"The Long Ride Home..."
The Chilean Army was supplied with many US-made equipment in previous years of the WWIII, since it was one of the few non-USSR supporter countries in Latin America. Thatīs why people saw something unthinkable in the 70īs, like M1A1 Abrams tanks, M2 Bradley IFV end HMMWV with Chilean Army markings. Most of these units were commited in support of allied forces in Korea (Chilean Expeditionary Force-Korea, CEFOK), Australia (CEFAUS, Chilean Expeditionary Force-Australia) and Panama (Chilean Expeditionary Force-Panama, CEFOP).
After the nuclear outcome of World War III, the CEFK was completely lost and the CEFAUS isolated in Oceania without enough ships to drive them home. But the forces protecting the Panama Canal were inmediatly recalled to defend the country against the peruvian invasion in 1997.
Some of these units were shipped to central Peru to stablish a 2nd front there, and with the final surrender of the last organized peruvian forces in 2002, they were ordered to move south to help the rest of the Armed Forces to keep control of the caos that raged main chilean cities by the flood of argentinian refugees, ex- peruvian army marauders and communist chilean guerrila.
These unit itīs moving south now. After 6 years of fighting in non familiar landscapes(like Panama and Peru), theyīre finaly going home now. But not to rest, but at least to fight for their own people. These are veterans of a thousand battles, thanking God every morning for allowed them to live one more day, praying to Jesus every night for have not ended their lifes that day like their comerades in Korea. Running slow through the dryest desert in the world, the Atacama Desert, they canīt risk to loose their life now, being so close to home and familiy...
M1A1 Abrams, "21"
2nd Armored Regiment "Lautaro", 1st Bgde, 1st Army Division
M2 Bradley, "42"
4th Mechanized Regiment "Rancagua", 2nd Bgde, 6th Army Division
M966 HMMWV Tow
Anti Tank Recon Company, unknown unit
Cheers
