[September 13, 2017] Several years ago, a small group of us “grunt” Infantrymen were invited to attend a formal U.S. Marine Corps’ Mess Night with the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines (Infantry). We had much in common as our primary job in defending the nation has always been to “close with and destroy the enemy.” That night U.S. Army soldiers learned to sing the Marine Hymn which begins with the words… from the Halls of Montezuma.
We also learned a bit of history and a few lessons in battlefield leadership. The Halls of Montezuma refers to the U.S. Marines and Army Soldiers storming the ancient Chapultepec fortress at the edge of Mexico City on this date September 13, 1847 (see link here for more details). It was to be the last major battle of the Mexican-American War and, in part, explains some of the bad blood today between the U.S. and Mexico.
In that war, the Mexican army was larger than the U.S. force on the battlefield, yet it had the home field advantage with short lines of supply and support of its population. But … the U.S. combined force of Marines and Army units had better leadership and training. Furthermore, much of the Mexican supplies were defective, in particular they had weak gunpowder.1
The war was the end result of a long-running dispute between Mexico and the United States over Texas and other territories. A few years earlier in 1836, for example, Mexican forces under General López de Santa Anna stormed a U.S. garrison near San Antonio wiping out the forces located there. The Alamo was a pivotal part of the Texas Revolution because of Santa Anna’s cruelty during the battle.
Failure to recognize Texas’ independence from Mexico and later Texas becoming a formal state of the U.S. was the impetus of the war between the two countries. The Mexican government interpreted the U.S. military in Texas as an advance onto Mexican soil and an act of war.
By mid-may 1846 the nations were at war. January 1847 saw the U.S. General Zachary Taylor capturing California and the northern Mexican territories that would later make up much of the American southwest. Taylor was replaced by U.S. President James K. Polk when Taylor let it be known that he was reluctant to take the war into the heart of Mexico.
In March, U.S. General Winfield Scott landed his men on the beaches near Vera Cruz, Mexico and fought his army inland. When an attempt at peace negotiations failed in August, Scott advanced to the Mexican capital. On September 14th, after the fall of the ancient Chapultepec fortress (where the Aztec king Montezuma had his castle), U.S. forces entered Mexico City and saw the Mexican government surrender.
Cooperation between U.S. Marines and U.S. Army units has been a key part of the success of the United States since that time and now a time-honored tradition to recognize those leaders who made it possible.
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I just watched the 1951 movie from The Halls of Motazuma. I fail to know so much about History. Of course it’s been many years since I was in High School. I do remember when I was in Grade School there was a young relative who was in the Military. I admired her so much but I knew so little about her. I remember singing the song in grade school. The movie was very compelling. I really wish our children and grandchildren could be taught HISTORY but they are not getting the TRUTH.