Mexican troops interrupt funeral of U.S. Marine

Mexican soldiers with automatic weapons interrupted the July 4 funeral of a U.S. Marine and demanded the Marine honor guard give up ceremonial replicas of rifles they carried.

www.cnn.com...

Hundreds of mourners, some of them vocally against US intervention in Iraq, watched in amazement as armed Mexican troops interrupted a Mexico born US Marine's funeral.

This is incredible. I don't know what to think. How do we get ourselves in these situations? What, if any, is the correct response?

That's horrible. What were those Mexican soldiers thinking? Did they think that 6 Marines with ceremonial rifles were going to take over the country? I feel horrible for the family, that was incredibly disrespectful.

Ridiculous. The Mexican army has no problems crossing our border and shooting at our border patrol, but they have a problem with a Marine honor guard with a few guns?

Bastards.

Complete lack of respect. Power hungry Mexicans trying to look serious. When will they learn?

Complete lack of respect. Power hungry Mexicans trying to look serious. When will they learn?

That was not nice, bad GODFLESH bad, they were hungry alright but not for power

I know the Mexicans they need to be disciplined if we armed some of those drones that start patrolling Arizona with some hellfire missiles and shoot at illegal immigrants trying to sneak over then they will be really pissed.:
roll:

Total lack of respect. First they don't take care of there people. So then there people illeagaly cross our border and get free health care out of our taxes. Now we cant even have a funeral with out Mexican soldiers coming in with automatic weapons. I agree with Westpoint to some extent. A tougher border patrol should teach that country some respect.

Know what is really sad? Mexico patrols it's southern border with tanks, missles, troops, bombs, so forth. We have open borders to them, but they stop six guys with ceremonial rifles. We have an open border but they have a border guarded with so much power South America couldn't invade them. WTF? This truelly is a mad mad world. So, we have the best golpher being black, tallest basketball player being chinese, when will we have the "no more weakass border patrol, lets get some power" government?

Originally posted by James the Lesser
Know what is really sad? Mexico patrols it's southern border with tanks, missles, troops, bombs, so forth. We have open borders to them, but they stop six guys with ceremonial rifles. We have an open border but they have a border guarded with so much power South America couldn't invade them. WTF? This truelly is a mad mad world. So, we have the best golpher being black, tallest basketball player being chinese, when will we have the "no more weakass border patrol, lets get some power" government?

The nerve of those people.

Mexico...what a worthless neighbor.

Along he lines of Mexico, the racist Mexican activists and lobbyists keep envisioning the two American continents as belonging to La Raza. They claim it's theirs rightfully because the "Indians were here first." Nevermind the fact that there were hundreds of tribes, most of whom never A. Got along with one another nor B. ever considered themselves to be a singular people. Go to Arizona today and you'll see it's the Tohono O'odham reservation that is being especially hard hit by the invaders. Garbage and crime have been inflicted on the reservation and its people by their so called racial brothers.

[edit on 6-7-2004 by Eastern_Diamondback]

as reprehensible as mexico's actions were, i'm curious as to how well organized/coordinated the burial was. it seems unusual for troops of one country to give a full military burial in another for a citizen of the other country, and i have a feeling that mexico may not be the only party to blame here. surely the us armed forces would have arranged with local authorities to have this burial? anyone seen any followup on this incident?

-koji K.

acording to the story, it seemed to be fairly well planned. It sounds like a few USofM soldiers got a little carried away. Probably were sent to observe the funeral with orders like "Watch those Yankees, they'll try to do whatever they want anyway." Wouldn't have happened with proper leadership.

The incident may of stemmed from the animosity that countries feel towards Americans, who go into other peoples countries and disregard all rules except thier own.

The Mexican Defense Department banned plans for a 21-gun salute by Marines because Mexico's Constitution bans foreign soldiers from carrying firearms here.

Mexican soldiers at the funeral refused to comment, but U.S. Embassy spokesman Jim Dickmeyer said they likely saw the rifle replicas and mistakenly thought the Marines were planning to fire a salute anyway.

Probaly just a miscommunication. Can you imagine the discussion the Marines
and the Mexicans had?

Four Mexican soldiers blocked their path, asking the four Marines and six others who had served as pallbearers to return to the car that had brought them to the funeral. Several minutes of discussions by soldiers from both countries continued until a trumpet player began a rendition of taps and the funeral proceeded, despite the objections of the Mexican troops.

The Marines should of straightened the problem out first, they are guests in another country, instead of just ignoring the Mexicans and going on anyway.

They are perpetuating the sterotype of the 'Ugly American' who doesn't care about anybody else but themselves.

Well, look at how we have shunned the world and do whatever we want. It WAS in Mexico. If they do not like the rules, then do not bury him there. It is simple. It is not lack of discipline, it is lack of American respect for other nations that has them weary of anything we do. It is a terrible tragedy about his death, but it will not stop with his.

They were there to honor a MEXICAN who was born in that town and fought for the US. THIS was supposed to be a show of respect for the contribution of a brave young soul from Mexico. Instead the mexican nationalist army saw it as a breach of their no forgien army's with weapons rule and disregarded the whole reason of the honor burial in the first place.

They should have stood there with pride and joined in with the US Marines to honor the fallen soldier.

BUT no, like always the US has to pull the more of the weight when these worthless mexican army guys had nothing better then to mess up a greiving families burial.

IT just makes me sick. And yet some of you Anti Bush people will spin it so that it looks like we were being "ugly americans" who do whatever they want where ever they want.

If that was the case we would pull all our troops and money and support from every dirt whole, (C) box of a country and let them fend for themselves and starve to death.

I am tired of these people trying to deface the good intentions of this Country.