U.S. AND MEXICO REACH THE BRINK OF WAR ON
THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
Hector Galan and Paul Espinosa's Documentary
The Hunt for Pancho Villa,
Narrated by Academy Award-Winning Actress Linda Hunt,
Premieres November 3 on PBS
"Victory will crown our efforts because justice triumphs in the end. But if death is our destiny, we will fall with our faces to the sky"
-Pancho Villa
"When the true history of this expedition is written, it will not be a very inspiring chapter for school children, or even grown-ups, to contemplate."
-U.S. General John "Black Jack" Pershing
Just before dawn on March 9, 1916, a band of Mexican revolutionaries loyal to General Fransisco "Pancho" Villa crossed the border into the United States and attacked the town of Columbus, New Mexico. By the time they withdrew, 17 Americans and 67 Mexicans lay dead.
Overnight, Pancho Villa became America's most wanted enemy. Within a week, thousands of American soldiers would invade Mexico; within a few months, 150,000 U.S. Troops -- the largest American deployment since the Civil War -- would be mobilized along the border from California to Texas. The leader of the American expedition was General John "Black Jack" Pershing. His mission: to capture Pancho Villa, dead or alive.
THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: The Hunt for Pancho Villa, tells the story of one of the most controversial figures in American historyand the dramatic but failed efforts of the U.S. government to bring him to justice -- events that brought the U.S. and Mexico to the brink of war. Produced by Hector Galan and Paul Espinosa, the one-hour film is narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Linda Hunt.
A production of WGBH Boston, THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE is made possible by support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television stations.
Executive producer for THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE is Judy Crichton. Senior Producer is Margaret Drain. Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian David McCullough (Truman) is the series' host, providing an introductary essay for each broadcast.
Painting a picture of the violent, chaotic U.S.-Mexican border in the early parts of this century, The Hunt for Pancho Villa draws on a wealth of archival materials, including remarkable, rarely-seen film of the U.S. expeditionary force that was sent to capture Villa, and the postcards, cartoons, newsreels, and film excerpts found in public and private collections in the United States and Mexico.
Also featured are interviews with two of Pancho Villa's soldiers, Jose Maria Varela and Enrique Alferez; Columbus, New Mexico residents Margaret Carson, Richard Dean, and Jessie Thompson; former Columbus resident Mary Lee Gaskill; Chihuahua witnesses Vicente Lara, Ruben Osorio, Carlos Villegas, Rey Whetten, Adolfo Rivera (who was held prisoner by a Villa colonel), Blasa Rivera and her brother Fransisco Rivera; and historians Hector Arras and Louis Ray Sadler. Testimonial accounts recorded at the time reflect the views of the major actors in the drama: General John "Black Jack" Pershing, General Villa, President Woodrow Wilson, and U.S. and Mexican government officials.
Hero or Outlaw?
Pancho Villa's infamous attack on a small American town had its roots in his complex, volatile character; in Mexico's turbulent politics; and in the tangled relations between Mexico and the U.S., which had many business holdings below the border.
As an outlaw, Villa was legendary in Mexico for his brazen attacks on haciendas, the huge, profitable ranches that kept workers in virtual ignorance and poverty.
"He was seen as the Mexican Robin Hood... because it was said that he helped the poor by taking from the rich," says historian Hector Arras in the program.
Pancho Villa had once been considered a friend of the U.S., even called the potential "George Washington of Mexico." During the Mexican Revolution, he had won a series of military victories and had emerged a national figure. He became convinced that the U.S. would recognize him as Mexico's legitimate leader.
But in 1915, the U.S. abruptly threw its support behind Villa's arch enemy -- Venustiano Carranza. Villa felt betrayed. He was certain that Carranza had struck a deal to turn him over to the Americans.
"Americans know that I've always made a special effort to guarantee their safety in my country," said Villa. "Now only history can decide who is reponsible."
He vowed to fight.
Americans had not only changed its attitude towards the unpredictable Villa, but placed an arms embargo on him, cutting off his supply from towns like Columbus, New Mexico. The U.S. also secretly helped Carranza's troops defeat Villa's forces.
But Villa was not a man who gave up easily. His troops ambushed a train carrying American miners, killing all but one of the 17 men on board. His next target would be Columbus, New Mexico.
America Retaliates
News of Pancho Villa's infamous Columbus raid reached the outside world almost immediately and precipitated a heated, often emotional debate in both the United States and Mexico. Some congressional leaders called for a full-scale invasion of Mexico. Others argued that the U.S. needed Mexico as an ally and should not punish an entire country for the actions of a small band of guerilla fighters.
President Wilson, in the midst of a presidential campaign, did not want to rush into a decision. The country was divided over the issue of isolationism and interventionism as the war in Europe became more threatening. As a compromise, Wilson announced the formation of a "Punitive Expedition" under the command of General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, a celebrated hero already famous for the successful campaigns in the Indian Wars and the Phillipines.
Under Pershing's command, the cavalry of U.S. National guardsmen and Army regulars, backed up by airplanes (the first ever used in battle), new armored tanks, and over 600 trucks (the cavalrymen had to be trained to drive them), set up camp along the border.
"The Punitive Expedition was the last of the old and the first of the new," says historian Louis Ray Sadler, "This is the last great cavalry operation in the United States army."
But the hunt was tough going. Despite the massive provisions and advanced technology of the American army (especially compared to Villa's rag-tag brigade), the U.S. troops suffered in the intense heat and were constantly eluded by Villa, who knew the land like the back of his hand.
"We always went on the side where the sun was shining so they couldn't see us," recalls Enrique Alferez, a member of Villa's army. "We rode parallel to the Americans."
The American invasion of Mexico triggered the deep resentment of the Mexican people and of President Carranza, a political oppurtunist who claimed that the military action violated Mexico's sovereignty. In the town of Parral, townspeople attacked U.S. troops looking for Villa. Another skirmish in the town of Carrizal left 14 American soldiers dead; 24 were taken prisoner. Full scale war between the two countries seemed imminent.
"I told the President we should at once seize all the border towns," wrote General Hugh Scott, "and shove the Mexicans into the desert beyond."
But neither country wanted war. After diplomatic talks, Carranza released the American prisoners. In February 1917, faced with the inevitable involvment in World War I, the U.S. agreed to withdraw its troops. After 11 months, the Americans had not only failed to capture Pancho Villa -- they had never caught sight of him.
General Pershing publicly declared the Punitive Expedition a victory, but privately, he wrote to his father-in-law: "... we are now sneaking home under a cover like a whipped cur with his tail between his legs."
In 1920, Pancho Villa laid down his arms, in exchange for a government offer of land and amnesty. He was awarded a large ranch which had once been a hacienda. In 1923, he was gunned down by political enemies.
Pancho Villa's confrontation with the American troops has never been forgotten on either side of the border. The enduring legacy of the Punitive Expedition, which was designed to vanquish him, was, ironically, to transform Villa into a mythic figure.
Credits
THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: The Hunt for Pancho Villa was produced by Hector Galan and Paul Espinosa. Written by Paul Espinosa and directed by Hector Galan.
Additional funding for this program was provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Arizona Humanities Council, the New Mexico Endowment for the Humanities, and the Texas Committee for the Humanities.