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In early 1942, Nazi U-Boats were
sinking allied shipping off the coast of the United States during what was known
to them as the "happy time". By the summer of 1942, the Kreigs marine had expanded their operations to include the Gulf of Mexico,
and began sinking Mexican ships as well.
The story of the Civil Air Patrol hunting the U-Boat menace off the eastern seaboard of the United States is well-known
to most CAP members, and is a key element of our proud tradition and rich history. But south of the border,
a group of Mexican Pilots were performing the same duty off the coast of Mexico, and their story is not well known.
This was the first operation of "Squadron 201," a unit that later went on to join the United States'
5th Air Force as part of the 58th Fighter Group in the Philippines. This cooperative venture with the United States'
military is Mexico's only foreign deployment of combat forces in its rich history.
It is in the spirit of honor that the
most southern squadron in Civil Air Patrol's California Wing adopts the
designation "Squadron 201." We dedicate ourselves to preserving and continuing
to spread the word of our good friends south of the border. We consider them not
only heroes in a military sense, but also role models illustrating the fine
cooperation possible between our two great nations.
The unit patch worn by the World War II Squadron 201 is illustrated at left.
The unit emblem for Civil Air Patrol's Squadron 201 is closely based upon their patch.
For a follow up story on the Mexican Air Force during WWII visit the web site for the University of Texas at San Antonio
Hispanic Research Center. Visit their excellent site at
http://hrc.utsa.edu/fighter201/index.htm. |
