BORINQUENEERS CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ALLIANCE The Borinqueneers

SPECIAL REPORT — CELEB RATING HISPANIC HERITAGE!

Hispanic Heritage Spotlight on the ’s Borinqueneers awarded 65th Infantry “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 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 , 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 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 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 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 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 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. Several things hap- H E R I T A G E support. A tank section on the MLR murderous fire with four Soviet pened almost instantaneously. Both would provide support by fire. The Maxim Heavy Machine Guns, small men raised their weapons and fired. SPOTLIGHT ON plan sounded good, but when any arms, and grenades. All hell broke Clark’s M2 Carbine jammed, but T H E 6 5 T H plan is “executed” in a field envi- loose resulting in total chaos. The the enemy’s didn’t, and a burst I N F A N T R Y ronment during wartime, unpre- infantrymen instinctively threw from a Soviet Model PPSh41 “Burp R E G I M E N T dictable obstacles—friction—can themselves down to hug the earth Gun” hit Clark in the thigh. … BORINQUENEERS occur. After assembling in darkness for cover. A Chinese soldier on top Story continued on page 6! on 18 Jul 1952 near the steep of the hill signaled with a large red

The 65th Inf. Reg. Borinqueneers: At left: the last Heroes of Hungnam! two US soldiers SEMPER FIDELIS & HONOR ordered to withdraw to to board ship ET FIDELITAS: One of the Hungnam. After providing rear- at Hungnam pinnacle achievements of the guard cover of heroic proportions were Borinque- Borinqueneers in Korea was for the Marines, the operation neers Cpl. Julio when they rushed to the defense culminated on Christmas Eve Guzman & Sgt. of the US Marines, 1st Division, 1950 as the last Borinqueneers and stayed behind to valiantly boarded ship. Hungnam is consid- Major Luper- fight off the enemy after the ered as one of the epic, successful cio Ortiz. Marines were encircled and withdrawals of military history. Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal Alliance

SPECIAL REPORT — CELEB RATING HISPANIC HERITAGE! P A G E 5 “Fijar Bayonetas!” (Fix Bayonets!)

Wikipedia: “The 65th Infantry Regiment a.k.a. Borinqueneers led the final and only documented regimental-sized bayonet charge by US forces during the 20th century. Two out of three 65th Inf. Reg. battalions fixed bayonets and charged up hill scattering and decimating an entire Chinese division during the Korean War. The regiment finally received some long-overdue recognition for this and countless additional acts of heroism and sacrifice from 1899-1956 despite the additional hardships of segregation and prejudice, after a concerted nationwide effort by Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal Alliance to secure for them the United States Congressional Gold Medal in 2014.” General Douglas MacArthur had high praise for the 65th: “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.”

1st & only Latino 4-Star General began as a Borinqueneer!

The 1st and only Latino est medal for individual hero- College. 4-Star Army general began ism. He also was awarded his In 1967, Cavazos commanded his career as a young 1st and 1st Purple 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry, in Borinqueneer officer in Ko- Heart as a Borinqueneer. Vietnam. His valiant leadership rea. A Mexican-American, The Puerto Rican soldiers in of that unit in the attack at Loc Richard E. Cavazos earned the segregated unit held him in Ninh earned him a second Dis- his first of two Distin- high esteem and regarded him tinguished Service Cross. After guished Service Crosses as a true soldiers’ officer. Vietnam, he served in various while a Borinqueneer for Later, he attended the U.S. Ar- command capacities, and was his heroic actions during an my Command and General Staff awarded his fourth star in 1982, A Mexican- attack on Hill 142. This College, the British Staff Col- assuming command of the US American, Gen. award is our nation’s 2nd high- lege and the Armed Forces Staff Army Forces Command. Cavazos got his start as a Borinqueneer! Don Modesto Cartagena de Jesús

The most decorated Puerto Cross, as well as the Silver Star, for their heroic actions at Rican soldier in US history, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star the time, numerous Lati- a proud 65th Infantry Regi- with oak leaf cluster and “V” no soldiers were under- ment "Borinqueneer", the device, the , and recognized, and Don late Sergeant First many others. Hailing from Modesto's Distinguished Class Don Modesto Cayey, Puerto Rico, he was Service Cross citation Cartagena de Jesús served very active in veterans affairs reads more like a Con- in WWII & Korea. for many years following his gressional Medal of Hon- He is a recipient of the nation's renowned military service. or citation, which he has 2nd highest award for heroism, Due to the language barrier and merited. the Distinguished Service the often inadequate respect SFC Modesto Cartagena Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal Alliance

