presidents Roosevelt and Manuel Avila Camacho reviewing Mexican troops in Monterrey, 1943.

 

[chiquichops]

Lieutenant Pedro de Lima Mendes 1920/1946 (at the left) talking with the team of mechanics of his P-47, Pisa, Italy. 1945

Is the annotation in Portuguese?

 

[Gunner]

When I was in the Service a friend of mine was a crew chief on an F4 Phanthom.
He once told me if you ever want to see a grown man throw a tantrum like a two year old tell him his airplane is broken and he can't fly it.