The Borinqueneers
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BORINQUENEERS CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ALLIANCE The Borinqueneers SPECIAL REPORT — CELEB RATING HISPANIC HERITAGE! Hispanic Heritage Spotlight on the Puerto Rico’s Borinqueneers awarded 65th Infantry Regiment “Borinqueneers” U.S. Congressional Gold Medal! 2015 Collectors’ Edition By Larry Bystran, Alliance National Steering Committee Member The illustrious 65th Infantry Read “Mambo on Regiment Borinqueneers are The 65th Infantry Hill 167” Regiment the Latino-American equiva- - a captivating “Borinqueneers” were lent of the famed Tuskegee story of heroism awarded the well-merited Airmen and Navajo Code Talkers. Finally, the & sacrifice United States Congres- sional Gold Medal in June Borinqueneers have been despite prejudice. 2014 after an extremely recognized in like fashion See page 2! intense all-out, 2-year with the United States Con- national effort by gressional Gold Medal, and Borinqueneers Above, Pres. Obama leads an have taken their RIGHTFUL Congressional Gold ovation for the Borinqueneers INSIDE THIS PLACE in American history! SPECIAL REPORT Medal Alliance and its after signing the historic legislation. supporters and partners, ingly distinguished themselves sacrificed in the cause of MSG Juan E. 2 and key lawmakers in the in battle, all the while freedom with great courage Negron U.S. Congress. enduring the additional and pride. Similar in nature to the Cannon fire from 3 hardships of segregation, The youngest of these famed Tuskegee Airmen and El Morro! discrimination, and adverse remaining Latino-American other segregated U.S. military circumstances. heroes are in their 80’s and Operation 3 units, the 65th Infantry Regi- Hailing from Puerto Rico, 90’s, having served in World PORTREX ment Borinqueneers were the US Army unit was active War II, the Korean War, and the largest, longest-standing, Heroes of 4 from 1899 to 1956. later, the war in Vietnam. & only active-duty segregated Hungnam! Emblematic of all US military Story continued on page 7! Latino military unit in U.S. veterans, including the hun- “Fijar 5 history. dreds of thousands of Latino- Below, the Congressional Gold Bayonetas!” The Regiment in fact was American veterans, the Medal design was finalized by General Richard the last segregated unit in 5 Borinqueneers served and the US Mint on August 10, 2015. Cavazos combat, and thus paved the way for the full Don Modesto 5 integration of the US Cartagena Armed Forces. Like the Tuskegee Airmen, Website Navajo Code Talkers, Nisei Facebook Page Soldiers, and Montford Point Marines who were earlier YouTube Video recognized with the Congres- In The News sional Gold Medal, the Borinqueneers overwhelm- BORINQUENEERS CONGRESSIONAL Mambo on Hill 167 GOLD MEDAL ALLIANCE By Baltazar Soto, LTC, (Ret.) “Many officers at the time US Army; Alliance Member thought it was the kiss of “No platoon member This Korean War battle was officially named “Operation Red death to be assigned to the living or dead was left Rooster” by some officer in the Puerto Rican Regiment. behind.” regiment, but to 1LT Walt B. Critics called it the Clark and the men of his pla- “seeeexty feeeeth” toon, it will always be called “Arriba muchachos!” “Mambo on Hill 167.” mockingly imitating the LT Clark was platoon leader of Spanish accent of most of the 2nd Platoon, C Co., 1st BN, the regiment’s Puerto “One general called it 65th INF “Borinqueneers,” 3ID. Rican soldiers.” a regiment of He had recently graduated from the Citadel, the Military College “colored” troops, un- 1LT Walt B. Clark of South Carolina and the Infan- by some in high command at the reliable and inferior to try Officer Basic Course. The Pentagon and by some senior always had a kitchen grinding continental “white” young 21-year-old looked at his leaders as that “rum and coke” stone and had his men sharpen assignment as a challenge in lead- outfit. One general called it a their 10 inch blades, insisting they soldiers.” ership, since he was selected to regiment of “colored” troops, have their bayonet on them at all lead these mostly Spanish- unreliable and inferior to conti- times— the men even slept with speaking soldiers from the tropi- nental “white” soldiers. But their M-1 rifles with bayonets - From “Mambo on cal Puerto Rican and Virgin Is- through two years of intense fixed. After months of outpost duty, Hill 167” lands. Many officers at the time front line combat in the Korean thought it was the kiss of death War, the 65th Infantry Regiment Clark and his platoon got the to be assigned to the Puerto proved all the critics wrong. chance to attack. The mission Rican Regiment. Critics called it Ever since Lt. Clark had first was conceived on short notice. the “seeeexty feeeeth” mockingly