Aztec Eagles Honored On 60th Anniversary of
Return From World War II

Air Art Northwest owner Sig Unander recently participated in a week of special events in Mexico City honoring the legendary "Aztec Eagle" pilots of Fighter Squadron 201 who achieved fame in the liberation of the Phillipines in World War II. The squadron was the only Mexican military unit ever to serve in combat with United States forces; its participation led to better relations between the two countries and its surviving veterans are national heroes in Mexico.

On November 15, 2005, an historical exposition honoring Squadron 201 and the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force opened in the Mexican Congress at the Palacio Legislativo in Mexico City. The display included artwork, archival photo and rare documents and memorabilia. About 15 surviving veterans of the unit participated in a flag presentation and ribbon-cutting ceremony and heard a speech by the President of the Comision de Gobernacion and remarks by several Mexican legislators praising their dedication and service.

The following day Squadron 201 pilot Colonel Carlos Garduno Nunez, Unander and members of the American G.I. Forum were received by the United States Ambassador to Mexico, Antonio Garza, Jr. In a ceremony held in his office in the United States Embassy in Mexico City. Ambassador Garza was presented with a framed copy of the lithograph Strike of the Aztec Eagles!.

The Ambassador's remarks emphasized the binational solidarity the developed during between Mexico and the United States during World War II and he thanked the veterans for their contributions. The artwork, by noted painter Jack Fellows, is personally signed by the surviving pilots and commemorates their wartime service. It will hang on permanent display in the Embassy.

On Friday, November 18, survivng veterans of the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force, their relatives and friends gathered for a large public ceremony at the principal monument to Squadron 201 at historic Chapultepec Park in Mexico City. The ceremony, sponsored by the Mexican Secretary of Defense, commemorated the 60th Anniversary of the triumphant return of the unit to Mexico at the end of World War II on November 18, 1945. It included a speech by a high-ranking Air Force general that emphasized the core values of the service – loyalty, valor, integrity – and outlined the significance of the of the Expeditionary Air Force in Mexican history and the sacrifice made in the cause of freedom. Five pilots never came home from the Philippines and two died in training accidents.

The ceremony was covered by the Mexican media and a film crew from Los Angeles headed by Producer/Director Victor Mancilla recorded the event for the upcoming video documentary "The Forgotten Eagles".