Like the United States before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mexico did not enter World War II until German submarines sank two of its oil tankers, killing 21 innocent men. Soon after, President Manuel Ávila Camacho sent the 201st Air Squadron, made up of about 336 young Mexican servicemen with no previous battle experience, to help win the Battle of Luzon as part of General McArthur’s liberation of the Philippines.
“Aguilas Aztecas” is an original script telling the story of a group of all-volunteer men who trained in the US to join the Allied forces during World War II. The 201st Air Squadron was the first Mexican military unit trained for combat abroad and remains the only Mexican Army unit to have fought a war outside of Mexican territory. This largely unknown contribution of Mexico to the Pacific war effort will inspire global audiences with an electrifying story of patriotism, friendship and sacrifice as the films “Midway”, “Pearl Harbor” and “Dunkirk” did, and will be filled with history and culture celebrated in films like Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” and Alejandro Monteverde’s “Bella.”
Certainly, a war movie, “Águilas Aztecas” is essentially a romantic drama telling the true life story of the love of Ángel Sánchez, one of the Mexican pilots, and Nancy Hudson, a young Texan woman with whom he fell in love. The love of the new couple was able to overcome his father’s distrust of him, the prejudice of an entire town and, ultimately, a world war. The film also explores the challenges of armed collaboration between two nations that had fought each other in the US-Mexican War 100 years earlier. “Aguilas Aztecas” will address the issue of 1940s American racial stereotypes in a stylish yet poignant way, as the 2016 hit film “Hidden Figures” did before it.
The “Aguilas Aztecas” film project is being developed by Carlaya Productions and co-written by Gene H. Pugh, a Special Forces veteran and author of military novels, and Joaquín Fernández, an award-winning documentary filmmaker. Brian Patrick Wade and Travis Bowman, who combine more than 40 years of film experience both behind and in front of the cameras, are also partners in this effort, under the visionary leadership of Michael Pankow, CEO of Carlaya Productions, himself an award-winning documentary filmmaker. Several Mexican filmmakers, actors and musicians have expressed interest in the film or are being courted by the producers. We have obtained the full support of the Texas Memorial Air Force, which has pledged several World War II P-47s, the aircraft flown by the Aztec Eagles, as well as some trainer planes used by our young heroes.
Supported by a multi-faceted marketing campaign, point-of-sale promotions, and audience engagement through product sales and merchandising incorporating our trademarked version of “Pancho Pistolas.” The film’s social media content will highlight Mexico’s patriotic and historical participation and teamwork with American forces during WWII. The producers hope to release “Águilas Aztecas” on September 16, 2025/2026, Mexican Independence Day, to coincide with the 80th Anniversary of the end of World War II and the triumph of the allied forces.
The True Story of Mexico’s
201st Fighter Squadron from 1944-1945
The Aztec Eagles was an all-Mexican Air Squadron made up of more than 300 volunteers who trained in the U.S. to fight against Imperial Japan. The Aztec Eagles squad was the first Mexican military unit trained for overseas aerial combat. Historians have said that “…perhaps Mexico’s most notable contribution to the war effort came from the Escuadron 201, also known as the Aztec Eagles.
The True Story of
Mexico’s 201st Fighter Squadron from 1944-1945
The Aztec Eagles was an all-Mexican Air Squadron made up of more than 300 volunteers who trained in the U.S. to fight against Imperial Japan. The Aztec Eagles squad was the first Mexican military unit trained for overseas aerial combat. Historians have said that “…perhaps Mexico’s most notable contribution to the war effort came from the Escuadron 201, also known as the Aztec Eagles.