Mexican Service Campaigns

The United States has engaged in a number of military campaigns in Mexico or on the United States-Mexico border.

On the border 1916-1917

* The streamer is yellow with a blue center stripe and a narrow green stripe on each edge.
* The colors green and yellow are associated with the Aztecs of ancient Mexico. The Aztec standard carried at the Battle of Otumba in 1520 consisted of a gold sun surrounded by the green plumes of the quetzal.
* The blue, our national color, alludes to the United States Army and also refers to the Rio Grande River which separates in part Mexico from the United States.
* The following inscription in white is authorized:

Mexico 1916-1917

An increasing number of border incidents early in 1916 culminated in an invasion of American territory on 8 March, when Francisco (Pancho) Villa and his band of 500 to 1,000 men raided Columbus, New Mexico. Elements of the 13th Cavalry regiment repulsed the attack, but there were 24 American casualties (14 military, 10 civilian). Immediate steps were taken to organize a the Punitive Expedition of about 10,000 men under BG John J. Pershing to capture Villa. The 7th, 10th, 11th, and 13th Cavalry regiments, 6th and U.S. 16th Infantry Regiments, part of the U.S. 6th Field Artillery, and supporting elements crossed the border into Mexico in mid-March, followed later by the 5th Cavalry, 17th and 24th Infantry Regiment (United States), and engineer and other units. Pershing was subject to orders which required him to respect the sovereignty of Mexico, and was further hindered by the fact that the Mexican Government and people resented the invasion. Advanced elements of the expedition penetrated as far as Parral, some 400 miles south of the border, but Villa was never captured. The campaign consisted primarily of dozens of minor skirmishes with small bands of insurgents. There were even clashes with Mexican Army units; the most serious was on 1916-06-21 at the Battle of Carrizal, where a detachment of the 10th Cavalry was nearly destroyed. War would probably have been declared but for the critical situation in Europe. Even so, virtually the entire Regular Army was involved, and most of the National Guard had been Federalized and concentrated on the border before the end of the affair. Normal relations with Mexico were restored eventually by diplomatic negotiation, and the troops were withdrawn from Mexico in February 1917.

1917-1919

Minor clashes with Mexican irregulars continued to disturb the border from 1917 to 1919. Engagements took place near Buena Vista, Mexico on 1 December 1917-12-01; in San Bernardino Canyon, Mexico on 1917-12-26; near La Grulla, Texas on 1918-01-09; at Pilares, Mexico about 1918-03-28; at Nogales, Arizona on 1918-08-27; and near El Paso, Texas on 1919-06-16.