Hispanic roots strong in 1/23

Photo By Staff Sgt. Lucas Vega | Lance Cpl. Jorge Franco helps the Marine adjust his sights on the M240B automatic machine gun during a training evolution Jan 20., at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Franco is a Mexican-American from Donna, Texas, a small city in south Texas.  

CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES

01.27.2011

Story by Cpl. Lucas Vega 

Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES)

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - “Charlie” is the letter C in the proper military phonetic alphabet, and is used by all other units throughout the Marine Corps for Company C. But for years one unit has been commonly referred to as Carlos Company. This common Hispanic name has been unofficially adopted by Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment.

Just miles away from the Mexican border in Harlingen, Texas, is the infantry reserve unit, that's the home drill center to the Marines of second and third platoon, Charlie Company, 1/23. This area is also known as “The Valley.”

The other half of the company, 1st and 4th Platoon, based out of Corpus Christi, Texas. Both Harlingen and Corpus Christi are predominately Hispanic cities because of their proximity to the Mexican border in south Texas.

"We're called Carlos Company because almost the whole company is Mexican," said Lance Cpl. Adolfo Guerra, an assaultman with Charlie Company, 1/23.

It is estimated that about 90 percent of second and third platoon are Mexican-American, while first and fourth platoon are about 70 percent Mexican, based on the Marine accounts. Averaged together, the entire company is about 80 percent Mexican.

Many of the Marines of the platoon are first and second generation Mexicans. Some Marines are legal residents in Texas, but are still waiting to take the oath of allegiance to become naturalized U.S. citizens.

Citizen or not, the Marines of Charlie Company, do not lack camaraderie, nor does their natural Mexican culture fade once the uniform is put on.

"The Mexican culture is pretty prominent in this company," said Lance Cpl. Pedro Martinez, an administrative clerk with Charlie Company, 1/23. "During humps, the Marines sometimes sing cadence in Spanish. Most of us are bilingual, but English is not the first language we learned or used growing up."

On one occasion during their free time from intermediate location training here, a handful of Marines with the company each pitched in money to have a "fajita," or what's commonly known in American culture as a barbecue. During the 2009 Marine Corps ball, the Harlingen unit hosted a Mexican mariachi band to play as entertainment.

It is also common to hear Spanish spoken among the Marines from time to time. Often before lights out, the tunes of Vincente Fernandez, an iconic Mexican singer, ring throughout the barracks.

"Not a night goes by in the squad bay when I don't hear Tejano music," said Lance Cpl. Christopher Harlan, a machine gunner, with Charlie Company, 1/23, describing the south Texas Mexican culture that has followed the company to southern California.

Many of the Marines agreed that the cohesion within the unit is strong. Some Marines even have family ties as brothers and cousins.

"This unit is unique to the Marine Corps," said Harlan from Waco, Texas, native. "I'm just as proud to be a Texan, as these Marines are to be Mexican."

Guerra from Corpus Christi, had similar thoughts regarding the brotherhood within the company.

"The Marine Corps is already known as a brotherhood," he explained. "The camaraderie is further developed when you mix in our culture. It reminds me of my own Hispanic family back home."

• Date Taken: 01.27.2011
• Date Posted: 01.27.2011 18:28
• Story ID: 64340
• Location: CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US