[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 153 (Wednesday, October 10, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2097-E2098]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE DOCUMENTARY FILM, ``THE BORINQUENEERS''

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                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 10, 2007

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in commemoration of Hispanic 
Heritage Month to introduce the documentary film ``The Borinqueneers.'' 
This compelling film chronicles the never-before-told story of the 
Puerto Rican 65th Infantry Regiment, the only all-Hispanic unit in 
United States Army history.
  El Pozo Productions. in collaboration with Raquel Ortiz, acclaimed 
producer of ``Mi Puerto Rico,'' released ``The Borinqueneers,'' the 
first major documentary to chronicle the story of the 65th Infantry 
Regiment.
  Narrated by Hector Elizondo, the documentary explores the fascinating 
stories of courage, triumph, and struggle of the men of the 65th 
through rare archival materials and compelling interviews with 
veterans, commanding officers, and historians.
  The 65th Infantry Regiment was created in 1899 by the U.S. Congress 
as a segregated unit composed primarily of Puerto Ricans with mostly 
continental officers. It went on to serve meritoriously in three wars: 
World War I, World War II, and the Korean war. The unit was nicknamed 
after ``Borinquen,'' the word given to Puerto Rico by its original 
inhabitants, the Taino Indians, meaning, ``land of the brave lord.''
  When they were finally called to the front lines in the Korean war, 
the men of the 65th performed impressively, earning praise from General 
MacArthur. They performed a critical role containing the Chinese 
advance and supporting the U.S. Marines in the aftermath of the Battle 
of the Chosin Reservoir. Sent to every corner of the peninsula, they 
showed outstanding resilience and a legendary fierceness as combatants, 
even as they faced discrimination within the Army. But in the fall of 
1952 the regiment was at the center of a series of dramatic events that 
would threaten its very existence.
  Puerto Ricans occupy a special place in the history of the U.S. Army. 
Because of the island's commonwealth status, they don't have the right 
to vote in U.S. elections, and yet they serve in the military and can 
be drafted. For many of the veterans of the 65th, this paradox became 
an incentive to be even more patriotic, to prove themselves in battle 
200 percent.
  Although thousands of Puerto Ricans have served courageously in the 
Armed Forces since World War I, their contribution and sacrifices have 
gone largely unnoticed in the silver screen, until now.
  As a testament to the legacy of the Borinqueneers, I submit into the 
Record an article from the New York Times-Metro Section regarding the 
film, that illustrates the rich history of this unique regiment and 
recognizes the Puerto Rican commitment to the United States Military.

                [From the New York Times, Oct. 2, 2007]

               Bloodied in Battle, Now Getting Their Due

                          (By David Gonzalez)

       Among the lamps, the religious cards and the knickknacks in 
     Eugenio Quevedo's Upper West Side apartment is a worn and 
     creased Banco Popular envelope. Tucked neatly inside, tiny 
     black-and-white photos taken more than half a century ago 
     show a rifle-toting soldier against a backdrop of hills and 
     mountains.
       ``Korea was an ocean of mountains,'' Mr. Quevedo said. 
     ``We'd push forward and the enemy pushed us back. It was that 
     kind of war.''
       He sounded tranquil, which in many ways he is at 81, though 
     his eyes betrayed his emotions. In one corner of his living 
     room, a poster shows the Puerto Rican flag, a nod to where he 
     was born.
       ``We lost so many,'' he said. ``The American people don't 
     know the sacrifices of so many Puerto Ricans who died in 
     Korea. It was the bloodiest war for Puerto Rico.''
       It is also a forgotten war for many Americans. Yet in 
     recent months, veterans of a once-storied Puerto Rican 
     regiment, the 65th Infantry Regiment--including Mr. Quevedo--
     have gotten their due in a documentary called ``The 
     Borinqueneers,'' which was first televised in New York over 
     the summer and continues to be broadcast on public television 
     nationally.
       In a way, it is a passionate rejoinder to Ken Burns, whose 
     World War II documentary drew sharp criticism from Latino and 
     American Indian groups for initially ignoring their 
     contributions during that war.

[[Page E2098]]

