Thread: Work of Mexican marines may score political points

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercuryn ... 654877.htm



Mexican Marines distribute supplies at the First Baptist Church in Biloxi, Mississippi. Al Diaz, Miami Herald
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Posted on Thu, Sep. 15, 2005



Work of Mexican marines may score political points

By Edwin Garcia
Knight Ridder Newspapers


BILOXI, Miss. - The Mexican marines who landed on the Mississippi coast as part of an unprecedented hurricane relief effort brought 300 specialized troops eager to rescue victims, administer medical treatment and even help locals recover the dead.

Instead, the camouflage-clothed marines, wearing blue vests with the word "MARINA" printed in white letters across their chests, spent most of their five days here handing out water bottles, clearing up debris from a school and moving supply boxes.

Their voyage to the Gulf Coast nonetheless could score much-needed political points for Mexican President Vicente Fox, who's spent years trying to get the attention of President Bush and Congress in his persistent push for immigration laws favorable to Mexicans in the United States.

Fox offered his marines shortly after Hurricane Katrina blew a disastrous path through southern Mississippi and Louisiana, as part of an international relief effort that includes troops from Canada and the Netherlands.

The Mexican marines, who departed for home on Wednesday, sailed to Biloxi aboard the 440-foot Papaloapan, an amphibious troop-landing ship with a mobile hospital, an ambulance and two helicopters. The ship had originally headed to New Orleans, where the crew was ready to help with search-and-rescue activities, but it was diverted to the Mississippi coast, where the need for search-and-rescue assistance and emergency medical treatment was less dire.

The relief effort marked the first time since the Mexican-American War in 1846 that Mexican troops were assigned north of the Rio Grande.

"Fox wants to do whatever he can to make sure immigration reform doesn't fall by the wayside," said Princeton University sociology professor Douglas Massey, who studies out-migration from Mexico. "And sending troops to help a neighborhood in need is a goodwill gesture, of course, but it also helps boost Mexico's image."

But politics was furthest from the minds of the marines, who worked side by side with the U.S. Navy before departing for home.

At Biloxi's First Baptist Church, which is doubling as a massive Red Cross relief center, two physicians sorted boxes of prescription medicine, a radio specialist helped load boxes onto pushcarts, and several marines distributed plastic water bottles to motorists in a drive-through lane formed by boxes of supplies.

"We hope that our assistance will be as valuable as the help provided by rescuers," said Dr. Eduardo Valdes Gonzalez, a surgeon. His role, and that of Dr. Jose Manuel Secaida Arredondo, a pediatrician, was limited in the Sunday school room turned pharmacy, because they lacked English skills to read the specifications on medications.

The marines in the parking lot took on various duties, from taking canned foods to cars to unloading trailers, to moving hamburger buns from one crate to another.

Marine Lamberto Escobar, who worked the aftermath of the Asian tsunami, gripped the wheelchair of 75-year-old Betty Price, waiting in a shady area to push her to her car.

"This time the job has been easy," Escobar said. "But on other occasions we've had a very difficult assignment, digging for bodies and transporting the injured."

Price, a Gulfport, Miss., resident whose home sustained major water damage through the roof, was grateful for the help. "That's the way it's supposed to be; when you help somebody, the Lord will bless you."

And the irony of Mexican troops in the United States wasn't lost on the few American relief workers of Mexican descent.

"It's so unusual they're coming to the United States," said Andres "Andy" Hernandez, a First Baptist Church member who oversaw the unloading of the trailers. "Usually it's the other way around."

Garcia reports for the San Jose Mercury News.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/12664219.htm

Posted on Fri, Sep. 16, 2005



Mexican marines were prepared to do more
RESCUE AND MEDICAL CREWS: SPECIAL SKILLS WEREN'T USED, BUT NEIGHBORING NATION'S PRESENCE WAS FELT:
By Edwin Garcia
Mercury News

BILOXI, Miss. - The Mexican marines who landed on the Mississippi coast as part of an unprecedented hurricane relief effort brought 300 specialized personnel eager to rescue victims, administer medical treatment and even help locals recover the dead.

Instead, the camouflage-wearing marines, with blue vests bearing the word ``MARINA'' printed in white letters across their chests, spent most of their five days in Biloxi handing out bottles of water, clearing up debris from a school and moving supply boxes.

Political points

Their voyage to the Gulf Coast nonetheless could score much-needed political points for Mexican President Vicente Fox, who has spent years trying to get the attention of President Bush and Congress in his persistent push for immigration laws favorable to Mexicans in the United States.

Fox offered his marines shortly after Hurricane Katrina blew a disastrous path through southern Mississippi and Louisiana, as part of an international relief effort that includes troops from Canada and the Netherlands.

The Mexican marines, who departed for home Wednesday, sailed to Biloxi aboard the 440-foot Papaloapan, a troop-landing ship with a mobile hospital, an ambulance and two helicopters. The ship had originally headed to New Orleans, where the crew was ready to help with search-and-rescue activities, but it was diverted to the Mississippi coast, where the need for their expertise was less dire.

The relief effort marked the first time since the Mexican-American War in 1846 that Mexican troops had been assigned north of the Rio Grande. Also sent to help was a Mexican army convoy, which crossed into Texas to help evacuee efforts.

``Fox wants to do whatever he can to make sure immigration reform doesn't fall by the wayside,'' said Princeton University sociology Professor Douglas Massey, who studies migration from Mexico. ``And sending troops to help a neighborhood in need is a goodwill gesture, of course, but it also helps boost Mexico's image.''

Marines focus on aid

But politics was furthest from the minds of the marines, who worked side by side with the U.S. Navy before departing for home.

At Biloxi's First Baptist Church, which is doubling as a massive Red Cross relief center, two doctors sorted boxes of prescription medicine, a radio specialist helped load boxes onto pushcarts, and several marines distributed bottles of water to motorists in a drive-through lane formed by boxes of supplies.

``We hope that our assistance will be as valuable as the help provided by rescuers,'' said Dr. Eduardo Valdés González, a surgeon. His role, and that of Dr. José Manuel Secaida Arredondo, a pediatrician, was limited in the Sunday school room turned pharmacy, because they lacked English skills to read the specifications on medications.

The marines in the parking lot took on various duties, from taking canned food to cars to unloading trailers, to moving hamburger buns from one crate to another.

Marine Lamberto Escobar, who worked the aftermath of December's tsunami, gripped the wheelchair of 75-year-old Betty Price, waiting in a shady area before pushing her to her car.

``This time the job has been easy,'' Escobar said. ``But on other occasions, we've had a very difficult assignment, digging for bodies and transporting the injured.''

Price, a Gulfport, Miss., resident whose home sustained major water damage through the roof, was grateful for the help. ``That's the way it's supposed to be; when you help somebody, the Lord will bless you.''

The irony of Mexican troops in the United States was not lost on the few U.S. relief workers of Mexican descent.

``It's so unusual they're coming to the United States,'' said Andres ``Andy'' Hernandez, a First Baptist Church member who oversaw the unloading of the trailers. ``Usually it's the other way around.''

``It's so unusual they're coming to the United States,'' said Andres ``Andy'' Hernandez, a First Baptist Church member who oversaw the unloading of the trailers. ``Usually it's the other way around.''

I guess Mr. Hernandez has slept through the last few yours. We have more Mexicans here than we can count--the only difference is the uniforms.