She swept the French Frigate Shoals, Eniwetok, Lingayen Gulf, Zambales, Subic Bay, & Brunei Bay, earning a Navy Unit Commendation, a Presidential Unit Citation and 5 battle stars. After the war she swept Tsushima Strait and the Ryukyu Islands in Japanese waters.
She was decommissioned April 1946 and placed in reserve (mothballs) in Orange, Texas. In 1962 she was transferred to Mexico and renamed FELIPE XICOTENCATL C-53, operating out of Vera Cruz on fishery and anti-drug running patrols. She was retired from Mexican service in 2000 and later that year sunk as a reef off of Chankanaab National Marine Park in Cozumel.
Now a popular dive site in Cozumel, the dive boats tie up to a float tethered to the wreck’s stern. The vessel sits perfectly upright on her keel in 80' of water. Numerous holes have been cut into her hull and decks to make it easily and safely accessible to divers. When she settled at the bottom one of her rudders broke off. Both steering motors and the after-steering wheel were left in place. While ladders, piping and electrical rat's nests remained, the hulk was stripped of hatches and furnishings. It's difficult to judge what a particular compartment may have been used for. There is not much to distinguish which was the mess decks, the galley, berthing, wardroom. etc. One exception was the crews’ head. We made note that like most of the restrooms in Cozumel, the toilets are missing their seats!
Often you can find hundreds of lobsters under the hull and millions of glassy sweepers inside -- they look like a beam of silvery light. Enough holes have been cut into the hull to allow light to enter every compartment.
For more info on scheduling a dive to the C-53, please contact Roberta and the Scuba Shack crew at robertac@prodigy.net.mx.
The brutal fact is that for struggling
families, and especially for single-parent mothers, food must come before
education. Many children of such families -- particularly the girls (who some
parents do not feel need as much education as the boys) are forced to drop
out. These children frequently
disappear into one of the "invisible jobs" available in prime tourist locations
like Cozumel. Best case scenario for smart but under-educated children like
these: jobs as busboys, maids and the like -- hard-labor jobs with little free
time, very low pay and no hope. Worse case scenario: thievery or
prostitution.
So, a newly-formed local non-profit
organization stepped in to avert such a tragedy. They called themselves the
Chrysalis Group--a wonderfully evocative name for an
organization that fosters the emergence of so many promising children into a
world of hope and opportunity.
The idea for Chrysalis first began to take shape in 1996 at what had been originally planned as a low-key social get-together designed to introduce English-speaking women living on the island to each other. It soon became clear, however, that several of the women had come to the meeting with a more serious agenda in mind than an afternoon of iced tea and gossip. All had witnessed the heartbreak of seeing promising youngsters forced to give up their dreams for a better life and join their parents in a vicious circle of low-paying, dead-end jobs. And they all agreed they couldn't just stand by and watch so many wonderful kids miss out on decent jobs because of their lack of education. Before long, the group began meeting regularly. Gradually a plan of action emerged--beginning with filing the paperwork to incorporate as a Mexican non-profit -- a process that took nearly two years.
Meanwhile, they grappled with other
pivotal issues. Primary among these was setting up the mechanisms for
identifying and assisting promising students. But finding the bright,
hard-working kids that most needed help was easier said than done. When they first went to the schools
and told them what they wanted to do, they paraded out all the "stars" for
them. But the Chrysalis women could see right away
that these weren't the children that needed assistance the most.
Fashionable clothing and, particularly, good shoes, were a dead give-away. Finally, they hooked up with a
primary school teacher and, later, a guidance counselor who understood the
group's goals and objectives and, to this day, continues to help them identify
families with children that could benefit from a little help from some
friends.
Another key challenge was to come up
with some good fund-raising ideas. A
highly successful garage sale campaign was launched, newsgroups were utilized to
drum up sympathy for the cause and to get the word out. Soon,
vacationers from all over the world were arriving in Cozumel with their
suitcases stuffed with school supplies or used clothing. The school
supplies would be used by the children in the program. The clothes would be sold
in what soon became a weekly yard sale. For the past three years the Chrysalis Group
has also raised money by setting up a booth downtown during busy Carnaval week
where volunteers sell exotic feathered Mardi Gras masks to carnival
revelers. In addition, the group has received a number of greatly
appreciated cash donations (now tax deductible, thanks to their recently
acquired non-profit status).
Then there was the task of physically getting the supplies to the kids and their parents. Members of the group purchase all the school uniforms and shoes themselves and even negotiate good discounts with the stores. Many days are spent buying, sorting and delivering supplies, uniforms and shoes to the current crop of young scholars. Each student receives 2 school uniforms, 1 pair of black dress shoes, 1 pair of tennis shoes, plus books and supplies. And a tremendous amount of time each summer goes to studying school transcripts and talking with parents, teachers and counselors to identify students that would most benefit from the help.
