[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1726 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
H.R.1726
One Hundred Thirteenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday,
the third day of January, two thousand and fourteen
An Act
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment, known
as the Borinqueneers.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) In 1898, the United States acquired Puerto Rico in the
Treaty of Paris that ended the Spanish-American War and, by the
following year, Congress had authorized raising a unit of volunteer
soldiers in the newly acquired territory.
(2) In May 1917, two months after legislation granting United
States citizenship to individuals born in Puerto Rico was signed
into law, and one month after the United States entered World War
I, the unit was transferred to the Panama Canal Zone in part
because United States Army policy at the time restricted most
segregated units to noncombat roles, even though the regiment could
have contributed to the fighting effort.
(3) In June 1920, the unit was re-designated as the ``65th
Infantry Regiment, United States Army'', and served as the United
States military's last segregated unit composed primarily of
Hispanic soldiers.
(4) In January 1943, 13 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor
that marked the entry of the United States into World War II, the
Regiment again deployed to the Panama Canal Zone before deploying
overseas in the spring of 1944.
(5) Despite relatively limited combat service in World War II,
the Regiment suffered casualties in the course of defending against
enemy attacks, with individual soldiers earning one Distinguished
Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars and 90 Purple
Hearts. The Regiment received campaign participation credit for
Rome-Arno, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe.
(6) Although an executive order issued by President Harry S.
Truman in July 1948 declared it to be United States policy to
ensure equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the
armed services without respect to race or color, implementation of
this policy had yet to be fully realized when armed conflict broke
out on the Korean Peninsula in June 1950, and both African-American
soldiers and Puerto Rican soldiers served in segregated units.
(7) Brigadier General William W. Harris, who served as the
Regiment's commander during the early stages of the Korean War,
later recalled that he had initially been reluctant to take the
position because of ``prejudice'' within the military and ``the
feeling of the officers and even the brass of the Pentagon * * *
that the Puerto Rican wouldn't make a good combat soldier * * * I
know my contemporaries felt that way and, in all honesty, I must
admit that at the time I had the same feeling * * * that the Puerto
Rican was a rum and Coca-Cola soldier.''.
(8) One of the first opportunities the Regiment had to prove
its combat worthiness arose on the eve of the Korean War during
Operation PORTREX, one of the largest military exercises that had
been conducted up until that point, where the Regiment
distinguished itself by repelling an offensive consisting of over
32,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division and the United States
Marine Corps, supported by the Navy and Air Force, thereby
demonstrating that the Regiment could hold its own against some of
the best-trained forces in the United States military.
(9) In August 1950, with the United States Army's situation in
Korea deteriorating, the Department of the Army's headquarters
decided to bolster the 3rd Infantry Division and, owing in part to
the 65th Infantry Regiment's outstanding performance during
Operation PORTREX, it was among the units selected for the combat
assignment. The decision to send the Regiment to Korea and attach
it to the 3rd Infantry Division was a landmark change in the United
States military's racial and ethnic policy.
(10) As the Regiment sailed to Asia in September 1950, members
of the unit informally decided to call themselves the
``Borinqueneers'', a term derived from the Taino word for Puerto
Rico meaning ``land of the brave lord''.
(11) The story of the 65th Infantry Regiment during the Korean
War has been aptly described as ``one of pride, courage,
heartbreak, and redemption''.
(12) Fighting as a segregated unit from 1950 to 1952, the
Regiment participated in some of the fiercest battles of the war,
and its toughness, courage and loyalty earned the admiration of
many who had previously harbored reservations about Puerto Rican
soldiers based on lack of previous fighting experience and negative
stereotypes, including Brigadier General Harris, whose experience
eventually led him to regard the Regiment as ``the best damn
soldiers that I had ever seen''.
(13) After disembarking at Pusan, South Korea in September
1950, the Regiment blocked the escape routes of retreating North
Korean units and overcame pockets of resistance. The most
significant battle took place near Yongam-ni in October when the
Regiment routed a force of 400 enemy troops. By the end of the
month, the Regiment had taken 921 prisoners while killing or
wounding more than 600 enemy soldiers. Its success led General
Douglas MacArthur, Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations Command
in Korea, to observe that the Regiment was ``showing magnificent
ability and courage in field operations''.