SPECIAL REPORT — CELEB RATING HISPANIC HERITAGE! P A G E 6 Mambo on Hill 167, continued from page 4. Clark threw his carbine away assaulted by the infantryman. As mortar and artillery. Clark was and instinctively jumped on the the brutal fight progressed for unable to keep up with his men soldier. At the same time, he several hours, it became appar- since he was severely wounded took his steel pot off and began ent that the alleged “half squad” and since he was the last to beating the Chinese soldier of 3-4 enemy riflemen was a lot leave the objective. During his senseless. When the soldier more, possibly an enemy Com- lonely walk back, he was lifted moved, Clark remembered he pany of a hundred Soldiers. On off the ground three times by still had his Smith & Wesson 45 its own and outnumbered at the 122mm mortar shelling revolver and shot him. Other least two to one, 2nd Platoon along the withdrawal route. enemy soldiers nearby hurled still managed to chase the ene- Miraculously, he finally reached grenades at Clark wounding my from the position, then ma- the Battalion Aid Station at ap- him in the legs, knee, and face. chine gun the Chinese who proximately 1100 hours. As 2nd Cpl. José Otero-González ran were running away back to Platoon neared the MLR, other through the hail of fire, follow- their lines. Then Clark directed soldiers including Capt. Enrique ing Clark, firing his rifle, and fire against outlying Chinese A. Vicéns, risked their lives to throwing hand grenades at the mortar positions. The 2nd Pla- run to the aid of the wounded Chinese. Near one of the ene- toon succeeded in capturing C Co. First Sergeant MSG Ra- my trenches, he found his pla- two Chinese Prisoners in the fael E. Balzac also assisted in toon leader injured and gruesome melee. evacuating a wounded comrade. stretched out on the ground. Perhaps the bravest man Clark Upon reaching friendly posi- Otero told his lieutenant, “I’ll witnessed that day was the tions, he refused medical aid for save you.” PFC Maximino Paoli, medic attached to his platoon, his own wounds, and after call- who had charged with Otero, PFC Demetrio Villalobos- ing for volunteers to accompa- was suddenly knocked down, Melendez. With all the death ny him, returned to help evacu- wounded in the head. Clark and maiming going on in the ate more wounded. As he was thought he was dead, but Paoli bloody brawl, he calmly saved carrying a fallen comrade on his jumped back up furious and lives, attended the wounded shoulders to safety, a devastat- bayoneted the two Chinese and moved through enemy fire. ing barrage of enemy mortar who were throwing grenades Clark and his platoon of Puerto fire swept the entire area, kill- directly at Clark. Later Paoli Rican infantry owned Hill 167 ing him instantly. His body was discovered a bullet wedged in until they received orders to not recovered until a couple of his helmet between the liner withdraw from the position. days after the battle. The casu- and the steel pot. Cpl. Otero Refusing medical aid and with alty rate for 2nd Platoon was spotted another 2nd Platoon complete disregard for his own 50% with 7 killed and 24 NCO and rescued him, too. personal safety, Clark moved wounded. The intensity of the enemy fire through the heavy hostile fire The Borinqueneers gave a spe- was so severe; it did not allow assisting in the evacuation of cial name to Hill 167: Mambo the other two C Co. rifle pla- the wounded. During the with- 167. Mambo was a very popular toons to the east to provide drawal, the POWs were killed Latin music and dance that any support. The promised tank by the intense Chinese fire. swept the Latin world in the fire support from the MLR nev- Clark was the last platoon early 1950s; when the men of er materialized either. The 2nd member to leave the enemy the 65th were going to Platoon was already intermin- position. The platoon had taken “rumble” in combat, they re- gled with the Chinese on the all their wounded and dead ferred to it as “going to the hill, and the tanks could not risk back with them, including the Mambo.” Clark learned about firing into friendly forces. Ex- upper half of one of its soldiers. the name while in the hospital cept for a small attached rifle No platoon member living or recovering from his wounds; it team, 2nd Platoon was on its dead was left behind. was months before he recov- own. Chinese bunkers were During the platoon’s withdraw- ered. ... blown up by the 57mm recoil- al to the MLR, the Chinese fired Story conclusion on page 7! less rifle team or were directly an estimated 3,000 rounds of Puerto Rico’s Borinqueneers awarded U.S. Congressional Gold Medal, Continued from page1. In its early years, the unit was termed the “Porto Rico” Regiment of the “American Colonial Army.” The Borinqueneers fired the 1st shots in defense of freedom at the onset of WWI when an armed German supply ship attempted unsuccessfully to leave San Juan Bay in Puerto Rico to re- supply German submarines. The unit defended the strategic Canal Zone during WWI. While in Panama, 335 Puerto Rican soldiers were wounded by the chemical gas experimentation which the United States conducted as part of its active chemical weapons program. During WWII, the 65th again defended the canal, and also saw action in North Africa and Central Europe. General Douglas MacArthur had requested that the Borinqueneers be assigned to him in the Pacific during World War II. The Pentagon denied his request because Mambo on Hill 167, of prejudice toward the 65th. continued from page 6. MacArthur was glad Clark was awarded the Silver Star and to later have them in two purple hearts for six separate gre- Korea. nade wounds and the bullet wound he During the Korean received. First Sergeant Balzac was posthumously awarded the Silver Star War, Borinqueneers and Capt. Vicéns, Cpl. Otero and PFC earned more than Above, “Mission Accomplished!” visual. Villalobos-Melendez received the 2,700 Purple Bronze Star. Two Silver Stars and nine Hearts. Over 740 of them were killed in action (KIA), and 121 are still missing in Bronze Stars were awarded that day, most to the soldiers of 2nd Platoon. action (MIA). These soldiers never came home, living or dead. The Puerto Rican soldiers had shown Heroic successes in Korea included the last Regimental bayonet assault in U.S. military history, what they could do with good leader- providing valiant rear-guard fighting cover for the U.S. Marines’ withdrawal to Hungnam, and many ship. Despite being outnumbered and others. out-gunned, these fierce warriors won the day against a heavily armed and There the Borinqueneers were awarded 1 Medal of Honor, 9 Distinguished Service entrenched enemy force that outnum- Crosses, over 250 Silver Stars, and more than 600 Bronze Stars for valor. bered them two-to-one. Today Hill 167 The Regiment faced unique challenges due to discrimination and prejudice, including the is deep inside the Demilitarized Zone humiliation of being ordered to shave their moustaches “until such a time as they gave proof of near North Korea, but Borinqueneers will never forget their Mambo 167. their manhood”; being forced to use separate showering facilities from their non-Hispanic LTC Baltazar (Bart) Soto is a 1976 ROTC “Continental” officers; being ordered not to speak Spanish under penalty of court-martial; flawed graduate of the Inter-American University personnel-rotation policies based on ethnic and organizational prejudices; and a catastrophic of Puerto Rico. An author & historian, he shortage of trained noncommissioned officers. serves on the Borinqueneers Congressional Story continues on page 8! Gold Medal Alliance national steering com- PAGE 7 mittee. Puerto Rico’s Borinqueneers awarded U.S. Congressional Gold Medal! Continued from page 7.

