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The Soldier Who Survived Execution By Firing Squad And Lived For 60 Years After Mexican Revolution

Wenceslao Moguel Herrera, a soldier for Pancho Villa, overcame incredible odds to live a long life

Andrew Martin
3 min readJun 14, 2023

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Unfortunately, there are times in life when you know that your number is up. The end of the road is there, right in front of your face and there is nothing you can do about it. That certainly must have been the feeling for Wenceslao Moguel Herrera, a soldier for Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution, who was captured and placed before a firing squad for execution. Despite being riddled with bullets, he somehow survived the ordeal and lived another 60 years.

Beginning in 1910 and lasting until 1920, the Mexican Revolution started as a movement to overthrow the reign of dictator and president Porfirio Diaz, who was in absolute power for more than 30 years. As the conflict progressed, it began to encompass a wider social movement that pushed for a constitutional republic and greater freedoms. It was a bloody affair, dragging on for a decade.

Among the rebels seeking the significant changes were people from all walks of life. Their most famous leader was General Pancho Villa, who rose to lead the Army despite lacking formal education and military experience. His…

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Andrew Martin
Andrew Martin

Written by Andrew Martin

Dabbler in soccer, history, investing & writing. Master’s degree in baseball history. Passionate about history, diversity, culture, sports, film and investing .

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