Although the group currently helps
approximately the same number of girls as boys, it's a constant struggle to
keep female enrollment in the program up. The group members explain that
girls and women are greatly valued in the community, but only as
wives and mothers. Many parents just don't believe girls need that
much education to make babies and take care of a family. The boys tend to be put forward
first, no matter who is the better student in the family. The
Chrysalis Group strives to reach the girls as early as possible, before they've
given up hope. For the boys and girls that Chrysalis has been
able to help so far, the future looks bright. Now more than 300 boys and girls are
involved with Chrysalis thanks to all the generous donations of supplies and
money--and the hard-work of the Chrysalis volunteers. Additional assistance is always
welcome!
Sponsorship Program A one-time contribution of $50 per elementary student or
$150 per Jr. or High School student will provide assistance for one year of
education. Download a sponsorship form from the Chrysalis website or email
them for more information (website address is at the end of this article).
Ongoing Used
Clothing Sales If you have any extra space in your luggage, please
bring used clothes. Clothes are sold at a nominal price to provide the local
residents with inexpensive clothing while raising funds for school
supplies.
School
Supplies / Small Donations Chrysalis purchases
the school supplies for students. Check their website for current
needs or, if you don't have space, a check or cash ($10 - $20) will
help with purchases.
Drop Off Locations Used
clothing, school supplies & financial donations may be dropped off at
Cozumel Putting Course, located downtown at Calle 1 Sur and 15th Avenue, or at
Plaza Sol Jewelry Store, in Villamar Plaza just behind Fat
Tuesday's.
Want to get involved? Visit the Chrysalis Website, www.islacozumel.net/support/chrysalis
for
information on sponsoring children or donating used clothing and school
supplies.
September 16...Viva Mexico!
The Story of Hidalgo’s Call for Mexican Independence
Although a movement toward Mexican
independence had already been in progress since Napoleon’s conquest of Spain,
Hidalgo’s passionate declaration was a swift, unpremeditated decision.
"Mexicanos, Viva
México!" Hidalgo told the Mexicans who were the
members of New Spain’s lowest caste. He urged the exploited and embittered Mexicans
to recover the lands that were stolen from their forefathers.
The plan for revolution did not originally
focus on the manpower of the Mexicans. Rather, they sought to avoid
military confrontation by convincing army officers to sever their
allegiance to the Spaniards. By claiming loyalty to the defeated
King Ferdinand, the Indians aimed to establish Mexico as
an independent nation within King Ferdinand’s Spanish empire. The
Spaniards who claimed authority under Bonaparte’s rule would be
driven out of Mexico.
Hidalgo had close ties with this
revolutionary group. Approaching sixty years of age, Hidalgo was a well-educated
and courageous humanitarian who was beloved and greatly respected by
Mexicans. He was sympathetic to the Indians, which was unusual
amongst Mexican clergymen. Hidalgo taught Indians to plant olives,
mulberries and grapevines and to manufacture pottery and leather. His
actions irritated the Spanish viceroy who, as a punitive measure, cut down
Hidalgo’s trees and vines.
His
decision to call the exploited groups to revolution completely changed the
character of the revolution. The movement became a bloody class struggle instead
of a shrewd political maneuver. When Hidalgo called the Indians to action,
he tapped into powerful forces that had been simmering for over three hundred
years. With clubs, slings, axes, knives, machetes and intense hatred, the
Indians took on the challenge of the Spanish artillery.
When the Indian and mestizo forces,
reached the next village en route to Mexico city, they acquired a picture of the
Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint whose image was of a woman of color.
The Virgin of Guadalupe, who was indigenous to Mexico,
became the banner of the revolutionary forces on their path toward Mexico City
and the expulsion of the Spaniards.
Hidalgo
later regretted the bloodbath he had incited with his fateful cry of
Dolores. When he made his hasty decision in the pre-dawn hours of
September 16, he had not foreseen the mass slaughter of Spaniards. Before
the revolutionary troops descended upon Mexico City, Hidalgo retreated with only
a few associates to Dolores, where he would be executed by the Spaniards only a
year later. Despite his ambiguity toward the violent class struggle that
was the Mexican revolution, Hidalgo is still revered as the father of Mexican
independence.
Every September 15 at 11pm in Mexico City, the President rings the historic liberty bell that Father Hidalgo rang to call the people the people to revolution, then gives the "El Grito" (The Cry). He shouts "Mexicanos, Viva Mexico" and the crowd echos back, establishing the tradition which has been solemnly followed every year thereafter. And it is echoed by the governor of each state throughout the country. After the last "Viva México" is cried, the president waves the flag, rings the bell, and the National Anthem is sung. The next day, there is a civic ceremony, and a military parade.
The actual day of September 16 is similar to Fourth of July in the United States. There are rodeos, parades, bullfights and horseback rider performances. The people feast and decorate statue in memory of Father Hidalgo. In Cozumel, we have parades, pageants and shows in the town square and an impressive fireworks display.
So, now you know a very brief history of Mexico's struggle for independence and how they celebrate it. Viva Mexico!
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