Long before the Spanish colonized Mexico, the Nahua (Aztec) nation ruled the land. There were many places held sacred by the Nahua, one such place was Chapultepec Hill near what is now Mexico City. Aztec royalty would often retreat to the hill as a place of spiritual reflection and rest. Over the centuries the hill retained its regal use, as Chapultepec Castle was erected there for Emperor Maximilian and Empress Carlota. During the Mexican-American War, the Mexican Army had their military academy at the castle.
Perhaps out of disdain for the Americans, or perhaps just as simple patriotism, the cadets at the academy fought bravely to protect the castle from attack during the war. Hundreds of young men trained in the latest military strategies and technology fought a brave battle against advancing American forces. Finally it was clear the battle could not be won, and an order of retreat was given. Yet there were six teenage military cadets who refused to leave the hill and continued to fight.
Francisco Marquez was the youngest in the group, just thirteen years old. Next youngest was Vicente Suarez, at fourteen years. Juan Escutia, Agustin Melgar and Fernando Montes de Oca were all between the ages of fifteen and nineteen but there are no records to provide an exact age. Juan de la Barrera was nineteen and the son of an army general. With the exception of Barrera and Melgar (son of an army general), all the teens joined the academy at a young age most likely to escape a life of destitution and or abuse. As illustrated by their defiance of the retreat order, these young men may have come from differing backgrounds, but they clearly had a common loyalty.
At the time of the battle, Barrera was a lieutenant with the engineers, Escutia was a second lieutenant and all the other boys were officers. It is unclear if the six planned to stay behind as a group, or it was just coincidence. What is clear is all six fought against men much older than them, with far more experience on the battlefield and with infinitely more firepower - yet the boys didn't back down. They all perished in the fighting, but it is Juan Escutia's demise that speaks most clearly of the cadet's loyalty. Knowing his five other compatriots had already been killed, and finding himself cornered on a turret of Chapultepec Castle, Escutia wrapped the Mexican flag around his body and leapt off the turret.
Escutia knew he was defeated. He knew there was nothing he could do to save the hill from American occupation. Yet he knew he could prevent the flag of his country from falling into American hands. So he took it with him to his death. The Mexican people refer to those six cadets as the Ninos Heroes, the Boy Heroes. The boy's bodies have been interred and memorialized at the Heroic Cadets Memorial in Chapultepec Park on the hill by the same name. In March of 1947 American President Harry S. Truman paid solemn respect to the cadets by visiting the memorial. When asked why he had gone to the site, Truman replied "Brave men don't belong to any one country. I respect bravery wherever I see it."
Perhaps out of disdain for the Americans, or perhaps just as simple patriotism, the cadets at the academy fought bravely to protect the castle from attack during the war. Hundreds of young men trained in the latest military strategies and technology fought a brave battle against advancing American forces. Finally it was clear the battle could not be won, and an order of retreat was given. Yet there were six teenage military cadets who refused to leave the hill and continued to fight.
Francisco Marquez was the youngest in the group, just thirteen years old. Next youngest was Vicente Suarez, at fourteen years. Juan Escutia, Agustin Melgar and Fernando Montes de Oca were all between the ages of fifteen and nineteen but there are no records to provide an exact age. Juan de la Barrera was nineteen and the son of an army general. With the exception of Barrera and Melgar (son of an army general), all the teens joined the academy at a young age most likely to escape a life of destitution and or abuse. As illustrated by their defiance of the retreat order, these young men may have come from differing backgrounds, but they clearly had a common loyalty.
At the time of the battle, Barrera was a lieutenant with the engineers, Escutia was a second lieutenant and all the other boys were officers. It is unclear if the six planned to stay behind as a group, or it was just coincidence. What is clear is all six fought against men much older than them, with far more experience on the battlefield and with infinitely more firepower - yet the boys didn't back down. They all perished in the fighting, but it is Juan Escutia's demise that speaks most clearly of the cadet's loyalty. Knowing his five other compatriots had already been killed, and finding himself cornered on a turret of Chapultepec Castle, Escutia wrapped the Mexican flag around his body and leapt off the turret.
Escutia knew he was defeated. He knew there was nothing he could do to save the hill from American occupation. Yet he knew he could prevent the flag of his country from falling into American hands. So he took it with him to his death. The Mexican people refer to those six cadets as the Ninos Heroes, the Boy Heroes. The boy's bodies have been interred and memorialized at the Heroic Cadets Memorial in Chapultepec Park on the hill by the same name. In March of 1947 American President Harry S. Truman paid solemn respect to the cadets by visiting the memorial. When asked why he had gone to the site, Truman replied "Brave men don't belong to any one country. I respect bravery wherever I see it."
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