Posted on 01/27/2006 12:17:38 PM PST by tbird5
Reports of armed Mexican outlaws crossing the border to clash with U.S. forces led to demands that the president send troops to protect American lives. It sounds like a story ripped from this week's headlines, when Texas sheriff's deputies pursued marijuana smugglers protected by machine-gun wielding men in Mexican military uniforms. So far, the White House is speaking of its "concern about the reports" of Monday's border crossing, which a spokesman described as "an incident that is under investigation." Yet in 1916, when Pancho Villa's bandits raided Columbus, N.M., a Democratic president didn't hesitate. President Woodrow Wilson sent Gen. John "Black Jack" Pershing to lead an expedition into Mexico. A $5,000 bounty was offered for Villa's capture, and Army posters invoked "The Flag, Old Glory" in calling for 25,000 recruits: "Come on, boys, be ready to shoulder the trusty Springfield."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Thank you muchly *smile*
Gen. Pershing's headquarters is still there and the buildings are in pretty good shape.
It is now called "Pancho Villa State Park". That really pi$$e$ me off!
"Let's just give them back California and let them them pay us reparations for taking care of that state for 150 years..."
Hate to say it but they took this state of Mexifornia back 20 years ago. I gotta get outta here this state sucks.
Wilson also ordered the occupation of Vera Cruz in 1914 by our armed forces when evidence was uncovered of armament hankypanky between Mexico and the Germans.
We didn't have a boarder patrol in 1916. All we had was the army.
Pancho Villa had an army of his own. This is a small group of relatively well armed smugglers who MAY pissibly be tied to the Mexican Army, though it's doubtful their acts are sanctioned by the Mexican Army.
The Army is a horrible tool for investigating smuggling. They're good for fighting other armies, but the vast majority of the problems on the boarder are with civilians, and the army isn't trained to deal well with that, nor is it practical to call up the army to deal with rare incursions of small group of armed people.
We need to increase the size of the boarder patrol and equip them properly.
If there's a national guard base in the area, it would be good to keep a team or two of special forces ready to be called up on governor's orders to deal with things like this if we don't want to equip the boarder patrol to handle it.
However, comparing this to Pancho Villa is something that belings in one of Michael Moore's movies, not in a constructive discussion about the problem.
Wilson sent in the Army and the Army failed. They did not find Pancho Villa; he was more mobile than the infantry-heavy force Pershing led. The Mexican incursion, however, did help the U.S. get ready for entry into the First World War by teaching lessons about mobilization.
There were OTM's back then too. See "Zimmerman Telegram".
The FReeper Foxhole Remembers the 1st Aero Squadron and Pancho Villa (1916) - Mar.30th, 2005
North American union coming our way.
Pancho Villa a la cabeza de su ejército en 1916.
Pancho Villa at the head of his army in 1916
It pi$$e$ me off too, and I live right down the road and pass it frequently. I have never once stopped there due to the name.
And in his biography writing to his wife and then later to his father about the incident.
"Spillbury and I hung Cardeneses Uncle three time to make him talk"
" finally he did, though he fainted a couple of times first"
"the uncle was a very brave man and nearly died before he would tell me anything"
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