From Dan Hagedorn (Adjunct Curator, Latin American Aviation, NASM):

Thanks so much for sending along "El Dorado" Vol. VIII, No.3, which I enjoyed very much. You certainly had a very nice selection of articles this issue. As an aviation historian, I must confess that while I found the "Various Data on Latin American Navies Circa 1936" sent in by Charles Bogart on page 123, Vol.8, No.3, of interest, I was dismayed to note that, while the Order of Battle for Argentina, Brazil and Chile were very interesting, there was no mention whatsoever of the very well established naval air elements of the former two navies as of that time. Perhaps the information simply wasn't included in his sources.

I would also like to complement David Spencer on his excellent "Tiwinza: The Cenepa River Valley War," which is without question the best summary I have seen in English.

Just a word if I may about my current project. In February 1998, Specialty Press released my Warbird Tech book on the North American NA-16/AT-6/SNJ Texan series (No.11 in the series), and while I included quite a bit of detail on my first passion, Latin American use of the type, I am actually working on a much larger, hard-bound book on the use of the Texan/Harvard series in Latin America. In that connection, I have two primary needs at the moment: genuine, in-service photos of AT-6s from Nicaragua and Haiti. If any reader can help, I'd surely be grateful.

Keep up the good work.

(If anyone out there can help Dan, drop me a note so that I can sent it on to him and get the ball rolling. As you rightly guessed Charles could only find the data that was publish from the contemporary source which he used.

Like myself if there was anything else of interest we would include it, but so often when we do find an article or a few paragraphs pertaining the armed forces of Latin America [like the article I found on the Cuban Army of 1928 printed in this issue], of whatever period, it never contains as much data as we would like, as for early Latin American Air Forces 1912-1945, good data on the types and quantity of aircraft used by the various countries has always been an area where I have never found contemporary information easily, if at all, let alone data on their uniforms, rank insignia and squadron markings for this period. Did squadrons have flags such as the Mexican 201 Squadron that served in the Pacific during WWII with the Allies? I have, so far, not seen any other, it would appear that post 1970 the flags for the various Latin American Air Forces were of their Branch insignia rather than indicating a unit or squadron, I could well be wrong on this one, if I am and anybody out there knows some additional information could you let me know, so that it can be included in a future issue of E.D. For me this lack of knowledge is the spur to my constant quest for more information, and I expect this passion to continue until I go dolally or die, which-ever comes first. T.D.H. )