The Borinqueneers (Hispanics in the Army: Puerto Rico’s 65th Infantry Regiment)

The Salute ^

[SandRat]

The Borinqueneers

A Story Worth Telling
A Story Worth Remembering

Hispanics in the Army: Puerto Rico’s 65th Infantry Regiment

In advance of National Hispanic Heritage Month – observed from September 15th to October 15th – a new film remembers and honors Hispanics in the U.S. Army. The Borinqueneers (pronounced boh-rin-keh-neers) vividly portrays their experiences and considers their significant contributions.

More specifically, The Borinqueneers presents the never-before-told story of the 65th Puerto Rican Regiment, the only all-Hispanic unit in the history of the U.S. Army. The feature includes interviews with the regiment’s veterans and rare archival footage. PBS stations nationwide began broadcasting the 60-minute program in August. (Check your local listings.)

Borinquen – which means “the land of the brave lord” – was the name given to Puerto Rico by its original Taino Indian inhabitants. The Borinqueneers adopted the name for themselves, and formed a tight-knit unit bound by a common language and a strong cultural heritage. Originally organized in 1899, the regiment fought in the Korean War, earning praise from General MacArthur and receiving the Presidential and Meritorious Unit Commendations, two Korean Presidential Unit Citations and the Greek Gold Medal for Bravery.

First-time director and producer Noemí Figueroa Soulet spent eight years researching the story and locating veterans of the regiment. “The men of the 65th will finally get the recognition they deserve,” she said. Seven 65th Infantry Regiment veterans received Freedom Team Salute Commendations during the premiere of The Borinqueneers on July 13th at the Newark Museum in New Jersey. The event was held in conjunction with the New Jersey Hispanic Research and Information Center (NJHRIC) of the Newark Public Library. Honorees included: PFC Abdon Acevedo, PFC Wendell Vega, PFC Eugenio Quevedo, CPL Jaime Lopez, SFC Angel Arroyo (Ret.), CPL Guillermo Alamo and SGT Jose Perez Soto. COL Gilberto Villahermosa, Massachusetts National Guard Inspector General, presided.

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2007 documentary, "The Borinqueneers"

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[loreldan]

Great patriots!

Or are we allowed to compliment Hispanics here?
(I’m only half kidding)

[SandRat]

As Jack Benny used to say; “No Cut That Out!”

[Gay State Conservative]

Or are we allowed to compliment Hispanics here?(I’m only half kidding)

Any person who plays by the rules and contributes something to this nation is worthy of praise and respect.From what little I've been able to learn about them in the last ten minutes it looks like these guys qualify.

[JRios1968]

PR Ping!

[cll]

Puerto Rico Ping! Please Freepmail me if you want on or off the list.

[Clemenza]

Viva los sesenta-cinco!

[wtc911]

Saw this twice over the summer...one of the few times PBS did the right thing (for the wrong reasons though).

[cll]

Haven’t seen it myself. We...lack PBS down here.

Saludos,

cll

[wtc911]

You can probably go to pbs.org and buy it. It’s worth a look.

[cll]

Thanks. I’ll check it out.

[cll]

I ordered the DVD through the producer’s website (www.borinqueneers.com).

Aside from the whole racial emphasis (over the top, in my opinion), I’m glad that the battle history of the 65th has been documented in film. I much prefer Col. Harris’ account of the events in his book http://www.amazon.com/Puerto-Ricos-Fighting-65th-Infantry/dp/0891410562/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-1874211-7117703?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191380331&sr=8-1

Needless to say, I’m more proud than ever to have served under the shadow of these great men in the PR National Guard and the United States Army.