Honouring the Aztec Eagles: A Tribute to Escuadrón 201 and First Lieutenant Mario López‑Portillo y López‑Portillo.
This article offers a brief overview of a forthcoming book by the author, soon to be presented to the public.
On the 21st of July, we pause to honour the memory of First Lieutenant Mario López‑Portillo, a brave son of Mexico who gave his life during the Second World War. His passing is not only a solemn reminder of personal sacrifice, but also a symbol of the collective heroism of Escuadrón 201, the Mexican fighter squadron that took to the skies far from home to battle tyranny.
By
Francisco-Xavier
López-Portillo y
Lancaster-Jones.
This Anniversary does more than commemorate a death; it illuminates a story of courage, camaraderie, and international solidarity. It speaks of the men who braved the unforgiving heat of the Pacific islands, the roar of engines, and the perils of enemy fire. It is a day to remember those who fell in combat and to honour those who returned, carrying the indelible memories of their service with the 201st. Fighter Squadron, the “Aztec Eagles.”
When Escuadrón 201st. arrived in the Philippines in 1945, they stepped into a world very different from the mountains and plains of Mexico. The heat was oppressive, heavy and wet, clinging to their flight suits like a living thing. The air smelled of salt, earth, and jungle decay, and the buzzing of insects filled the tropical stillness between missions.
The men of the Squadron had trained rigorously in the United States, but the Philippines presented new challenges. The runways baked under the sun, and the pilots could feel the radiating heat even through the soles of their boots. Their aircraft, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, gleamed under the tropical light, their radial engines straining as they prepared for take-off.
Yet the environment was not their only challenge. These men were fighting a war in a foreign land, and they faced an enemy that had occupied the Philippines for years. Each sortie meant navigating the humid skies over dense jungles, volcanic terrain, and endless ocean, knowing that a mechanical failure or a burst of enemy fire could lead to a lonely death far from home.
The Squadron 201st. was not alone in this endeavour. The Mexican pilots flew under the 5th Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces, where they forged bonds of camaraderie that transcended borders and languages. For the first time in history, a Mexican air combat unit fought as part of an international coalition, directly engaging in aerial operations against Japanese forces.
The Americans welcomed the squadron with respect and curiosity. Side by side, they planned Missions, exchanged tactical knowledge, and shared meals in makeshift mess halls. The Aztec Eagles impressed their U.S. counterparts with their skill, discipline, and unwavering determination.
For the Mexican pilots, flying alongside seasoned American squadrons was an opportunity and a responsibility. They were representing not only their Air Force but their Nation, which had chosen to stand with the Allies after German aggression against Mexican ships in the Gulf.
Each flight, each manoeuvre, and each victory carried the weight of National Pride.
The Operational history of the Squadron 201st. in the Pacific theatre was short but intense. Their primary base of operations was Clark Field in the Philippines, from which they flew combat and support Missions against Japanese positions.
Their first combat sorties in May 1945 were aimed at ground support operations, strafing and bombing Japanese strongholds to aid the advancing Allied ground forces.
These missions were perilous: Japanese anti-aircraft fire was constant.
Soon, the Squadron was tasked with longer-range Missions over Formosa (now Taiwan), striking strategic targets to weaken Japan’s defensive perimeter. These sorties tested both endurance and skill, as the pilots navigated vast stretches of Ocean with little margin for error. One could imagine First Lieutenant Mario López‑Portillo and his fellow pilots scanning the horizon, the sun glaring off the sea, knowing that each flight was a step into the unknown.
During these Missions, the heat inside the cockpit was stifling, and every vibration of the P-47 reminded the pilots of the thin line between life and death. Yet the Aztec Eagles flew with determination, delivering their payloads with precision and returning to base battered by sun, salt, and exhaustion.
Among the 38 pilots of the Squadron 201st., five would not return alive. First Lieutenant Mario López‑Portillo was among those who paid the ultimate price, giving his life in the cause of liberty thousands of miles from the Country he loved.
Their deaths were not in vain. By disrupting Japanese supply lines, neutralising entrenched positions, and aiding in the liberation of the Philippines, the Aztec Eagles proved that Mexico’s contribution to the War effort was both meaningful and honourable.
Those who survived carried home memories etched in sweat and fire. They returned not as ordinary men, but as living symbols of a Nation’s courage, having faced war in one of the most demanding environments on earth.
Legacy of the Aztec Eagles
Today, the story of the Squadron 201st. is woven into the fabric of Mexican Military history.
Their legacy is one of international solidarity, of a Nation standing shoulder to shoulder with its allies in the darkest hour of the Twentieth Century.
When we remember First Lieutenant Mario López‑Portillo, we remember all the men of the Squadron 201st., the ones who soared through the heat and danger of the Pacific skies, the ones who gave their lives, and the ones who lived to tell their story.
Under the blistering Philippine sun, over the green expanse of Formosa, and across the endless blue of the Pacific, they carved their chapter into history. Their courage remains a beacon for future generations, a testament to the enduring truth that freedom demands sacrifice.
Roll of Honour: Pilots of the Squadron 201st.
Command of the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force (F.A.E.M.)
Colonel, Air Corps (P.A.) Antonio Cárdenas Rodríguez.
Command or Staff.
Lieutenant Colonel, General Staff (E.M.) Alfonso Gurza Falfán.
Major, Medical Corps (M.C.) Ricardo Blanco Cancino.
Major, Infantry (Inf.) Guillermo Linaje O.
Major, General Staff (E.M.) Enrique Sandoval Castarica.
Captain 1st Class, Air Corps (P.A.) Roberto Salido Beltrán.
Commander of the 201st Squadron.
Captain 1st Class, Air Corps (P.A.) Radamés Gaxiola Andrade.
Captain 1st Class, Air Corps (P.A.) Raúl Varela Caballero.
201st Squadron Operations.
Captain 2nd Class, Air Corps (P.A.) Pablo L. Rivas Martínez.
Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) José Espinosa Fuentes.
Commander of “A” Flight.
Captain 2nd Class, Air Corps (P.A.) Roberto Legorreta Sicilia.
Pilots of “A” Flight.
Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Fernando Hernández Vega.
Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Carlos Varela Landini.
Second Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) David Cerón Bedolla.
Second Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) José Luis Pratt Ramos.
Second Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Miguel Uriarte Aguilar.
Second Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Bernardo Vara Rangel.
Commander of “B” Flight.
Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Carlos Garduño Núñez.
Pilots of “B” Flight.
Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Julio Cal y Mayor Sauz.
Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Reynaldo Pérez Gallardo.
Second Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Praxedis López Ramos.
Second Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Miguel Moreno Arreola.
Second Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Ángel Sánchez Rebollo.
Second Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Ernesto Guzmán Medina.
Second Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Fausto Vega Santander.
Commander of “C” Flight.
Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Héctor Espinosa Galván.
Pilots of “C” Flight.
Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Joaquín Ramírez Vilchis.
Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Carlos Rodríguez Corona.
Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Amador Sámano Piña.
Second Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Manuel Farías Rodríguez.
Second Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Raúl García Mercado.
Second Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Guillermo García Ramos.
Commander of “D” Flight.
Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Amadeo Castro Almanza.
Pilots of “D” Flight.
Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) José Luis Barbosa Cerda.
Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Jacobo Estrada Luna.
Second Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Jaime Zenizo Rojas.
Second Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Mario López‑Portillo.
Second Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Justino Reyes Retana.
Second Lieutenant, Air Corps (P.A.) Roberto Urías Abelleyra.
Honour and eternal gratitude to the Aztec Eagles.
May their wings never be forgotten.
