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馃嚥馃嚱WWII uncovered: 201st Fighter Squadron of the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force.

 馃嚥馃嚱WWII uncovered: 201st Fighter Squadron of the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force.



"Members of the 201st Fighter Squadron of the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force, which was attached to the Fifth Air Force during World War II, at Clark Field in the Philippines" - National Museum of the United States Air Force


According to the National Museum of the US Air Force: "Mexico's Escuadr贸n 201, The Aztec Eagles, equipped with Republic P-47D Thunderbolt fighter aircraft distinguished themselves in providing close air support to American ground units as well as long-range bombing strikes deep into Japanese held territory."


"By July 1944 enough Mexican Air Force pilots and ground support personnel had been trained to form the first squadron for overseas deployment, the 201st Fighter Squadron (Escuadr贸n A茅reo de Pelea 201) consisting of 36 pilots and over 264 support personnel. This unit, along with a Mexican Expeditionary Air Force (Fuerza A茅rea Expedicionaria Mexicana) headquarters, moved to the Philippine Islands in February of 1945."


"Arriving in March of 1945 the Escuadr贸n 201 was attached to the U.S. 5th Air Force and the 58th Fighter Group which was based at Porac, Luzon. The 58th Fighter Group merged the Escuadr贸n 201 into combat operations and provided invaluable support to the new unit during its first combat missions. In early July 1945 the 58th Fighter Group deployed to Okinawa and the now fully operational Escuadr贸n 201 assumed full responsibility for air operations in its area. It provided not only close in ground support to the advancing U.S. 25th "Tropic Lightning" Division and Philippine Army units on Luzon but also strenuous and dangerous seven hour long-range fighter strikes on strategic Japanese targets on the island of Taiwan."


During its operational history the Escuadr贸n 201 had flown 795 combat sorties, had accumulated nearly 2,000 hours of combat flying, and had sadly lost seven pilots. At the end of the war the Escuadr贸n 201 was awarded the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, individual decorations and awards from the United States, and, the most treasured award, the Mexican Far East Service Medal (Servicio en el Lejano Oriente). The Escuadr贸n 201 remains the only military unit in the history of Mexico to engage in combat outside of its national borders. Lest We Forget.


#ww2uncovered #honorourveterans #WWIIveteran #WorldWarII #worldwar2 #pilot #MexicanAirForce #WWII #ww2 #pilots #pacifictheater #wwiiaircraft #greatestgeneration #lestweforget 


WWII uncovered ©️ description and photo sourced by the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

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