Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – In his first address as Commander of American Legion Post 12, Rey Morris honors fallen Mexican cadets and outlines a bold vision rooted in service, solidarity, and action. With deep respect for his predecessor, he commits to leading with grit, humility, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Blood, Brotherhood, and the Burden of Command
A Statement from Commander Rey, American Legion Post 12 – Puerto Vallarta
I didn’t step into this post to stand still.
I came to carry the weight – and move it forward.
On May 17, the Mexican Navy’s training ship Cuauhtémoc collided with the Brooklyn Bridge. Two young cadets – América Yamilet Sánchez and Adal Jair Marcos – were lost. Lives still rising. Futures now stolen.
Those of us who’ve served know what that loss feels like. The sea doesn’t care about flags. When it takes one of us, it takes from all of us.
At American Legion Post 12 in Puerto Vallarta, we stand with the Mexican Navy – not just in words, but in action. Under Commander Jessie’s leadership, Post 12:
- Supported healthcare access for Mexican veterans
- Co-hosted memorials for binational service members
- Participated in disaster response coordination
- Mentored local youth alongside retired U.S. and Mexican personnel
We built trust not through ceremony – but through service.
Now I step in – not to replicate the past, but to raise the stakes.
I’m not here to pose. I’m here to lead—with truth, grit, and purpose. The next chapter of Post 12 begins now—and it’s built on:
• Readiness. For disaster, for crisis, for whatever shakes the region. We don’t wait. We deploy.
• Respect. For culture, for sovereignty, for those we serve beside.
• Relationship. The kind you earn, one call, one action, one handshake at a time.
Not everyone in Mexico welcomes U.S. military presence. That’s real—and that’s fair. But Post 12 is not here to impose. We are here to partner. We enter every room with humility, not hubris.
To Jessie – thank you. You led with your chest out and your boots grounded. You built the bridge I now cross.
To the families of Sánchez and Marcos: your loss is not forgotten. We carry it with us. Not for optics – but because it’s heavy. And because it should be.
This isn’t a mission statement.
This is my presence.
Let’s honor the fallen – not by bowing our heads, but by lifting the work.
Let’s lead like the next life depends on it.
Let’s move—not as strangers—but as brothers bound by purpose.
— Commander Rey
American Legion Post 12 holds its regularly scheduled monthly meetings on the third Saturday of each month at 2:00 pm at Murphy’s Irish Pub, on the Malecón at Morelos #484 in downtown Puerto Vallarta.