Aztec Eagles

Aztec Eagles. Majors Field, also, People. The Army chose Majors Field to be a Basic Flying School to train pilots; it became operational on January 5, 1943. The 201st Fighter Squadron of the Mexican Airforce (nicknamed the Aztec Eagles) trained at Majors Field from November 1944 to February 1945, finishing their combat duty training in their Republic P-47D Thunderbolts. Before arriving in Greenville, they had been in San Antonio for basic training that was taught by the Women's Airforce Service Pilots., Like many service personnel at Majors Field, the Mexican airmen would travel to downtown Greenville or Dallas for entertainment. Some faced discrimination in Greenville, where they were turned away from one restaurant. After a public shaming by Col. Herbert M. Newstrom, the restaurant briefly closed then re-opened. On February 22, 1945, the 201st Fighter Squadron celebrated the completion of combat readiness training with high-ranking military officials, such as Lt. Gen. Barton K. Yount and Mexico's under-secretary of national defense, Lt. Gen. Francisco L. Urquizo, in attendance. After finishing their training. they went to the Philippines for combat duty., The 201st went into action on its own near Vigan, where the Japanese were dug in. The only way to get them out was to fly close against the mountain range, executing dangerous divebombing runs., On June 1, 1945, the 201st planned an attack on a Japanese ammunition depot. Because of three high cliffs and antiaircraft batteries, they would have to dive-bomb from high altitudes and then try to pull their heavy planes up and out. They had never dive-bombed in combat before. The pilots flew so close to the Japanese, one of their first aircraft took two blows to the wings. They continued to attack Japanese positions day after day into June. They went on to hit remaining Japanese infantry and antiaircraft guns in Northern Luzon and the Marikina Valley, east of Manila., General Henry Harley Arnold said in 1945 that the 201st squadron put 30,000 Japanese troops out of combat. Logging 2,000 hours of combat sorties, the unit dropped 1,457 bombs on the Japanese. While the 201st didn't have a major effect on the overall outcome of the war in the Pacific, by the end of the conflict these men were hailed as valiant and deadly in their machines. They were beloved for their ferocity by the Filipinos and Americans alike. Their participation alongside the Americans helped improve relations between Mexico and the U.S. after the war., Reverse Side , Harold Payne , Harold Payne was born in Caddo Mills on Feb. 12, 1921, and died Dec. 8, 2013. He attended East Texas State University and enlisted in the Army Air Corps late in 1942. He "had already had his mind made up for the B-17." Payne and "Payne's Punch Packers," as his crew was known, were part of the 8th Air Force, 390th Bomb Group, 570th Squadron. They carried out missions over Czechoslovakia and France from 1944-1945. He flew over 25 missions. After the war, Payne started Payne's Famous Furniture Village in Caddo Mills, in addition to becoming a land developer. Payne was also a founding member of the 390th Bomb Group Memorial Museum in Tucson. The 390th is one of the few groups that has its own museum., David Steele Jr. , David Addison "D.A." Steele Jr. was born in Greenville on Oct. 20, 1919, and died Aug. 13, 2011. He attended a couple of years of college at East Texas State University. After he earned his private pilot's license, Steele entered the Army Air Corps in November 1941. He completed primary training at Victorville Airfield in California, where he was commissioned as an A-rated pilot and 2nd Lieutenant. He was a B-17 pilot with the 306th Bomb Group (Heavy), 423rd Squadron. Although he flew other planes, Steele "liked the way the B-17 flew." Steele received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, and 3 Oak Leaf Clusters while overseas. After flying the required 25 missions, Steele came home in 1942. He retired as a Lt. Col. with the U.S. Air Force Reserve. A life-long lover of wood-working, Steele owned Cabinet Works., Robert Neyland , Robert Neyland was born in Greenville on Feb. 17, 1892, and died in New Orleans on March 28, 1962. Neyland was a champion athlete at West Point and an Army officer in two wars. He served three stints as the head football coach at the University of Tennessee. He remains the all-time winningest coach in Tennessee Volunteer history with 173 wins in 216 games, 6 undefeated seasons, 7 conference championships, and 4 national championships., As a career army officer, Neyland served with distinction in France during world war one, on the Mexico-Texas border against Pancho Villa, and in Asia during world war two in the China-Burma-India Theater. Decorated by the U.S., British and Chinese governments, Neyland retired from the Army as a brigadier-general in 1946., Neyland was also an innovator. He is credited with being the first football coach to utilize sideline telephones and game films, to cover the playing field with a tarp, and to put tearaway jerseys on his backs and ends to help them break tackles., After stepping down as head coach after the 1952 season, Neyland remained at UT as athletic director until his death in 1962.