The Borinqueneers also were forced to wear “I am a coward” signs, ordered to paint over their unit designation “Borinqueneers” on their military vehicles, and ordered to discontinue their rations of rice and beans, termed “creole rations” at the time. During Korea, the Puerto Rican regiment also had some Mexican-Americans, African-Americans, Virgin Islanders, Filipinos and several other nationalities. The first and only Latino 4-star Army general, Richard Cavazos, a Mexican-American, got his start as a young Borinqueneer officer in Korea. There he earned his first of two Distinguished Service Crosses, our nation's second high- est award for heroism. Today & always… Sixty years later after the Borinqueneers had become widely forgotten, a grass-roots, nationwide, Saluting all who’ve served and non-partisan, all-volunteer group, the Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal Alliance was formed in 2012, and tirelessly advocated for the awarding of the well-merited Congressional sacrificed in the cause of freedom. Gold Medal to the regiment. Made up of veterans, Latino-Americans, and like-minded patriots, the alliance worked closely with members of the U.S. Congress to facilitate the successful intro- duction and subsequent support, co-sponsorship, and passage of this special bipartisan legislation. In April 2013, the U.S. House of Representatives bill was introduced by Representatives Pedro Pierluisi (D-PR) and Bill Posey (R-FL). The U.S. Senate companion bill was introduced short- ly thereafter by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), on behalf of himself and Senators Elizabeth Warren, Marco Rubio, Chuck Schumer, Saxby Chambliss, Bob Casey, Bill Nelson, and Bob Menendez. The alliance’s national chair, , a 2002 West Point graduate and War Veteran, coordinated intense grass-roots efforts by the alliance to raise public awareness and to recruit individuals and organizations to reach out to Members of Congress to request their co-sponsorship of the CGM bills. This type of legislation requires a daunting two-thirds of the membership of each chamber of Congress to become official Co-Sponsors of the bills. This meant that at least 290 House members and 67 Senators would need to be secured as Co-Sponsors! Story conclusion on page 9! Above, “BLESSED FLAG.” Chaplain blesses new flag being Borinqueneers held by 65th Inf. Reg. Borinque- strategy sessions neers Col. Carlos Betances Ramirez over 60 years & MSG Angel J. Rivera on August apart! Left photo 23, 1952, in Korea. Col. Betances now "declassified" Ramirez (Las Delicias, Cabo Rojo) shows 65th Inf. was the only Puerto Rican officer Reg. Borinqueneers to have commanded an Infantry in Korea at a battle Battalion in the Korean War. A planning session. jibaro, he started his military ca- Right photo shows reer as an enlisted man. He was Borinqueneer awarded the Bronze Star, Purple veterans Don Heart, & other medals. Celestino Cordova MSG Rivera loved the Army so & Don Joe Pickard much that he served for 22 years, with Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal Alliance national chair Frank Medina at and then was a DAV volunteer at a planning session in Nov. 2013 in MA/CT, six months before final approval of the Con- the VA in San Juan until his passing gressional Gold Medal bills. Similar sessions occurred continually across the country via at that hospital in October of teleconference and in person for the two-year "full court press" effort to recognize our 2001. 65th Infantry Regiment extreme heroes.