taken command of the 2nd Pla- The orders were to “raid Chi- imitating the Spanish accent of toon in Mar 1952, he wanted to nese outpost positions on Hill most of the regiment’s Puerto instill in his men aggressiveness, 167 in stealth and darkness; … Rican soldiers. It was considered “the spirit of the bayonet.” He Story continued on page 4! Above, the daughter of Borinque- neer Juan Negron receives the Medal of Honor for her late father on March 18, 2014. He received the posthumous honor along with several other Puerto Ri- can, Latino, & other heroes after it was determined that their extreme heroism was under-recognized in the past due to prejudice. We honor & thank them all! Pictured above is MSG Juan E. Negron, first 65th Inf. (The Medal of Honor is not to be Reg. Borinqueneer ever to receive the Medal of Hon- PAGE 2 confused with the Congressional or, the Nation's highest award for individual heroism! Gold Medal.) P A G E 3 Cannon fire from El Morro: 1st Salvo of World War I The first shots of Puerto Rican soldiers the USS Newport News, WWI in defense of confiscated the ship in US service until 1924. freedom! which was later renamed From “El Morro” fort, Old San Juan, early Borinqueneers fired on the armed German sup- ply ship Oldenwald as it tried to force its way out of San Juan Bay to resup- Above, Lt. Col. ply German submarines Teófilo Marxuach in the Atlantic Ocean at ordered the first the onset of WWI. The shots fired in World War I by the US. Shown above from 1899: Caption reads “First Company of native Porto Ricans enlisted in the American Colonial Army, Porto Rico.” WWI, WWII, & Operation PORTREX During WWI, the 65th tary exercise was held on Shown at right, a Infantry Regiment the island of Vieques, 65th Inf. Reg. Borinqueneers guarded the where the Borinqueneers recon patrol on strategically important Pan- prevented more than March 6, 1950, ama Canal Zone. In WWII, 32,600 combat troops from during the Oper- the segregated unit guarded the Army & Marines, aided ation PORTREX the canal again, and also by Naval & Air forces, from military exercise. saw action in Northern establishing a beachhead on Africa and central Europe. the island. This victory In March 1950 on the eve helped establish the of the Korean War, the Borinqueneers’ reputation Operation PORTREX mili- as a potent fighting force. THE BORINQUENEERS SPECIAL REPORT — CELEB RATING HISPANIC HERITAGE! P A G E 4 Mambo on Hill 167, continued from page 2. flag. Clark and the 2nd Platoon Caption de- quickly found out Photo at left: 2nd scribing pic- what it meant. ture or “Fire within the Platoon, C Co., 65th graphic. battle position!” INF (LT Clark front The Chinese, with row, seventh from complete disre- left). “Arriba gard for their own soldiers, muchachos!” fired mortar and capture prisoners; leave a squad of slopes of Hill 250 along the Out- artillery shells into their battle posi- volunteers on 167 to observe Chi- post Line of Resistance, C Co. tion as 2nd Platoon advanced. Clark nese Main Line of Resistance (MLR) moved out and crossed the Line of knew he had to do something. He area—squad to remain for 48 Departure (LD) at 2400 (thus, ene- immediately charged into the ene- hours.” Clark’s unit was the assault my contact would occur on 19 Jul), my position leading his platoon of platoon for the company, so it was and quickly became lost in the dark. infantry with fixed bayonets shout- his mission to go into the objective, Noise discipline was poor, un- ing “Arriba muchachos!” Clark’s seize the hill, and take the prison- doubtedly providing the enemy platoon sergeant, MSG Santos Can- ers. POWs were needed for gath- early warning. It was not until the delario helped to rally the rest of ering intelligence on the enemy, and sun began to rise that C Co. found the platoon to follow their lieuten- Third Division had taken no prison- the objective, negating the “stealth” ant. ers of war (POWs) in a number of part of the mission. Clark’s 2nd Clark fearlessly led his men into a weeks. C Co. Commander Capt. Platoon began the assault from the hill position of three concentric Henry E. Hutcheson told Clark that north. Someone once said, “No trench lines. Though wounded by the S-2 (Intelligence) estimated plan survives contact with the ene- an enemy grenade, he continued his “half an enemy squad” occupied the my”. C Co. had a plan, but so did charge, hurling grenades and shoot- objective and assured him that his the Chinese. ing several enemy soldiers. Then he platoon would have no problem. The Chinese allowed 2nd Platoon entered a trench and turned a cor- The rest of the company would scouts to move within a few feet of ner, and came face to face with a H I S P A N I C provide suppression, security, and the objective before releasing a Chinese soldier.