(14) The Regiment landed on the eastern coast of North Korea in
early November 1950. In December 1950, following China's
intervention in the war, the Regiment engaged in a series of fierce
battles to cover the rear guard of the 1st Marine Division during
the fighting retreat from the Chosin Reservoir to the enclave at
Hungnam, North Korea, one of the greatest withdrawals in modern
military history.
(15) When General MacArthur ordered the evacuation of Hungnam
in mid-December, the Regiment was instrumental in securing the
port, and was among the last units--if not the last unit--to depart
the beachhead on Christmas Eve, suffering significant casualties in
the process. Under the Regiment's protection, 105,000 troops and
100,000 refugees were evacuated, along with 350,000 tons of
supplies and 17,500 military vehicles.
(16) The brutal winter conditions during the campaign presented
significant hardships for soldiers in the Regiment, who lacked
appropriate gear to fight in sub-zero temperatures.
(17) Between January and March 1951, the Regiment participated
in numerous operations to recover and retain South Korean territory
lost to the enemy, assaulting heavily fortified enemy positions and
conducting the last recorded battalion-sized bayonet assault in
United States Army history.
(18) On January 31, 1951, the commander of Eighth Army,
Lieutenant General Matthew B. Ridgway, wrote to the Regiment's
commander: ``What I saw and heard of your regiment reflects great
credit on you, your regiment, and the people of Puerto Rico, who
can be proud of their valiant sons. I am confident that their
battle records and training levels will win them high honors * * *.
Their conduct in battle has served only to increase the high regard
in which I hold these fine troops.''.
(19) On February 3, 1951, General MacArthur wrote: ``The Puerto
Ricans forming the ranks of the gallant 65th Infantry on the
battlefields of Korea by valor, determination, and a resolute will
to victory give daily testament to their invincible loyalty to the
United States and the fervor of their devotion to those immutable
standards of human relations to which the Americans and Puerto
Ricans are in common dedicated. They are writing a brilliant record
of achievement in battle and I am proud indeed to have them in this
command. I wish that we might have many more like them.''.
(20) The Regiment played a central role in the United States
military's counteroffensive responding to a major push by the
Chinese Communist Forces (CFF) in 1951, winning praise for its
superb performance in multiple battles, including Operations KILLER
and RIPPER, as well as for its actions on February 14th, when the
Regiment inflicted nearly 1,000 enemy casualties at a cost of only
one killed and six wounded, almost singlehandedly annihilating a
North Korean infantry regiment that had infiltrated the defenses of
the 3rd Infantry Division's headquarters.
(21) By 1952, senior United States commanders ordered that
replacement soldiers from Puerto Rico would no longer be limited to
service in the Regiment, but could be made available to fill
personnel shortages in non-segregated units both inside and outside
the 3rd Infantry Division. This was a major milestone in United
States Army policy that, paradoxically, harmed the Regiment by
depriving it of some of Puerto Rico's most able soldiers.
(22) Beyond the many hardships endured by most American
soldiers in Korea, the Regiment faced unique challenges arising
from discrimination and prejudice.
(23) In 1953, the now fully integrated Regiment earned
admiration for its relentless defense of Outpost Harry, during
which it confronted multiple company-size probes, full-scale
regimental attacks, and heavy artillery and mortar fire from
Chinese forces, earning one Distinguished Service Cross, 14 Silver
Stars, 23 Bronze Stars, and 67 Purple Hearts, in operations that
Major General Eugene W. Ridings described as ``highly successful in
that the enemy was denied the use of one of his best routes of
approach into the friendly position''. The recipient of the
Distinguished Service Cross was then-First Lieutenant Richard E.
Cavazos, a Mexican-American, who went on to become the first Latino
to rise to the rank of four-star general in the United States Army.
(24) For its extraordinary service during the Korean War, the
Regiment received two Presidential Unit Citations (Army and Navy),
two Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations, a Meritorious
Unit Commendation (Army), a Navy Unit Commendation, the Bravery
Gold Medal of Greece, and campaign participation credits for United
Nations Offensive, CCF Intervention, First United Nations
Counteroffensive, CCF Spring Offensive, United Nations Summer-Fall
Offensive, Second Korean Winter, Korea Summer-Fall 1952, Third
Korean Winter, and Korea Summer 1953.
