Ermalinda Ferrer

Unfortunately I only caught the end of the video on Public Television Saturday 11/24. I will be purchasing the video and looking for the book also for my father. I didn’t even know there was such a book or video.

My father joined the army, WWII in Puerto Rico in 1940-1945, in the 296th Infantry. He trained in Africa,and fought in France and Germany. He was wounded in Kaffertal, a small town in Germany. He spent two weeks in hospital before returning to duty.

During the period of 1945-1950, he received inpatient treatment at a Naval Facility in San Juan, Puerto Rico for service related injuries to his ear. My father lost more than 30% of his hearing and to this day, suffers from excrutiating headaches.

After WWII, my father reinlisted in Puerto Rico in 1950-1953, joining the Army’s 65th Infantry Regiment, of which your documentary is about. During the third year and on the front lines, my father was again wounded and hospitalized for one week, unable to walk having received shrapnel wounds to his left arm and left side. His arm so torn, his bone was exposed.

My father, Isidro Ferrer Diaz, born 5/15/1921, in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, is a war Hero. He received the Purple Heart among more than a dozen other medals which he has in a beautiful mahogony box for safekeeping. My father has told us some of what he went through but not all. We know they were ugly wars with many casualties. By the time he joined for the second time in the Korean war, my father was already a veteran and experienced, however, he tells us sadly about all the young men who fought and so brutally lost their lives.

So, my father is a living testament and one of the Army’s 65th Infantry Regiment survivors. It would have been great if the Producers of this film, would have interviewed my father as one of the men who not only fought in the 65th Infantry, but was also in the WWII 296th Infantry. I am sure he would have told you more than he has told us.

I am sorry that I didn’t get to see the entire program on Public Television, and I hope they present this film again. I wonder if there among the soldiers in your documentary, I will see my father.

Thank you for presenting this historical view of our Puerto Rican men, their sacrifices, and commitment to their country and the United States of America.

©1999-2025 El Pozo Productions