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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1916 MEXICAN BORDER SERVICE 1917 In 1910, the Mexican Revolution began when Mexican politicians xed the presidential election to ensure dictator Porrio Díaz’s reelection. Francisco Madero, the losing candidate, revolted, sparking a popular uprising that swept Díaz out of power and leMadero in control. In February 1913, Gen. Victoriano Huerta performed a coup d’état that resulted in Huerta’s assuming power and Madero’s murder. Madero’s supporters, principally Venustiano Carranza and Francisco Villa, revolted against Huerta. Huerta’s coup angered U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. He refused to recognize Huerta’s government, imposed an arms embargo on Mexico, and stationed U.S. troops along the international border. ese troops enforced neutrality laws and protected American border towns when Mexicans baled for control of the Mexican side of these towns, which were important ports of entry. In April 1914, following the arrest of U.S. sailors in Tampico by one of Huerta’s generals, Wilson directly intervened in the revolution Pres. Wilson ordered the U.S. military to occupy Vera Cruz, Mexico’s main seaport on the Gulf of Mexico. Wilson hoped to pressure Huerta into resigning, which eventually occurred in July. U.S. forces withdrew in November. Carranza and Villa now engaged in a civil war for control of Mexico’s government, which resulted in Villa’s defeat. e former bandit retreated to his stronghold, the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, where he hoped to continue the war against Carranza. In the fall of 1915, Wilson recognized Carranza as the de facto leader of Mexico liing the arms embargo on Carranza’s forces, but not Villa’s. Wilson also allowed Carranza to transport soldiers by railroad from Juarez across New Mexico to Agua Prieta, opposite Douglas, Arizona, where these reinforcements were instrumental in inicting another defeat on Villa. ese actions infuriated Villa. retreat northward, essentially ending the active pursuit of Villa’s forces. e U.S. Army inicted one last defeat on Villa on 4 May at Ojos Azules where units of the 11th Cavalry Cavalry Regiment killed 61 Villistas. e clash at Parral fueled the growing tension between the United States and Mexican governments. Tensions escalated further in June. In order to provide beer border security, on 19 June Wilson called up the National Guard; eventually 100,000 soldiers and Guardsmen were stationed on the border. In Mexico, Pershing concentrated his forces at Colonia Dublán, but continued to send out patrols in search of Villistas. e Carranza government told Pershing that his troops would be aacked if they moved in any direction other than north. Pershing ignored this warning and in mid-June sent two companies of the 10th Cavalry, commanded by Capt. William T. Boyd, on a scouting patrol east toward the town of Carrizal. On 21 June Boyd approached Carrizal, with its large garrison of Carranza’s soldiers, and was told by the Mexican commander not to enter the town. Boyd ignored this warning and aacked. e Mexicans easily repulsed the Americans, killing 12, including Boyd, wounding 11, and capturing 23. Boyd’s aack on Carrizal brought the United States and Mexico to the brink of war, something that neither nation wanted. Tensions began to ease aer Mexico released the American soldiers captured at Carrizal and Pershing stopped sending out patrols. Wilson refused to withdraw the Punitive Expedition, still hoping to inuence events in Mexico, but for all practical purposes the expedition was over. Americans grew increasingly concerned about the possibility that the United States would enter the war in Europe. Pershing’s force nally began to withdraw in late January 1917 with the last units leaving Mexico on 5 February. e Mexican border service led to some practical results. Although Villa was neither captured nor killed, Pershing’s expedition had accomplished its mission, which was to break up Villa’s band and end the threat it posed to the U.S. border. During these operations, the U.S. Army