       Noemi Figueroa Soulet, a New York actress who produced 
     ``The Borinqueneers,'' understands why people were upset with 
     Mr. Burns. But she set her sights on a different battle, in 
     more ways than one.
       ``Why should we be begging Ken Burns for a few minutes in 
     his series?'' she said. ``We have other guys we can cover 
     ourselves. I really felt there was enough there to tell our 
     story in a full program.''
       The idea came to Ms. Figueroa Soulet in the late 1990s, 
     after she saw the film ``Saving Private Ryan'' and around the 
     time she learned that her husband's uncle had been wounded in 
     Korea.
       ``I started thinking, what about the Puerto Rican 
     experience?'' she said. ``I would see a war movie or 
     documentary and I would look for the Latino faces. I always 
     want to see how we are represented. Historically, I knew we 
     served in the military, but you wouldn't know it.''
       Though she had never made a documentary before, she set out 
     to chronicle the Puerto Rican military experience. In time, 
     she zeroed in on the 65th Infantry's campaigns in Korea.
       The regiment, she said, was founded in 1899 as an 
     essentially Puerto Rican unit, including a fair share of 
     island-born officers, led by mainland, or ``continental,'' 
     officers. The group also served in both world wars, though it 
     was in Korea where it was hardest hit.
       The regiment's bravery earned the admiration of no less 
     than Gen. Douglas MacArthur, as well as a disproportionate 
     share of casualties when compared with mainland regiments.
       One of its continental officers said the unit ``got every 
     dirty job that came up,'' while another said it was so feared 
     by the enemy that ``I was very glad the Puerto Ricans were on 
     my side.''
       But in 1952, scores of soldiers in the regiment were 
     arrested and court-martialed after refusing to fight in 
     battles where untested and poorly led replacement troops were 
     sent to take hills without artillery or medical support. The 
     refusals came after a battle that left hundreds wounded or 
     dead. In another case, they would not follow an officer they 
     knew had no clue where he was trying to lead them.
       Some of the men were sentenced to 10 or more years in 
     prison. Outcry over the trials eventually resulted in the 
     Army pardoning them and commuting sentences.
       Ms. Figueroa Soulet set out to tell a story that placed the 
     regiment's history in context, rather than let it either be 
     forgotten or reduced to the ignominy of the trials. She said 
     that some Latino organizations that she had thought would be 
     natural allies in her quest to finance and make the film were 
     turned off by the inclusion of the trials and did not support 
     her, while some veterans groups declined to back a project 
     about Puerto Ricans.
       She persisted, and was joined by Raquel Ortiz, a producer 
     with many years working in public broadcasting who had 
     produced ``Mi Puerto Rico,'' a well-received documentary on 
     Puerto Rican cultural and political identity.
       ``Not very many people would have given a first-time 
     producer the amount of time I gave her,'' Ms. Ortiz said. ``I 
     did it because the subject was important to me. She was so 
     committed, too. When I saw the interviews, stock footage and 
     photos, I said' Wow!'''
       The film took nine years to complete and involved 
     interviewing 275 veterans. Ms. Figueroa Soulet has had 
     special showings in various cities, often sponsored by local 
     Puerto Rican and veterans organizations, which have helped 
     spread the word despite the lack of an advertising budget.
       It has struck a deep chord in men like Jose Cintron, a 
     retired longshoreman and a Vietnam veteran, who was moved to 
     tears when he saw it.
       ``I was so proud,'' he said. ``For the first time, I did 
     not have to hear about John Wayne. My people took part in 
     this. For once, we get recognized.''
       Members of the regiment hold on to vivid memories of those 
     who served with them on freezing hillsides, dodging bullets 
     and mortars. Mr. Quevedo still talks about Master Sgt. Angel 
     Ocasio. At the start of an enemy offensive, the sergeant was 
     killed after he had gone around distributing ammunition to 
     Mr. Quevedo and his comrades. Another sergeant--Iglesias was 
     all he could recall--was shot dead when he went searching for 
     Sergeant Ocasio.
       ``Those two were sent by God,'' Mr. Quevedo said. ``You 
     think of him and the others. They died young. They never had 
     the chance to get married. To be grandfathers. To get to my 
     age. We are the ones who are left.''
       His friend, Jaime Lopez, sat with him in the living room. 
     He, too, served in the regiment, though they became friends 
     stateside. Mr. Lopez is trim at 77, with a swagger to his 
     step and an unfiltered cigarette in his hand. Mr. Quevedo 
     jokingly calls him ``Lee Marvin,'' which only fuels Mr. 
     Lopez's eagerness to banter.
       Mr. Lopez enlisted after high school, saying the military 
     was one of the few options he had as a small-town boy with no 
     money. In Korea, he earned two Bronze Stars, including one 
     for risking his life to wade into a river and rescue wounded 
     comrades while under fire.
       He recalled one fierce encounter, when they took a hill, 
     only to find themselves under attack for 12 hours.
       ``There were dead and wounded everywhere,'' he said. 
     ``Everything was destroyed. Everything. Boy.''
       He bolted up from his chair, turned away and sobbed. He 
     steadied himself against the dinner table. The only other 
     sound was a clock chiming ``Twinkle, Twinkle'' at the hour.
       ``Korea was not easy,'' was all he said, slowly composing 
     himself.
       Since the documentary's completion, the two men have made 
     public appearances together, talking to audiences about their 
     experiences. After years of being footnotes to a forgotten 
     war, they are glad to let others know they were there when 
     they were needed.
       ``This documentary is something historic,'' Mr. Lopez said. 
     ``You see it from beginning to end and learn that Puerto 
     Ricans fought in World War I, World War II and Korea. The 
     truth is there.''
       The support of the old veterans, men who came home and 
     settled into uneventful, but blessed, lives is what helped 
     Ms. Figueroa Soulet stick with her project when others would 
     not even return her calls.
       ``Those guys are my troops,'' she said. ``I look at the 
     long list of organizations who protested the Ken Burns thing 
     and say, `Gee, none of them contributed to my project.' Some 
     of them would not give me the time of day.''
       She paused. Being an actress, she knows a thing or two 
     about timing.
       ``Now,'' she said, ``they're all calling.''

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