Mexican response to Hurricane Katrina
Encyclopedia
Units of the Mexican armed forces responded to the emergency situations after Hurricane Katrina with aid and assistance, appearing as a flagged, uniformed force in the United States for the first time since World War II, in 1942. The Escuadrón 201
-Aztec Eagles of the newly formed Mexican Air Force trained in San Antonio and Brownsville, TX and led successful campaigns against the Japanese as American Allies of WWII. http://gorvtexas.com/azteceagles.htm
President
Vicente Fox
sent his condolences to President
George W. Bush
: "In the name of the people and of the government of Mexico, I assure you of my deepest and most sincere condolences for the devastating effects caused by Hurricane Katrina".
He also mentioned his instructions to the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs; that the United States
would be provided with any kind of help that was needed. Fox later stated to the people of Mexico: "Mexico and the United States are neighboring countries and friends that must support each other in times of crisis. My thanks to you all and let us all keep supporting these efforts."
On September 1, Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas received almost 196 Mexican troops, 14 truckloads of water, a mobile surgical unit, 45 military vehicles, 3 tons of purified water, and more than 250 tons of food, bottled water, canned food, disposable diapers and medical supplies. The Mexican Government sent $1 million through the Mexican Red Cross which collected an additional million, as well as 200 tons of food delivered in five airplanes from the Mexican Air Force by another Mexican Government body. The Mexican Navy sent two ships, eight all-terrain vehicles, seven amphibious vehicles, two tankers, two helicopters, radio communication equipment, and medical personnel. Mexican aid workers set up temporary headquarters in the Houston Astrodome to assist relief workers and hurricane victims were very grateful for the aid that the Mexicans provided. The Mexicans provided hot meals to evacuees and relief workers, and Mexican medical teams also deployed into local area hospitals to tend to the influx of evacuees who flooded San Antonio area hospitals.
The medical team consisted of three doctors, three dentists, three nurses and three paramedics. They conducted 134 medical evaluations, performed 526 medical consultations, provided 363 ambulatory nursing procedures, and medically evacuated 83 personnel during their hurricane relief mission. They also offered to cover the costs of returning Mexican nationals back to Mexico. Also offered were teams of epidemiologists to reduce the risks of infections caused by mosquitoes.
The Mexican Red Cross
sent four rescue experts from the state of Jalisco
to assist in rescue efforts in New Orleans
. The government of the Mexican Federal District also pledged to help with relief efforts.
On September 4, the Mexican Navy
offered ships, buses and helicopters to assist in rescue missions. The offer was accepted and the Mexican ship Papaloapan
departed from Tampico, with two Mi-17
helicopters, eight all-terrain vehicles, seven amphibious vehicles, two tankers, radio communication equipment, medical personnel and 250 tons of food.
On September 5, the Secretariat of Social Development pledged 200 tons of food, to be delivered in five airplanes by the Mexican Air Force
.
The Secretariat of National Defense, on September 6, sent Mexican soldiers with expertise in rescue missions to the area affected by Katrina. Also sent the same day were 35 vehicles and 162.7 tons of food, carried by trucks traveling through the state of Texas
.
The members of congress of the Federal District pledged a day of salary each on September 7, to be sent to those affected by Katrina. The National Commission of Water sent bottled water and canned food upon request. Naval ship Papaloapan arrived the same day, with 389 soldiers and other personnel from the Mexican Navy. Units of the Mexican Army, a total of 184 people, arrived by land with 35 military vehicles.
On September 8, the Mexican Army was received with honors at Kelly Air Force Base
by the mayor of San Antonio, Texas
. Local news channels noted the fact that the Mexican Army operated on U.S. soil after 159 years of absence, with the last time being the Mexican-American War.
On September 26, 2005 in a small ceremony conducted by the Mexican consulate, the Mexican troops ceremonially ended their mission. They broke down their camp, packed their equipment, folded their flag and drove back to Mexico. Not since the 1840s has the Mexican military flown its flag as a deployed military force in the United States, especially so close to the site of the famed battle of the Alamo where Texan volunteers fought the Mexicans in a bloody 13 day siege. The mission was accomplished.
to President George W. Bush
. Mexican President Vicente Fox celebrates the uneventful entrance of the Mexican Army to US soil in solidarity. Mexican Army Departs to U.S. article on Milenio Diario. Mexican Army Returns to Texas article on Milenio Diario. Mexican Army arrives in Texas article on El Universal
.
Escuadrón 201
El Escuadrón 201 was a Mexican fighter squadron, part of the Fuerza Aérea Expedicionaria Mexicana that aided the Allied war effort during World War II...
-Aztec Eagles of the newly formed Mexican Air Force trained in San Antonio and Brownsville, TX and led successful campaigns against the Japanese as American Allies of WWII. http://gorvtexas.com/azteceagles.htm
Response activities
On August 30, 2005, MexicanMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
President
President of Mexico
The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...
Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox Quesada is a Mexican former politician who served as President of Mexico from 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2006 and currently serves as co-President of the Centrist Democrat International, an international organization of Christian democratic political parties.Fox was elected...
sent his condolences to President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
: "In the name of the people and of the government of Mexico, I assure you of my deepest and most sincere condolences for the devastating effects caused by Hurricane Katrina".
He also mentioned his instructions to the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs; that the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
would be provided with any kind of help that was needed. Fox later stated to the people of Mexico: "Mexico and the United States are neighboring countries and friends that must support each other in times of crisis. My thanks to you all and let us all keep supporting these efforts."
