Borinqueneers faced discrimination, but they still fought bravely
THEY BRAVELY fought for their country — and made history in the process. The 65th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army, known as “The Borinqueneers,” have lived by their motto “Honor et Fidelitas” — Latin for “Honor and Fidelity” — both on and off the battlefield for more than 100 years.
Activated in 1899, shortly after the U.S. took control of the former Spanish colony of Puerto Rico, the 65th Infantry division began as a volunteer regiment composed of locals enlisted to safeguard the new territory. In 1908, Congress incorporated the unit into the Army as the first Hispanic segregated unit in U.S. military history. The Borinqueneers were born. Named after Borinquen, the Taíno name for Puerto Rico, the regiment bravely fought in both world wars.
It was their role in the Korean War, in which more than 43,000 Puerto Ricans enlisted and 3,540 died, where the Borinqueneers cemented their legacy as the pride of Puerto Rico and one of the best fighting units in Army history.
“It really was in Korea where they fought in combat and where they made their mark as warriors,” Noemi Figueroa Soulet, producer, director, and writer of the documentary “The Borinqueneers,” told the Daily News.
Earning themselves the nickname “the fire brigade” for extinguishing some of war’s worst blazes, the unit notably led the last American regimental bayonet assault charge, during the Korean War.
“I’m proud to be a veteran,” said Ervin Machado, 86, of New Jersey. Machado said he was 19 when he and brother were drafted. He said he and his brother served separately, but both on the front lines.
“We did what we had to do,” Machado said. “Thank the almighty God, we went back to Puerto Rico in one piece. We went through a lot. But as Puerto Ricans, as American citizens, we did what we had to do. There was no question about it.”
The distinguished Latino regiment also braved attacks on another front. According to the Borinqueneers website, the men were discriminated against and humiliated. They were forced to shave their mustaches, “until such a time as they gave proof of their manhood.”
Borinqueneers also had to shower in facilities that were separate from nonHispanics. They were forbidden from speaking Spanish and from eating rations of rice and beans. They were even made to wear signs saying “I am a coward,” according to borinqueneers.org.
They looked past the ignorance, and to this day they feel pride in their uniquely Puerto Rican regiment.
“The legacy wouldn’t die,” Figueroa said. “All the armed forces were integrated. It still exists.”
Also today, in the aftermath of the worst natural disaster Puerto Rico has ever seen, the 1st Battalion of the 65th Infantry Regiment has stayed true to the Borinqueneers’ maxim, assisting in Hurricane Maria relief efforts as part of the National Guard.
“We need these heroes. We need to remind the American public about our Puerto Rican military heroes, and that we are U.S. citizens, and that many have volunteered and many who were drafted did their duty and won — and many did not come back — and that they continue to serve today,” Figueroa said.
In June 2014, the revered Latino unit — which earned 10 Distinguished Service Crosses, about 250 Silver Stars, more than 600 Bronze Stars and nearly 3,000 Purple Hearts — was at last given its due. President Barack Obama awarded the regiment Congressional Gold Medal.
“In World War I, they defended the homeland and patrolled the Panama Canal Zone. In World War II, they fought in Europe. In Korea — they fought in mud, snow,” Obama said at the ceremony. “Segregation set them apart from their fellow soldiers, but their courage made them legendary.”
On Sept. 17, Figueroa traveled to South Korea with 15 U.S. military veterans, 13 of them Borinqueneers, through the Revisit Korea Program. The South Korean Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs created the program to honor Korean War Veterans from 21 UN Allied Nations.
“They left it devastated, with a lot of poverty (after the war), which is why many Puerto Ricans sympathize with the Koreans because they came from a poor island,” Figueroa said. “They wanted to see how the country had changed and it has changed tremendously.”
The American heroes were honored with medals at a gala event for their heroic contributions and successes. “They were determined to go back, God bless them,” Figueroa said.
Vicente Arroyo, 84, of Jersey City, N.J., said he saw very little combat in the Korean War, instead running on reconnaissance missions and performing intelligence tasks. When Arroyo returned to South Korea for the first time more than 60 years, he was surprised.
“The first time I was there, it was so destroyed,” said the native of Ponce, Puerto Rico. “All has changed. The streets are clean. The people were very humble and thankful for the Borinqueneers. They gave us a medal that says ‘welcome heroes.’
“Korea has been changing significantly,” Arroyo added. “There are so many skyscrapers in Seoul, it looks like New York. Freedom was like here. And they appreciate us so much for it. They kept bowing to us.”