Res. No. 1990
Resolution urging Congress to adopt H.R. 1726 to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as Borinqueneers.
By Council Members Mark-Viverito, Arroyo and Chin
Whereas, Today, there are 4.9 million United States ("U.S.") citizens who are of Puerto Rican descent, of which 761,720 reside in New York City, according to the latest data reported by the U.S. Census Bureau; and
Whereas, Puerto Rico became a U.S. Territory after the signing of the 1898 Treaty of Paris which ended the Spanish-American War; and
Whereas, In 1899, Congress authorized the creation of a military troop comprised of Puerto Rican natives; and
Whereas, In 1917, Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship, and in that same year, the Puerto Rican military unit officially became part of the U.S. Army, and was then renamed the "65th Infantry Regiment" in 1920; and
Whereas, The 65th Infantry Regiment served as the military's last segregated unit composed of Hispanic soldiers, mostly Puerto Rican; and
Whereas, The 65th Infantry Regiment served in World Wars I and II, and most notably the Korean War; and
Whereas, A total of 61,000 Puerto Ricans served in the U.S. military during the Korean War of which more than 700 men were killed and more than 100 are still missing in action; and
Whereas, During the Korean War, members of 65th Infantry Regiment informally called themselves "Borinqueneers," a term derived from Puerto Rico's indigenous Taino name, Borikén, meaning "land of the brave lord"; and
Whereas, The 65th Infantry Regiment were awarded 10 Distinguished Service Crosses, 256 Silver Stars, 606 Bronze Stars, and 2,771 Purple Hearts for their heroic acts during the Korean War; and
Whereas, The 65th Infantry Regiment has received other honors including a street co-naming in the Bronx, New York, called "La 65 de Infanteria Boulevard," but has never received a Congressional Gold Medal; and
Whereas, Other military units have received the Congressional Gold Medal including the Native American Marines, known as the Navajo Wind Talkers, World War II Japanese American intelligence soldiers, known as the Nisei Soldiers, and the first African American military aviators, known as the Tuskegee Airmen; and
Whereas, Given the contributions of these American citizens to the U.S. military, Borinqueneers deserve to be Congressional Gold Medal recipients among the other distinguished soldiers; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York urges Congress to adopt H.R. 1726 to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as Borinqueneers.
LS #4745 & LS #4937
6/7/2013
12:40 p.m.
TC