Comentarios

I am the daughter of Enrique Rivera and Aunt of Roger Rivera, who recently placed a comment. We just finished viewing the DVD as a family. I was taken aback by the stories of courage, but what struck me the most was seeing a very proud Puerto Rican man, who after a double stroke lost his ability to speak clearly, shed tears of pain and at times even joy mixed with pride…I could clearly see that the memories of his experience with the 65th Infantry Regiment were very vivid in his memory. He wears his Korean Veteran hat proudly and wears it everywhere I might add.  I don’t know how much longer my father will be here with us, but it gives me great pleasure to see the joy and pride he feels for being part, although a relatively small part, of history.

Thank you!!!!!

I am really proud of the work you have done. I am a third generation soldier. My grandfather and father both served in the 65th Inf. Regt. and my father has told me many stories about his time with the regiment during WWII and Korea. The one that always stays with me is the one that after a battle during the Korean War, he found his brother wounded and picked him up and carried him. At first I did not understand the different things that he went through during his time in the military,now I do since I’m also a combat veteran. My father passed away 21 years ago, but I still remeber the time I went to visit his grave and found a six-pack of beer (his brand)empty on top of his grave. I later found out that it was one of his buddies from the 65th that had found out about his passing and came to drink with him. Must of the people that I grew up around were members of the 65th Inf. Regt. so since i grew up listening to them talk about thier times with the regiment,I wanted to serve my country in the way my grandfather, my father and his friends did. I’mm very proud of them and all of you that served with the 65th Infantry Regiment.

Since watching the DVD my interest in the Borinqueneers has increased, it has increased to the point that I have been asking my father all about his time in the Army but most importantly his time with the 65th Regiment. I asked him if he knew many of the men featured in the photo galery and to my surprise he indeed remember a few and to add to the story he remember the battles and the hills that they fought. My dad is now suffering from Alzheimer but sure does remember those fine young men and friends of his. He served with company C

My dad will be celebrating his 90th birthday on April 19th, 2008. A family get together has been planned in the Bronx for him, with many family members flying in from various points of the States. My gift to my dad is to present him with a case of all the medals he was awarded during his deployments to Korea, Africa, Germany,and other places away from the Island where he left 5 kids behind along with his wife to serve his Island and the US of A. My dad served proud with distinction, a well groom soldier, a proud soldier someone that I have total respect for and someone that I love. Besides the medals, the case will have several patches of the units he served with and the most respected badge, the COMBAT INFANTRY BADGE awarded to him and many of his comrades.

To my dad and to all the dads who serve with the 65th Regiment and to those sons and daughters and wife’s who were not fortunate to have their fathers, husband back, I say THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR THEIR SERVICE AND SACRIFICE.

PAPI GRACIAS POR TU DEDICACION Y GRACIAS POR ENSENARNOS TODO LO QUE NOSOTROS SOMOS HOY.

Thank you to everyone who has shared a story of their dad, tio, abuelo they are inspirational and during my reading of them I could not avoid having a lump in my throat.

Rafael Olmeda – Chula Vista California

TODAY I SAW MY GRANDFATHER, ENRIQUE RIVERA,”CRY” FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE.

ME AND MY DAD WENT TO MY GRANDFATHERS HOUSE FOR A QUICK VISIT AND FROM OUT OF NOWHERE MY GRANDPA HANDS MY DAD A PEICE OF PAPER THAT SAID,,,,”BORINQUENEERS 65TH INF REG
3RD DIVITION” AND POINTED TO HIS COMPUTER.(his first)

MY GRANDFATHER SUFFERED A STROKE A YEAR OR SO AGO, AND ALTHOUGH STILL SHARP AS A TACK AND STILL DRIVING IN HIS LATE 70’S, LOST HIS ABILITY TO SPEAK. SOMETIMES WE CAN MAKE OUT WHAT HE IS TRYING TO SAY BUT MOST OFTEN HE JUST WRITES IT DOWN….

AT FIRST I DONT THINK MY DAD KNEW WHAT HE WANTED OR WHAT HE WROTE ON THE PAPER. I SAID TO MY DAD “I THINK HE WANTS YOU TO LOOK IT UP”…. WE “GOOGLE IT” AND WE CAME ACROSS YOUR WEBSITE. NOW I DONT KNOW IF MY GRANDFATHER HAD PREVIOUSLY VIEWED THIS SITE OR NOT. BUT AS SOON AS IT CAME UP MY GRANDPA STARTED TO SWELL UP. WE FINALLY CLICKED ON THE GALLERY AND WHEN HE SAW ALL THE PICTURES OF THE SOLDIERS HE STARTED TO “CRY”!… WOW, THAT WAS MOST UNEXPECTED I REMEMBERED THINKING.

IM 31 AND AS A KID I ALWAYS KNEW THAT MY GRANDPA USED TO BE IN THE ARMY. I COULD TELL BECAUSE WHEN EVER I WENT TO HIS HOUSE I SAW THIS HAT THAT SAID “KOREA VETERAN” WITH A LIGHT BLUE RECTANGLE PIN WITH A RIFLE IN THE MIDDLE, AND A 8X10 PICTURE OF HIMSELF WITH HIS RIFLE AND A GRENADE STRAPPED TO HIS SIDE ABOUT TO LOOK TROUGH HIS BANACULARS. I REMEMBERED AS I GOT OLDER INTO MY EARY TEENS I WOULD TRY TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WAR. SOMETIMES HE WOULD GET INTO IT A LITTLE BIT, THEN CHANGE THE SUBJECT. BUT MOST OFTEN HE WOULD TRY TO IGNORE IT ALL TOGETHER. I COULD SEE THE EMOTION IN HIS FACE SO I TRYED NOT TO PRY SO MUCH. 
TODAY HE TOLD “MY DAD” STORYS AND INFORMATION ABOUT HIS SERVICE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. IT WAS PRETTY AWESOME! I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THIS WEB SITE WAS THE SPARK!

