have fought in every American confl ict since the Revolutionary War; their courage and sacrifi ces on the battlefi eld provide proof that race means nothing when bullets start fl ying. During the Korean War, one of the hardest-fi ghting Ameri- can units was the all-Hispanic 65th Infantry Regiment, or Borinqueneers. The regiment was formed in Puerto Rico in March 1899, just a year after the islands were ceded to the U.S. by Spain.
P 94 MILITARY OFFICER SEPTEMBER 2011
Two years later, that fi rst all-volunteer group was reorga- nized as the Puerto Rican Provisional Regiment of Infan- try, colonial troops responsible for defense of the island.
In the beginning The regiment became attached to the regular Army in 1908, and during World War I, it saw limited action pro- tecting the Panama Canal. In 1920, it was renamed the 65th Infantry Regiment. In 1940, with war looming, the members of the 65th un-
derwent extensive training and were deployed two years later across Puerto Rico to provide defense in anticipa- tion of an enemy invasion. From there, the regiment was deployed once again to Panama to provide security to the canal zone, followed by stints in North Africa and various locations in France and Germany. The regiment saw lim- ited action — many members never encountered a German soldier in combat — and returned to Puerto Rico in November 1945. World War II was essentially a training exercise for the 65th In-
fantry Regiment. Its members worked hard, but the regiment’s role in the confl ict was limited primarily to security. The Korean War, however, was a diff erent story. In fact, it would prove to be the 65th’s defi ning moment. The regiment left Puerto Rico Aug. 26, 1950, and
EOPLE OF MANY ETHNICITIES
sailed through the Panama Canal on its way to Korea. En route, the soldiers held a contest to give the regi- ment a distinctive nickname. The winner was “Borin- queneers,” alluding to the island’s pre-Columbian inhabitants, the Tainos, who called the island Borikén. The 65th Infantry Regiment joined the fi ght almost immediately upon arriving in then-Pusan, Korea, Sept. 23, 1950. The port city was the scene of heavy fi ghting as U.S. forces struggled to hold the Pusan perimeter against the North Korean People’s Army. The regiment partic- ipated in the U.S. breakout and drive to the north, which, following the surprise landings at Inchon, took American and U.N. forces deep into North Korea.
Enter the Chinese The advance was halted in October when the Chinese army entered the war. The 8th U.S. Army was over- run, and the U.S. 1st Marine Division found itself surrounded by over-
whelming Chinese forces at Hagaru-ri, near the lower end of the Changjin (Chosin) Reservoir. The Marines had no choice but to force a brutal fi ght-
ing retreat. Though greatly outnumbered, they battled their way southeast to the coast, their withdrawal from Hagaru-ri protected by the 65th Infantry Regiment and other elements of the 3rd Infantry Division. At Hungnam Harbor, U.N. forces were evacuated aboard troopships, with the 65th and the remaining elements of the 3rd In- fantry Division closing up the rear. They evacuated the area on Christmas Eve, but there was little celebration. Indeed, things were just heating up for the Borin-
queneers. They landed in Pusan and, once again, fought their way north. In late January 1951, the regiment was positioned just below the South Korean capital of Seoul, where it was ordered to take two hills held by the Chi- nese 149th Division.
[CONTINUES ON PAGE 102] DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
Click here to watch members of the 65th Infantry Regiment in action and hear from soldiers who fought with the unit.
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