gained valuable eld experience and made its rst operational use of two new machines. Pershing used airplanes in in both a reconnaissance role and as a means of communication, as the airplanes relayed messages to and from his widely scaered units. e army also employed trucks as the principle means of supplying the expedition. Pershing established himself as the most likely commander of a U.S. Army expeditionary force in France if the United States became involved in the World War. David Work, PhD Texas A&M University On 9 March 1916, Villa crossed the international border and aacked Columbus, New Mexico. Villa’s motivation probably included a combination of revenge, a need for supplies, and a desire to spark a U.S. intervention in Mexico that would cause Mexican patriotic sentiment to rally to him. e raid did not go as planned because units of the 13th U.S. Cavalry Regiment garrisoned Columbus. Although caught by surprise, aer two hours of ghting the garrison drove Villa’s force out of the town and pursued it across the border. During the raid, eight U.S. soldiers and ten American civilians were killed while the Villistas lost 78 casualties. e raid caused outrage across the United States and led to demands for war, which Wilson wanted to avoid. Instead of war, the president authorized the army to organize the Punitive Expedition and placed Brig. Gen. John J. Pershing in command. Pershing was ordered to cross the border, pursue and break up Villa’s band, and ensure that it no longer posed a threat to U.S. security, but not to capture or kill Villa. Pershing’s forces, eventually numbering over 16,000 soldiers, crossed into Mexico on 15 March. Pershing established a base camp at Colonia Dublán and sent his cavalry south aer Villa’s forces. On 29 March 29, the 7th Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Col. George Dodd, aacked and routed a force of Villistas at Guerrero as they were leaving the town. Dodd’s men killed 56 Mexicans. ree weeks later on 22 April Dodd won a second victory over the Villistas at Tomochic, killing 30 of the enemy. On 1 April a squadron of the 10th Cavalry Regiment (African American “Bualo Soldiers”) scaered ered a force of 150 Villistas at Agua Caliente, killing two Mexicans. On 12 April two companies of the 13th Cavalry Regiment commanded by Major Frank Tompkins arrived at Parral. Upon entering the town, Tompkins’ command was red upon by local civilians and Carranza soldiers. Tompkins retreated to Santa Cruz de Herrera and was besieged by the Mexicans until units of the 10th Cavalry rescued his command, which lost two men killed in the ghting while killing 42 Mexicans. Ten days later, Pershing ordered these forces to “e seed of revolution is repression.” Woodrow Wilson CAMPAIGNS There was one campaign for Mexican Border Service during the period 1916 -1917. e streamer is yellow with a blue center stripe and a narrow green stripe on each edge. e colors green and yellow are associated with the Aztecs of ancient Mexico. e Aztec standard carried at the bale of Otumba in 1520 consisted of a gold sun surrounded by the green plumes of the quetzal. e blue, our national color, alludes to the United States Army and also refers to the Rio Grande River which separates in part Mexico from the United States. 􀃕 MEXICO 1916 BELLIGERENTS 􀃕􀀃United States 􀃕􀀃Mexico STATISTICS 􀃕􀀃Total U.S. Service members 150,000 􀃕􀀃Killed 25 􀃕􀀃Wounded 37 􀃕􀀃Missing 3 􀃕􀀃Prisoners 23 United States 48-star ag President Woodrow Wilson 1913 -1921 U. S. Army uniform, c. 1916. Auto and truck corps ready to leave for Mexico, Army Camp Columbus, New Mexico . 1st Aero Squadron on the U.S. -Mexico border, 1916. U.S. Army Transportation Museum An early model U.S. tank in Mexico. 􀃕 􀃕 U. S. Army soldiers near an adobe house in Mexico. Life Magazine. Gen. Alvaro Obregon, Gen. Francisco “Pancho” Villa, and Gen. John Pershing. Lt. Gen. George S. Paon behind and to the right of Pershing. © 2010 e Memorial for all Veterans of the Brazos Valley, Inc. Le-Write Ink Painting of Pancho Villa’s ride by Elias San Miguel. 􀃕 1916 􀃕MEXICAN BORDER SERVICE 􀃕1917 Painting of U. S. Army troops in Mexico, c. 1916. 􀃕