Manuel Ávila Camacho

Born	24 Apr 1897
Died	13 Oct 1955
Nationality	Mexico
Category	Government

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

Manuel Ávila Camacho was born in the city of Teziutlán, Mexico. He studied at the National Preparatory School, then joined the Mexican Army in 1914 and became a colonel by 1920. In 1929, he fought against the Escobar Rebellion, and in the same year was promoted to the rank of brigade general. In 1933, he became the Official Mayor of the Secretariat of National Defense, then in 1937 Secretary of National Defense. In 1939, he was elected the president of Mexico. After two of Mexico's oil transport vessels were destroyed by German submarines, he declared war against Axis powers on 22 May 1942. 15,000 Mexican soldiers fought in the war on various fronts, and 300,000 workers were sent to the United States under the Bracero Program to replace the manpower United States lost to the front lines. As he retired to his farm in 1946, he left behind a legacy of being a leader who fought for the working class.

Source: Wikipedia.

Photographs