On September 1, Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas received almost 196 Mexican troops, 14 truckloads of water, a mobile surgical unit, 45 military vehicles, 3 tons of purified water, and more than 250 tons of food, bottled water, canned food, disposable diapers and medical supplies. The Mexican Government sent $1 million through the Mexican Red Cross which collected an additional million, as well as 200 tons of food delivered in five airplanes from the Mexican Air Force by another Mexican Government body. The Mexican Navy sent two ships, eight all-terrain vehicles, seven amphibious vehicles, two tankers, two helicopters, radio communication equipment, and medical personnel. Mexican aid workers set up temporary headquarters in the Houston Astrodome to assist relief workers and hurricane victims were very grateful for the aid that the Mexicans provided. The Mexicans provided hot meals to evacuees and relief workers, and Mexican medical teams also deployed into local area hospitals to tend to the influx of evacuees who flooded San Antonio area hospitals.
The medical team consisted of three doctors, three dentists, three nurses and three paramedics. They conducted 134 medical evaluations, performed 526 medical consultations, provided 363 ambulatory nursing procedures, and medically evacuated 83 personnel during their hurricane relief mission. They also offered to cover the costs of returning Mexican nationals back to Mexico. Also offered were teams of epidemiologists to reduce the risks of infections caused by mosquitoes.
The Mexican Red Cross
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
sent four rescue experts from the state of Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
to assist in rescue efforts in New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. The government of the Mexican Federal District also pledged to help with relief efforts.
On September 4, the Mexican Navy
Mexican Navy
The Mexican Navy is the naval branch of the Mexican military responsible for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is "to use the naval force of the federation for the exterior defense, and to help with internal order". The Navy consists of about 56,000 men and women plus reserves, over...
offered ships, buses and helicopters to assist in rescue missions. The offer was accepted and the Mexican ship Papaloapan
USS Gladwyne (PF-62)
USS Gladwyne , a , was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Gladwyne, Pennsylvania. Originally named Worcester after Worcester, Massachusetts, the name was changed in order to give it to new light cruiser then under construction.Gladwyne , was launched on 7 January 1944 at the...
departed from Tampico, with two Mi-17
Mil Mi-17
The Mil Mi-17 is a Russian helicopter currently in production at two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ude...
helicopters, eight all-terrain vehicles, seven amphibious vehicles, two tankers, radio communication equipment, medical personnel and 250 tons of food.
On September 5, the Secretariat of Social Development pledged 200 tons of food, to be delivered in five airplanes by the Mexican Air Force
Mexican Air Force
The Mexican Air Force is the aviation branch of the Mexican Army and depends on the National Defense Secretariat . Since 2008, its commander is Gen...
.
The Secretariat of National Defense, on September 6, sent Mexican soldiers with expertise in rescue missions to the area affected by Katrina. Also sent the same day were 35 vehicles and 162.7 tons of food, carried by trucks traveling through the state of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
The members of congress of the Federal District pledged a day of salary each on September 7, to be sent to those affected by Katrina. The National Commission of Water sent bottled water and canned food upon request. Naval ship Papaloapan arrived the same day, with 389 soldiers and other personnel from the Mexican Navy. Units of the Mexican Army, a total of 184 people, arrived by land with 35 military vehicles.
On September 8, the Mexican Army was received with honors at Kelly Air Force Base
Kelly Air Force Base
Kelly Field Annex and is a former United States Air Force facility located in San Antonio, Texas. In 2001, the runway and land west of the runway became "Kelly Field Annex" and control of it was transferred to the adjacent Lackland Air Force Base, part of Joint Base San Antonio...
by the mayor of San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. Local news channels noted the fact that the Mexican Army operated on U.S. soil after 159 years of absence, with the last time being the Mexican-American War.
End of mission
On September 25, the 184 person Mexican army contingent completed its 20 day long mission to provide relief to hurricane victims and relief workers from Katrina and Rita. The Mexican Army's field kitchen, a tractor-trailer turned into a kitchen, served 170,000 meals during their deployment to the former Kelly Air Force Base. They also assisted in the distribution and management of more than 184,000 tons of supplies.On September 26, 2005 in a small ceremony conducted by the Mexican consulate, the Mexican troops ceremonially ended their mission. They broke down their camp, packed their equipment, folded their flag and drove back to Mexico. Not since the 1840s has the Mexican military flown its flag as a deployed military force in the United States, especially so close to the site of the famed battle of the Alamo where Texan volunteers fought the Mexicans in a bloody 13 day siege. The mission was accomplished.
External links
Condolence letter sent by President Vicente FoxVicente Fox
Vicente Fox Quesada is a Mexican former politician who served as President of Mexico from 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2006 and currently serves as co-President of the Centrist Democrat International, an international organization of Christian democratic political parties.Fox was elected...
to President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. Mexican President Vicente Fox celebrates the uneventful entrance of the Mexican Army to US soil in solidarity. Mexican Army Departs to U.S. article on Milenio Diario. Mexican Army Returns to Texas article on Milenio Diario. Mexican Army arrives in Texas article on El Universal
El Universal (Mexico City)
El Universal is a major Mexican newspaper.El Universal was founded by Félix Palavicini and Emilio Rabasa in October 1916, in the city of Santiago de Queretaro to cover the end of the Mexican Revolution and the creation of the new Mexican Constitution...
.
- Mexican Military Brings Aid To Katrina Victims article on the Free Internet Press site.
- Heads turn as Mexican troops roll into US with aid article by ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
. - A helping neighbor: Mexican military sends relief, a September 2005 article from The State.
- Mexican Forces Wind Up Humanitarian Mission, a September 2005 article (with photos) from the American Forces Information ServiceAmerican Forces Information ServiceThe American Forces Information Service was a United States Department of Defense-providing news service that supplied information about the U.S. military. Department of Defense Directive 5105.74 disestablished AFIS on October 1, 2008 and created the Defense Media Activity...
website. - DefenseLink News Article