20 November 2014 – Philippine Ambassador to Mexico Catalino R. Dilem, Jr., together with Cultural Officer Rosabelle Q. Toledo, attended the 69th Anniversary of the Return of Squadron 201 to Mexico after the war, which was held on November 18 at the monument of Fuerza Aerea Expedicionaria Mexicana/Esquadron 201 in Mexico City.
The event was attended by the surviving members of Squadron 201 and their families as well as the families of Squadron members who perished during the war. Also present were officers of the Mexican Air Force and some officials of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico.
During the ceremony, Air Force Lt. Col. Raul Guzman Aguirre, outlined the historical events that led to the participation of Mexico in World War II, specifically the deployment of Squadron 201 to the Pacific in the liberation of the Philippines from enemy forces during the war and its successful return to its homeland on 18 November 1945.
Lt. Col. Aguirre honored and thanked the surviving members of Squadron 201 for their courage and gallantry during the war as well as those who gave their lives for a peaceful cause. He praised the members of the military and encouraged them to support the military institution.
Ambassador Dilem held conversations with the lone surviving pilot of Squadron 201, Col. Carlos Garduño Nuñez, as well as with the other veterans and their families. END