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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Mexico bars 21-gun salute to honor U.S. Marine killed in Iraq |
| 2004-07-02 |
| U.S. Marines won’t be allowed to fire a traditional gun salute at the graveside of a Mexican-American killed in Iraq, Mexican officials said Thursday, citing the country’s laws against foreigners carrying firearms. Lance Cpl. Juan Lopez, who was born in the central Mexico state of Guanajuato and resided in Dalton, Ga., was one of four U.S. Marines killed in an ambush in Ramadi, west of Baghdad, on June 21. Lopez was born in the town of San Luis de la Paz and emigrated to the United States as a teenager. His mother and other family members stayed in Mexico. But Mexico’s Secretary of Defense turned down the request, saying the salute violated constitutional measures preventing foreign soldiers from bearing arms on Mexican soil. "The United states, to respect the sovereignty of Mexico, scaled back the firing detail," Gwilliam said, adding that six Marines now plan to attend the funeral simply as pallbearers. Mexico wants the USA "to respect" its sovereignity but does not want to return the favor. Pity that this GI could not get the burial honors that he deserves. |
| Posted by:rex |
| #15 an unjust cause, huh, Q? Why don't you reform the killer regimes at home in Mexico? Isn't it because it's easier to carp at the US without doing a Fucking thing at home? Puta |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-07-05 8:30:52 PM |
| #14 Seems to me that the idea of military service in the US is to SERVE YOUR COUNTRY....(The country in which you live). Being in the military is NOT a platform to serve and defend your race, whether it be asian, aryan, aztec or whatever. This young man noblely served and paid the ultimate price. By boiling it down to racial terms, it cheapens the whole idea. But hey, as long as we're talking about Mexico, here goes: Do you have to be of Aztec ancestry to be a real Mexican ? How about Mennonites ? Are they "real Mexicans." How about Taraumara Indians ? Are they real indians ? They don't speak Nahuatl. Are aryans the only real Germans ? Is any other ethnicity in Germany invalid ? Now about Mexico.... I remember a few years ago when the US beat Mexico in soccer. People were throwing rocks at cars with Texas plates as they were waiting at the international bridges as the fat police looked on. The irony is that 99% of the damage was to cars of hispanic people returning to the US. From my personal experience, it seems the most bitter people in MExico either have family membvers up here already who are living better than them, or have a sister who married a white guy.... Go think... |
| Posted by: Rusotxo 2004-07-05 7:59:42 PM |
| #13 Descansa en paz Juan, tu sangre azteca fue derramada por una causa injusta, luchaste y tuviste que morir por un pais que no es el tuyo, solo eres una victima mas de la ambicion de ese pais. Mexico and San Luis de la Paz never forget you. Your blood and soul rest in peace now with your ancesters , in this ever sunshine place, far away from the ambition and evil of USA... "Por mi raza hablara mi espiritu" Quetazalcoatl, "The Bird-Snake" San Luis de la Paz, Guanajuato. |
| Posted by: Quetzalcoatl 2004-07-05 5:42:01 PM |
| #12 21 Mexicans will race across the border tonight in an honorary tribute... |
| Posted by: borgboy 2004-07-02 8:37:02 PM |
| #11 They're still mad about that "Halls of Montezuma" stuff. He should lie here in freedom's land. Semper Fi. |
| Posted by: Sgt.DT 2004-07-02 7:00:59 PM |
| #10 Mexican politics are such a clusterfuck. It's no wonder they all want to move here. |
| Posted by: Chris W. 2004-07-02 2:08:57 PM |
| #9 Does Mexico have an army? Think they could free up seven guys to do this? Might be a nice touch. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-07-02 11:12:15 AM |
| #8 Fuck Mexico. State funeral at Arlington, then either burial there or in Mexico, [i]after[/i] the 21-gun salute. |
| Posted by: Edward Yee 2004-07-02 9:29:46 AM |
| #7 Screw Mexico,bring this Marine home,he has earned his place in Arlington. |
| Posted by: Raptor 2004-07-02 8:02:38 AM |
| #6 I thought it was just against the law to scuba-dive in Mexico. |
| Posted by: Gromky 2004-07-02 4:19:27 AM |
| #5 Via con Dios muchacho. No problemo, rest in peace. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-07-02 3:57:11 AM |
| #4 I blame Maximillian... |
| Posted by: mojo 2004-07-02 1:10:22 AM |
| #3 The man should have been buried at Arlington. Pity. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2004-07-02 1:07:44 AM |
| #2 After family members elected to bury Lopez in Guanajuato, U.S. Marines made arrangements to give him a traditional 21-gun salute during the funeral ceremony, said Maj. Curt Gwilliam of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. One question: what did Cpl. Lopez want? Sarge - when military personnel head off to a combat zone, isn't this sort of thing hashed out in advance? |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-07-02 1:03:50 AM |
| #1 Well, what would a country without honor know about honor? Thank you Juan Lopez, God Speed |
| Posted by: Old Sarge 2004-07-02 12:32:13 AM |