Campsite of the "Fighting 69th"
McAllen, Hidalgo County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Famed New York Infantry Regiment. Encamped in McAllen during 1916-1917 bandit troubles, guarding the border and preventing the smuggling of arms across Rio Grande to Pancho Villa. Tour of duty here seasoned the men for rigors of World War I, wherein regiment won undying glory in France. (1970)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
During the tense border troubles of 1916–1917, New York's famed 69th Infantry Regiment camped near McAllen, guarding the Rio Grande and choking off gun-running to the fighters of the Mexican Revolution. The hard tour hardened these men for what came next: the trenches of France, where the regiment earned lasting fame in World War I.
Why it matters
It links the turbulent Mexican border of the 1910s to America's entry into the First World War, showing how one shaped the soldiers who fought the other.
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Related events
- · Mexican border troubles
- · World War I
Themes & tags
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