Posted on 09/03/2018 9:29:11 AM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
George S. Patton, Jr. experienced his first combat against men loyal to Pancho Villa, leading a detachment of soldiers who killed three of the enemy.
It was a burial, but certainly not a funeral. One soldier who looked on muttered, “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…If Villa won’t bury you Uncle Sam must.” The three dead men, whose bodies were unceremoniously laid in hastily dug desert graves, had ridden with the revolutionary Pancho Villa, and one of them, Julio Cardenas, was the commander of his personal bodyguard. The men who killed them were U.S. soldiers and their accompanying interpreters, members of a detachment under 2nd Lieutenant George S. Patton, Jr. It was May 14, 1916, and for two months General John Pershing had led an American military expedition into Mexico in search of the elusive Villa and his men, known as Villistas.
Patton Pushes On
Villa’s brazen raid on the small border town of Columbus, New Mexico, in March had provoked President Woodrow Wilson to order Pershing and several thousand troops into Mexico to bring Villa to justice. Pershing was romantically involved with Patton’s sister, Nita, at the time, and the general offered the young officer the opportunity to participate in the expedition as his aide. Although the Americans failed to find Villa, there were moments of retribution. One of those had taken place on this hot, dusty day at the San Miguelito hacienda, where the family of Cardenas was living.
Pershing ordered Patton to lead the detachment of seven soldiers and two interpreters to a nearby farm where they might buy corn. During the transaction, E.L. Holmdahl, a former Villista, recognized a group of men as one-time associates. Although Villa was supposedly hiding somewhere to the south, Cardenas was believed to be nearby. Always ready for a fight, Patton pushed on to Las Cienegas (Springs), his men riding in three Dodge touring cars. There the lieutenant questioned Cardenas’ uncle without gaining much information, but he was determined to find Cardenas and moved on to San Miguelito.
When they neared the main house, the soldiers noticed someone running inside. Alarmed, Patton ordered six men to cover the house, while two more swept along a wall to the south. Armed with a rifle and pistol, Patton moved quickly beside a wall to the north. Suddenly, three men on horseback burst from the building and charged toward the soldiers. Their way blocked, they turned and came straight at Patton, who fired. A bullet shattered one rider’s left arm and he crawled out of sight.
A Sign of Greater Things to Come?
Another rider came at Patton, who fired again. Both horse and rider tumbled. When the Villista stood and drew his weapon, Patton and the other soldiers gunned him down. By then the third rider was 100 yards distant, intent on escaping. Several soldiers opened fire, and he fell dead. (The first man shot who was wounded) Later identified as Cardenas, the first Villista was running away. The soldiers shot him again, and as he lay on the ground Holmdahl approached. Cardenas feigned surrender and then reached for his gun. In a flash, Holmdahl shot him in the head.
No one at the scene would positively identify the dead men, and their bodies were tied to the hoods of the cars. A group of at least 40 hostile horsemen was approaching, and Patton ordered a rapid retirement to Pershing’s headquarters. The impromptu burial followed. Pershing was pleased with Patton and gave him permission to keep Cardenas’ sword and saddle. The incident made headlines across the United States, and Patton was hailed a hero. He loved the limelight. Destined for even greater fame, he received a quick promotion to 1st lieutenant and made captain within a year.
VERY nice photo series, there!
Great work.
“We need another invasion into Mexico.”
I bet plans have already been drafted.
Love that picture of the crew from USS Michigan. Something tells me that they weren’t there to win the hearts and minds.
Pershing was impressed before he killed Cardenas. Patton was already in Pershing’s HQ Troop and asked for permission to go on the expedition which resulted in the death of Cardenas. They were foraging for food and feed for the horses.
Hi guy.
“We need another invasion into Mexico.”
Please, no. We would have to support another Puerto Rico X 10.
Imho, build the wall faster.
5.56mm
“So, why hasn’t this been made into a Dodge/Ram commercial yet?”
Season 1, episode 1 of Walker Texas Ranger. Walker drives his Dodge Ram into Mexico to snatch some bad guys, beats them to a pulp then loads them into the bed of the truck and drives them back across the border.
The video compilation below has a 1 second frame of the perps in the back of the truck at 1:50.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq0CDLYA9hI&list=PLpq3Ga0KCw0gZR4qQOlRlIt7I8Wmw5H-g
“Patton was the real deal.”
Yes he was.
I have come to believe, perhaps unfounded, that President Trump will make the new President of Mexico an offer he will not refuse. That is, clean out the drug cartels or I will.
Invasion? It might get to that justifiable point. An airborne assault or drones with missiles? I think the latter with no quarter for women and children in the compound.
A great General; his men, well supplied with whiskey, followed him wherever. ..................... So that’s where Zuhkov copied it?
When I was a sophomore in high school, my World History teacher, a veteran of WWII told us this story.
I have been writing for years that we would be doing much more for America if we were droning the Cartels rather than weddings in Yemen.
What a wonderful ,uplifting story!! BUILD THE DAMNED WALL!! I appreciate Trump so much. Even though he promised not to sign any spending bill with out the wall fully paid for ,I hear he will renege on his pledge before the election. He knew when he made the promise that it was before the election but I fear he has fallen to soft advisors with secret deep state motives.Trump is not perfect. We must cut him some slack but we all heard what he said.
The Ballad of Pancho López--Lalo Guerrero (1955)
More than that. Villa had the corrupt government force pinned down in a small Perimeter at Agua Prieta, directly across the border from Douglas Arizona. Wilson let the Mexican army cross at Eagle Pass Texas, ride trains in the U.S. to Douglas Arizona, then walk directly across the border and reinforce the perimeter. Villa figured if the Mexican Army could operate on US soil, so could he.
The time is not yet right for droning in Mexico.
Killing folks in Yemen is good. (I like the word droning) During droning operations in Mexico, the Sinoloa cartel was obliterated. The Juanista cartel had been droned the previous Wednesday.
“And later Rommel said, “Patton, you magnificent bastard, I read your book!”
Rommel wrote Infantry In War about the use of infantry in battle.
Guderian wrote the book on the use of armor for the German military.
Patton seems to have taken the best from both and blended it with his own ideas.
After his death Pattons widow donated his library to West Point.
He had made notes in the margins of each book.
When typed out his notes in Rommels book equaled 20 pages, single spaced, front and back.
He was once quoted as saying amateurs borrow, professionals STEAL.
I have visited Pershing’s HQ in Columbus, NM. It is now named Pancho Villa State Park. Stupid Americans!
Prefer PR go independent. All PR’s should declare citizenship one way or another.
Still would take 50 years to Americanize stateside PR’s. Take a thousand years to
Americanize the Muzzies but we don’t have that much time before SHTF.
My grandfather ran around that area on a horse named Babe while in the cavalry as a young man. I have pics I need to transfer to the computer one day.
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