Comentarios

Well my father is in a bike group called Borinqueneers they do fundraisers and alot of charity and theirs a guy in their thats always telling us what happend over their and i think all of those guys are heros.The bike group is lacated in Connecticut, Florida, Puerto Rico, New York and many more states.

I saw the film, I was born in Nov.7,1950 Rodriguez hospital Ft. Brook San Juan PR. My father Carlos E. Fraticelli- Rosado joined the 296th Ponce,PR. Nacional Guard in or around 1939,was send to Korea with the 65th Infantry Regiment at the beinning of 1950. He retired as Master Sargent in 1963,just before he was schedule for Republic of Vietnam training to be send to Vietnam as Military Adviser.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE A LIST OF ALL BORINQUENEERS WHO SERVED IN KOREA?
MY EMAIL IS RONDI1@YAHOO.COM

Response: As far as we know, there is no one list that exists which contains the names of ALL those who served in the 65th Infantry Regiment. There are lists of those who received medals or were wounded or killed (visit koreanwar.org).

My name is Fernando Luis Reyes Im a 100% PUERTORICAN and proud of it. In September of 1952, I was inducted into the USARMY. I was shipped to the US for basic training. I was trained as a MEDIC at CAMP PICKETT,VIRGINIA. After basic training, I was transferred to serve with the SIX ARMY in California. I was stationed at an ARMY PRISION called U.S.D.B.or better known as UNITED STATES DICIPLINARY BARRACKS in the small city of LOMPOC, CALIFORNIA. As fate would have it, and in this place, thosands of miles from PUERTO RICO and also from KOREA, I unknowingly played a very small role in the lives of small number of THE 65TH INFANTRY REGIMENT who had been imprissioned there. The number, I dont know how many there were, maybe twenty five or so. It was at the HOSPITAL WING, I fist met __________(name removed), one of THE 65TH INFANTRY PRISIONERS. He was a hospital TRUSTEE And He worked as a courrier within the three story building. He told me he was one of several belonging to the REGIMENT. They had been COURTMARTIALLED and charged AS COWARDS for refusing to fight the enemy. CAN YOU IMAGINE SUCH LIE? PUERTORICANS MAY BE CALLED ANY NAME IN THE BOOK BUT, COWARDS WE ARE NOT. THAT IS LIKE SPITTING A MAN IN THE FACE. Anyway, to make a long story short,________ came to me one day, all excited, jubilant, with a shinning facial expression and said Fernando,all the CHARGES against US have been dropped. We have been reinstated to THE ARMED FORCES, We will get our rank back and we will get ALL our pay retroactively. We will be RELEASED TONIGHT. But they set a number of conditions to our release. WE WILL BY NO MEANS CONTACT THE MEDIA. WE WILL REMAIN WITHIN THE ENLISTED MENS BOUNDERIES. WE WILL NOT CONTACT RELATIVES OR FRIENDS WITH THE NEWS OF OUR RELEASE. Guess what? did they follow the rules? HELL NO—-ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE. THE NOW FREE MEMBERS OF THE 65TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, HEADED FOR THE SMALL TOWN OF LOMPOC AND PAINTED IT RED AND I MEAN RED. Next day they were bussed to LAX where the SUPER HAPPY MEN boarded a plane for PUERTO RICO to start new lives. By the way,________, I PRAY YOU ARE WELL. UN FUERTE ABRAZO DE MI PARTE, Fernando, elyunketrail@yahoo.com

We have removed the name listed in this message to protect the Puerto Rican soldier’s privacy. Many of the court martialed soldiers have never revealed what happened to them – even to their own family. Names are only revealed by El Pozo Productions once permission has been granted to do so. We thank you for your entry and for sharing this wonderful story!

Noemi Figueroa Soulet;

I would just like to congratulate you for a great documentary. I also would like to thank you in for honoring the veterans of the 65th and in particular featuring my grandfather Modesto Cartagena. My grandfather is the most humble and proudest man I have ever known. He is my true life Hero. My grandfather recently has recently has not been in the best of health. Due to his fighting spirit he is still with us. I just hope the Dept. of Defense stops procrastinating and gives my grandfather the Medal of Honor which rightfully deserves since April of 1951. It was great to see a documentary featuring Puerto Rican efforts defending our country. I would always get frustrated seeing other documentaries of WWII, Korea and never seeing anything mentioned of the 65th. Hopefully with this documentary eyes are opened. On another note, I would publicly like to thank the Borinqueneers Motorcycle club out of Connecticut for going to Puerto Rico and meeting my grandfather and giving him recognition and the clubs vest. Again great job Noemi a big hug from me and the rest of the Cartagena family!!!!

When I was a little boy in the early 50’s, the topic of discussion at family gatherings was the war in Korea. As I was shuttled back and forth from the mainland to Puerto Rico, the only thing I heard was that Puerto Ricans were either being drafted or fighting in Korea. I, therefore, concluded that “all Puerto Ricans were fighting in Korea.”
While I was watching your wonderful documentary, I thought to myself that I was not that far from the truth.

I am looking forward to seeing this movie, I am retired with 20 years of service in the U.S. Army and I can say that the Puerto Rican soldier is one of the greatest soldiers. I have alway told my son that I did not understand why there wasn’t a movie about the 65th. I am glad to know that there is one. I thank God for my only family member to serve in the 65th, Roberto Vasquez of Guayama P.R. “Tio” I am proud of you and thanks for your service.

I was flipping through channels last night when I stumbled upon PBS and saw the documentary on the Borinqueneers. I have never heard of the 65th infantry until last night, but I also happen to be Mexican/American and that could also be another reason. I just wanted to thank all my fellow Latino’s who gave their lives in those Wars. You made me feel proud to stand here today as a Latina knowing that my people have been playing a part in the US Military since then. My heart/prayers go out to all the Latino military members from back then to the one’s who are serving today. You make us proud.

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.