PAGE 8 Puerto Rico’s Borinqueneers awarded U.S. Congression- al Gold Medal! Continued from page 8. This, and other Congressional protocols, needed to be completed before the end of 2014 for final passage of the bills and the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal to the Borinqueneers. Due to Congressional rules, the entire process would need to be started over from scratch in 2015 if the ex- isting effort was unsuccessful. Because of the advanced age of the remaining Borinqueneers veterans, the alliance determined that failure was not an option. In addition, only one other Congressional Gold Medal in 238 years had been previously awarded to a Latino-American (Puerto Rican Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente), and it was high time to change that, as well! After the introduction of the CGM bills, it took approximately 14 months of hard work to achieve the required two-thirds of House members and Senators to become Co-Sponsors in late May 2014. The LEARN MORE NOW! Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal Alliance, its supporters and partners, along with Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Pierluisi, Posey, Blumenthal, and their staffs, had successfully championed the bills, and the Medal Alliance: Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal Act was passed by the House and Senate! Website The President signed the act into law on June 10, 2014! Success was achieved, and the Borinqueneers Facebook Page finally would take their rightful place in American history! Among the national organizations that supported this historical initiative were: YouTube Video AARP, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Vietnam Veterans of America In the News! (VVA), American GI Forum (AGIF), Association of the (AUSA), Military Order Executive Sponsor: of the Purple Heart (MOPH), National Puerto Rican Coalition (NPRC), National Guard Association You Are Strong! Center on of the United States (NGAUS), National Council of La Raza (NCLR), National Association for Veterans Health and Human Uniformed Services (NAUS), and Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association Services (HAPCOA). Numerous regional and local groups also supported the CGM bills, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) expressed its strong support as a grateful nation. In addition, Excel Dryer Co. and the WNY Hispanic American Veterans Memorial Committee served as sponsors. Kudos also are due to the thousands of individual Americans, including many Latino-Americans, from all walks of life who contacted their Members of Congress to co-sponsor the legislation, most of them doing so for the very first time! Please visit the Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal Alliance website for more info on our beloved Borinqueneers’ legacy and this successful, history-making cause! At left, Cpl. Enrique Vega Lugo of G company, 2nd Battalion, 65th Infantry Currently, questions on the mint- Regiment, 3rd US Infantry ing of the Congressional Gold Medal Division. was awarded the and its bronze duplicates can be "Silver Star Medal" from directed to: Col. Juan Cesar Cordero Hon. Pedro Pierluisi’s office, Davila, the Commanding Hon. Bill Posey’s office, Officer of the Borinque- and to William Norton, US Mint Leg- neers, during a ceremony islative Liaison, phone 202-354-7458, held at Regimental Head- email Wil- quarters in Korea on April 16, 1952. Col. Cordero [email protected]. received his own Silver In addition, a National Ceremony Star later that year. As Committee has been formed, and Borinqueneers, both are its website is http:// now holders of the United bcgmceremony.org/. States Congressional Gold Medal (2014).

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