KNOWING MY GRANDFATHER AND THE MAN THAT HE IS, TODAY I THINK I REALIZED WHAT HE WAS MOST PROUD OF. RIGHT,WRONG,GOOD OR BAD, IT WAS NOT HIS SONS OR HIS DAUGHTERS, GRANDCHILDREN OR SOME SORT OF AWARD,,,,,,,,,,,, IT WAS THE 65TH! THANK YOU

ROGER RIVERA

They were exactly what american soldiers should be
today. The U.S. Government praised all their “white soldiers” in World War II because they were independent thinkers and not slaves to a dictator like were the Nazis. If you tell a Nazi to jumps off a plane without a parachute, he would blindly do it for his furor. The Nazis would give up their lives for nothing, whereas the American soldiers were praised because they would sacrificed their lives for their buddies, for their country and for the cause. The independent and free American soldier won the War. The Borinqueneers cared for each other, because no one else did. They were family. They confronted the enemy with honor, as did the Greeks and the Turks, who were fearless fighter as were the Borinqueneers (all from Puerto Rico. I am proud that they did not “jump off the plane”, even though previous attempts caused them many lives. See the movies. It is great.

Saluts to everyone.  I’m nothing but a proud boricua.  Proud for those who stood up for us in that war with the Koreans.  Anyhow, I yet, have not seen the documentary of The Borinqueneers, but certainly am looking forward to see it.

On the other side, I am extremely excited that the whole world knows about this documentary.  I will soon post some blogs on my My Space page in honor to those who fought for America and Puerto Rico… GOD BLESS US ALL !!!

Dear Mr. Nick Cruz:

I just saw that you mentioned your father is part of the Connecticut version of the Borinqueneers.

I am working on a manuscript involving PR’s of CT.

If you happen to read this comment, please contact me at literarylatina@gmail.com

This film was quite extraordinary!

Ms. Galan: Please understand that Mr. Cruz was referring to the “Borinqueneers Motorcycle Club” (named after the 65th Infantry Borinqueneers) which has various Chapters in a number of states.

HOLA AMIGOS:
QUERIA DECIRLES QUE ESTAMOS ENVIANDO MENAJES AL PRESIDENTE BUSH, Y OTROS MIENBROS DEL GOVIERNO PARA AYUDAR A LA FAMILIA CARTAGENA A CONSEGUIR ….LA MEDALLA DE HONOR, QUE EL SEÑOR MODESTO CARTAGENA, NUESTRO HEROE PUERTORRIQUEÑO, SE MERECE Y NO SE LA HAN DADO. YO PERSONALMENTE HE USADO LOS EMAILS DEL GOBIERNO EN WASHINGTON Y DEMAS, CON NINGUN RESULTADO. TODAVIA NO ME HAN CONTESTADO NINGUNOS DE LOS EMAILS. MI FAMILIA Y YO, ESTAMOS TRATANDO DE CONSEGUIR LA MEDALLA QUE EL SEÑOR CARTAGENA SE MERECE. EL SEÑOR MODESTO CARTAGENA ESTA EN UNA EDAD CRITICA Y ESPERAMOS QUE EL PRESIDENTE Y OTRAS PERSONAS DE GOBIERNO, LE ENTREGUEN ESTA MEDALLA. TODA LA COMUNIDAD HISPANA DE ESTADOS UNIDOS Y PUERTO RICO, DEBEMOS TRABAJAR ARDO PARA QUE SE LE HAGA JUSTICIA, A MODESTO CARTAGENA Y TODOS NUESTROS SOLDADOS, QUE LE PROMETIERON MEDALLAS Y NUNCA FUERON RECIBIDAS. MI HERMANO EUGENIO MARRERO JR. VETERANO DE VIETNAM, TAMBIEN LE PROMETIERON MEDALLAS, Y NO LAS RECIBIO. ESTO ES INAUDITO, NO PODEMOS DEJAR QUE EL GOBIERNO DE WASHINGTON, Y LAS FUERZAS DEL EJERCITO LE HAGAN ESTAS INJUSTICIAS A NUESTROS HEROES, QUE HAN DADO SU SERVICIO, Y HASTA SU VIDA POR LA DEMOCRACIA QUE HOY TENERMOS, EN PUERTO RICO Y ESTADOS UNIDOS. TENERMOS QUE UNIRNOS TODOS, Y PEDIR QUE SE HAGA JUSTICIA A NUESTRO SOLDADOS, PUERTORRIQUEÑOS O HISPANOS EN GENERAL.

ENVIEN MENSAJES A TODOS SUS REPRESENTANTES DONDE VIVEN, CIUDAD,ESTADO, Y CAPITAL. HAY MUCHOS EMAILS EN EL INTERNET, QUE PUEDEN USAR PARA ENVIAR EMAILS. TENEMOS QUE CONSEGUIR ESTA MEDALLA DE HONOR PARA EL SEÑOR MODESTO CARTAGENA. QUE DIOS ME LOS VENDIGA A TODOS, GRACIAS.

RECUERDEN….HONOR AND FIDELITY….HONOR Y FIDALIDAD

ABRAZOS PARA TODOS,
ERNESTO J. MARRERO
nestor3339@aol.com
BETHLEHEM,PA

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