Event Details (U.S. National Park Service)

★

Special Event

Fee:

Free. Tickets are free, but you must have a ticket to enter. They are available at the door, first come first served, beginning at 6 pm.

Location: LAT/LONG: 31.767470, -106.454700

Chamizal National Memorial Cultural Center

Dates & Times

Date:

Friday, September 13, 2019

Time:

7:00 PM

Duration:

2 hours

Type of Event

Exhibition/Show

Partner Program

Talk

Description

Watch a screening of the 2006 documentary The Forgotten Eagles (60 minutes) directed by Victor Mancilla, about Mexico’s 201^st Fighter Squadron in World War II.

"Escuadrón 201" was Mexico's contribution to the Allied Forces during the war. Three hundred volunteer soldiers, including 50 pilots, comprised the squadron, and they took part in the liberation of Luzon and Formosa. They were credited with removing 30,000 Japanese troops from combat and destroying a number of Japan's significant ammunitions assets. The 201st Fighter Squadron, known as the Aztec Eagles, trained with the United States Air Force and flew with the insignia of both the U.S. and Mexico.

Victor Mancilla, the film's producer and director, lives in Valencia, California and is founder of a production and film research organization. Mr. Mancilla has worked as a journalist, researcher, author, and filmmaker around the world on a number of assignments. The Forgotten Eagles premiered at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C., and this screening is a special one-time event in El Paso.

The program for this event includes introductions by the Chamizal National Memorial superintendent as well as board members of the Amigos del Chamizal Foundation and Legacy of Valor, the groups that have worked to bring this film to Chamizal National Memorial. After a moment of silence and tolling of the bell in remembrance of the August 3rd shooting victims, documentarian (director and producer of the film The Men of Company E, among others) Alfredo Lugo will talk about efforts to introduce and pass House Resolution 1889, legislation which seeks to honor Mexico's 201st Fighter Squadron with a Congressional Gold Medal. Finally, Victor Mancilla will introduce the film and will be available to answer questions after the screening.