Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Calls for Congressional Gold Medal for Borinqueneers Regiment

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the first Hispanic woman ever elected to Congress, announced on Wednesday that she would support a bill awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment. This regiment of soldiers from Puerto Rico, which was popularly known as the Borinqueneers, was one of the most decorated units during the Korean War.

We as Americans can never do enough to show our appreciation for the sacrifices made by our brave men and women in uniform, Ros-Lehtinen said. American soldiers have been tried and tested on every new battlefield, yet some servicemen in addition have had to overcome opposition from their fellow U.S. soldiers. This was the case with the 65th Infantry Regiment.

For most of the Korean War, the legendary 65th Infantry Regiment served as a segregated unit, consisting almost entirely of soldiers from Puerto Rico, she continued. Despite facing prejudice, the Borinqueneers repeatedly excelled on the fields of combat in Korea. The unit played an essential part in some of the fiercest engagements throughout that war, thereby saving the people of South Korea from the scourge of communist rule. By wars end, the 65th was one of the most highly decorated units of the conflicts, having received 10 Distinguished Service Crosses, about 250 Silver Stars, over 600 Bronze Stars, and nearly 3,000 Purple Hearts.

Soldiers from Puerto Rico have demonstrated their valor and loyalty to our nation in the many wars that the United States has fought in the name of freedom and democracy. The Borinqueneers stand out for doing so at a time in which they also had to fight the prejudice of racism from within the armed forces they so loved, Ros-Lehtinen said in conclusion. As the first Hispanic woman elected to Congress, I am proud to join my colleagues in support of HR 1726, a bipartisan bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment. This is the highest award bestowed by the U.S. Congress and I believe the Borinqueneers are highly deserving of this honor. Their sacrifices during the Korean War merit the respect and appreciation of a grateful nation.

The regiment certainly had the respect of one of their commanders. The Puerto Ricans forming the ranks of the gallant 65th Infantry give daily proof on the battlefields of Korea of their courage, determination and resolute will to victory, their invincible loyalty to the United States and their fervent devotion to those immutable principles of human relations which the Americans of the Continent and of Puerto Rico have in common, General Douglas MacArthur, who commanded United Nations forces in Korea from 1950 until being relieved by President Harry Truman in 1951, noted of the regiment. They are writing a brilliant record of heroism in battle and I am indeed proud to have them under my command. I wish that we could count on many more like them.

For more on the 65th Infantry, see here.