CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Every other Company C. in the Marine Corps is referred to as Charlie Company. But the Marines of Company C. 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines much prefer to call themselves “Carlos Company.”
Just miles away from the Mexican border in Harlingen, Texas, is the home drill center to the Marines of second and third platoon, Co. C. The other half of the company, 1st and 4th Platoon, is based out of Corpus Christi, Texas.
Both are predominantly 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 Co. C., 1/23.
The entire company, by the Marines’ own estimations, is about 80 percent Mexican.
Many of the Marines of the platoon are first and second generation Mexicans. Some 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 Co. C. say their Mexican roots don’t 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 predeployment training here, a handful of Marines with the company each pitched in to throw a "fajita," or barbeque as those north of the border call it. During the 2009 Marine Corps ball, the Harlingen unit hosted a Mexican mariachi band to play as entertainment.
Often, the tunes of Vincente Fernandez, an iconic Mexican singer, ring throughout the barracks before lights out.
"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 Co. C.
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. "I'm just as proud to be a Texan, as these Marines are to be Mexican."
Guerra, Corpus Christi native, said the shared heritage brings the Marines closer to each other.
"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."