Juan Escutia - Nayarit, Mexico
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Metro2
N 21° 30.768 W 104° 53.983
13Q E 510385 N 2378905
Juan Escutia was one of the teenage cadets that died while defending Chapultepec Castle (then serving as the Mexican Army's military academy) from invading U.S. forces in the 13 September 1847 Battle of Chapultepec. Tepic is the city of his birth.
Waymark Code: WMHHNF
Location: Nayarit, Mexico
Date Posted: 07/12/2013
Views: 2
This sculpture is located at one of the entrances to the Park named after him, Juan Escutia Park. A Memorial honors all the cadets ("ninos heores) who died at Chaultepec, but only Escutia has a sculpture here. The piece on a concrete and marble pedestal about 8 feet high. The lifesized bronze statue depicts him standing and holding a rifle with his right hand (rifle resting on the ground) while he cradles the Mexican flag with his left arm to his chest. He looks out into the distance. The plaque reads:
"MONUMENTO
AL NINO HEORE
JUAN ESCUTIA"
There is no information at the site concerning the artist or date.
Wikipedia's article on the cadets (
visit link) has this to say in the section about Escutia:
"Juan Escutia was born in Tepic (today's capital of the state of Nayarit) at some time between 1828 and 1832. Records show he was admitted to the Academy as a cadet on 8 September 1847, but his other papers were lost during the assault. He is believed to have been a second lieutenant in an artillery company. This cadet officer is claimed to have wrapped himself up in the flag and jumped from the roof to keep it from falling into enemy hands. His body was found on the east flank of the hill, alongside that of Francisco Márquez. A large mural above the stairway painted by muralist Gabriel Flores depicts his jump from the roof with the Mexican flag. This account has been regarded as a legend by several modern Mexican historians."