(25) In Korea, soldiers in the Regiment earned a total of nine
Distinguished Service Crosses, approximately 250 Silver Stars, over
600 Bronze Stars, more than 2,700 Purple Hearts. On March 18, 2014,
Master Sergeant Juan E. Negron Martinez received the Medal of
Honor, the Nation's highest award for military valor, for actions
taken on April 28, 1951 near Kalma-Eri, Korea.
(26) In all, some 61,000 Puerto Ricans served in the United
States Army during the Korean War, the bulk of them with the 65th
Infantry Regiment--and over the course of the war, Puerto Rican
soldiers suffered a disproportionately high casualty rate, with
over 740 killed and over 2,300 wounded.
(27) In April 1956, as part of the reduction in forces
following the Korean War, the 65th Infantry Regiment was
deactivated from the regular Army and, in February 1959, became the
only regular Army unit to have ever been transferred to the
National Guard, when its 1st battalion and its regimental number
were assigned to the Puerto Rico National Guard, where it has
remained ever since.
(28) In 1982, the United States Army Center of Military History
officially authorized granting the 65th Infantry Regiment the
special designation of ``Borinqueneers''.
(29) In the years since the Korean War, the achievements of the
Regiment have been recognized in various ways, including--
(A) the naming of streets in honor of the Regiment in San
Juan, Puerto Rico and The Bronx, New York;
(B) the erecting of monuments and plaques to honor the
Regiment at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia;
the San Juan National Historic Site in San Juan, Puerto Rico;
Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado; and at sites
in Boston, Massachusetts; Worcester, Massachusetts; Buffalo,
New York; and Ocala, Florida;
(C) the renaming of a park in Buenaventura Lake, Florida as
the ``65th Infantry Veterans Park'';
(D) the dedication of land for a park and monument to honor
the Regiment in New Britain, Connecticut;
(E) the adoption or introduction of resolutions or
proclamations honoring the Regiment by many state and municipal
governments, including in the states and territories of
California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North
Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and Texas; and
(F) the issuance by the United States Postal Service of a
Korean War commemorative stamp depicting soldiers from the
Regiment.
(30) In a speech delivered on September 20, 2000, at a ceremony
in Arlington National Cemetery in honor of the Regiment, Secretary
of the Army Louis Caldera said: ``Even as the 65th struggled
against all deadly enemies in the field, they were fighting a
rearguard action against a more insidious adversary--the cumulative
effects of ill-conceived military policies, leadership
shortcomings, and especially racial and organizational prejudices,
all exacerbated by America's unpreparedness for war and the growing
pains of an Army forced by law and circumstance to carry out racial
integration. Together these factors would take their inevitable
toll on the 65th, leaving scars that have yet to heal for so many
of the Regiment's proud and courageous soldiers.''.
(31) Secretary Caldera further stated: ``To the veterans of the
65th Infantry Regiment who, in that far off land fifty years ago,
fought with rare courage even as you endured misfortune and
injustice, thank you for doing your duty. There can be no greater
praise than that for any soldier of the United States Army.''.
(32) Secretary Caldera also noted that ``[t]he men of the 65th
who served in Korea are a significant part of a proud tradition of
service'' that includes the Japanese American 442nd Regimental
Combat Team, the African American Tuskegee Airmen, and ``many other
unsung minority units throughout the history of our armed forces
whose stories have never been fully told''.
(33) The service of the men of the 65th Infantry Regiment is
emblematic of the contributions to the armed forces that have been
made by hundreds of thousands of brave and patriotic United States
citizens from Puerto Rico over generations, from World War I to the
most recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and in other
overseas contingency operations.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Award Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of Representatives
and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate
arrangements for the award, on behalf of the Congress, of a single gold
medal of appropriate design in honor of the 65th Infantry Regiment,
known as the Borinqueneers, in recognition of its pioneering military
service, devotion to duty, and many acts of valor in the face of
adversity.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award referred to
in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereinafter in this
Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike the gold medal with
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the
Secretary.
(c) Smithsonian Institution.--
(1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in honor
of the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers, the gold
medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it shall
be available for display as appropriate and made available for
research.
(2) Sense of the congress.--It is the sense of the Congress
that the Smithsonian Institution shall make the gold medal received
under this Act available for display elsewhere, particularly at
other appropriate locations associated with the 65th Infantry
Regiment, including locations in Puerto Rico.
SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the
Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal
struck under section 2, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the
medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and
overhead expenses.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.
Medals struck pursuant to this Act are national medals for purposes
of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.