MORMON BATTALION MONUMENT (the true story vs. the lies of KTTV reporter Tony "Reconquista" Valdez)

media.utah.edu ^ | 2006 | Susan Easton Black

[VOA]

Here's a link to the documentary about The Mormon Battalion that I think
aired on the generally wretched PBS affiliated run by the LAUSD.
http://www.kued.org/whatson/series.cgi?nola1=BATT&channel_id=1&source=az

Google shows that PBS also covered The Mormon Battalion in their documentary
series on "The West".

[doug from upland]

Thanks.

[VOA]

At Tucson, the Mexican defenders temporarily abandoned their positions and
no conflict ensued.

Thanks Tony Valdez, for reminding me of this moment in which the
Mexican armed forces shrouded themselves in glory.

I heard this in the documentary linked in post 21.

In fairness, the Mexicans were maybe being prudent in making a temporary
surrender, er, withdrawal.

[doug from upland]

Tony Valdez

Veteran broadcast journalist Tony Valdez is a general assignment reporter specializing in reporting breaking news, crime and minority affairs for KTTV FOX 11’s top-rated FOX 11 10 O'clock News. Valdez joined the station in June 1980, and served as weekend news anchor from November 1991 to January 1993.

Valdez profiles criminal suspects and missing persons in L.A.’s Most Wanted, a weekly news segment that has become Los Angeles’ longest running and most successful law enforcement segment. L.A.’s Most Wanted has resulted in the arrest and surrender of more than 100 suspects since January 1992.

Since 1988, Valdez has hosted Midday Sunday, an Emmy-winning weekly public affairs forum that examines local and national issues along with current headline news and news makers. In 1992, Midday Sunday was lauded with a Los Angeles area Emmy Award as best Public Affairs Series (Studio-based).

Valdez is the recipient of numerous Emmy, Golden Mike and Los Angeles Press Club awards, including a 1990 local Emmy in the category of Best News Reporting for his examination of Los Angeles street gangs. He has been cited by several community and government organizations, including the Criminal Justice Panel of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office for community service in 1995, the Los Angeles City Council for community contributions in 1994 and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, which lauded his support of the Earthquake Preparedness Program with a public service commendation in February 1991.

Prior to joining Fox 11, Valdez was a writer, producer and reporter at KTLA from 1975-1980. Before working at KTLA, he worked at KCET and several Los Angeles radio stations as a reporter. He also worked for La Opinion and The Herald Examiner.

Valdez’ career as a Los Angeles-based journalist has included coverage of the war in Southeast Asia and the political turmoil in Central America.

A native of Los Angeles, Valdez attended Los Angeles City College and California State Northridge.

He is also a veteran of the United States Army.

---

I guess he learned this nonsense from L.A. City College and Cal State Northridge. It doesn't say that he graduated. It is great that he served in the Army, but where are the guy's loyalties? Obviously to people with the same skin tone. That makes him a racist.

[AzSteven]

At Tucson, the Mexican defenders temporarily abandoned their positions and no conflict ensued.

... In fairness, the Mexicans were maybe being prudent in making a temporary surrender, er, withdrawal.

Per my buddy at the Museum of Arizona History - At the time the Mormon Battalion headed towards Tucson, the garrison in Tucson was a shadow of the force the Spanish kept there in the past - between 30 to 40 reuglars supplemented by a similar number of part-time militia. Most of the regulars were effectively militia themselves, holding down part-time jobs in the small town of Tucson or prospecting for gold or silver in the wilderness of Southern Arizona.

I think discretion would be the better part of valor in this case. There are a few Mormon Battalion monuments scattered around southern Arizona, including the presumed site of The Battle of the Bulls.

[pikachu]

I remember from history classes that the Mormon Battalion was in very rough shape by the time they got to San Diego. For a bunch of 'farm boys' who marched so far, they must have suffered miserably en route. Gen. Kearny's 'trained soldiers' didn't do much better and had to go get help from a distant relative of mine after the Mexican milita kicked their butts at Mule Hill.

Frankly long travel in the days before antibiotics, motor vehicles, and antiperspirant must have been horrendous.

[Reaganesque]

Here's some info about the Mormon colonies that existed/exist in Mexico:

Although Mexico provided the new settlers with a couple of decades of peace, the settlers would find themselves living in a country at war with itself in the Mexican Revolution.

Francisco "Pancho" Villa made his way north, residing in Casas Grandes in the center of two Mormon colonies. Neither he nor his army ever intruded on the colonies although he considered the United States to be the enemy. In fact, when Villa raided Columbus, New Mexico, in March 1916, he detoured around the colonies, rather than going through them in a more direct route.

When Villa was hiding from Carranza, whom the Americans backed, he traveled over the Sierra Madres, taking with him several Mormon men as aides. Villa did not harm the Mormons and allowed them to return home.

As they pursued Villa, the American forces set up base in Colonia Dublán. Historian Raymond J. Reed notes, "The Mormons, having already proven themselves capable of getting along with and commanding respect of the Mexican army under Villa, now undertook the task of playing host to the American army." The Army even recruited a few Mormon soldiers as scouts.

But soon, the colonists found their efforts to remain neutral increasingly difficult. President Taft ordered all Americans living in Mexico to leave. Junius Romney, President of the Juárez Stake of the Mormon Church, followed suit in July 1912, directing the nearly 5,000 Saints to return to the United States.

The colonies were evacuated, with only two, Colonias Juárez and Dublán, surviving to be reestablished in 1916. These two colonias, about 18 miles apart, still exist.

The Mormon Battalion was formed in July 1846 and disbanded one year later. The Mormon Colonies were formed in May of 1885 with the approval of local officials. Now if the Mormon Battalion had killed hundreds of Mexicans, would Pancho Villa have ignored a colony of Gringo Mormons in his midst? So much for Mr. Valdez's theory.

[Utah Girl]

Thanks for helping to set the record straight.

[bobwilgo]

In fairness, the Mexicans were maybe being prudent in making a temporary
surrender, er, withdrawal


Tony musta grew up with JOHN KERRY...sounds just like him.

[investigateworld]

When the Mormoms were discharged from service in California, they took a wagon back to Salt Lake City, thus opening the Santa Fe Trail through south end of Death Valley.

[Borax Queen]

Unbelievable journey. Thank you for the ping.

[investigateworld]

And if the Bennett-Arcane party had of listened to their Mormon guide, Death Valley would still be known by it's Indian name ; She-Tay-seekraut-0shessshtuber.
(Roughly translated: "Place where Germans go in August to stand in roads")

[Borax Queen]

Fotflol!