American troops raising the U.S. flag over Veracruz in April 1914, during the U.S. occupation of the Mexican port city. The action followed a diplomatic breakdown amid the Mexican Revolution and reflected the United States’ growing role in regional affairs. The flag marked control of a strategic harbor and a visible American military presence far from home. The occupation lasted several months and remains a clear example of how U.S. foreign policy and military power were being exercised beyond national borders in the early 20th century.