Puerto Ricans in Korea: The Borinqueneers' Forgotten Sacrifice

The 65th Infantry Regiment's service in Korea is a story of extraordinary courage, institutional racism, and delayed justice — a colonial military narrative.

Deployment:
- The 65th Infantry Regiment was deployed to Korea in September 1950
- It was the last all-Hispanic segregated unit in the U.S. Army
- Officers were predominantly white, non-Spanish-speaking mainlanders commanding Spanish-speaking Puerto Rican troops
- The unit was attached to the 3rd Infantry Division

Major Battles:
1. Chosin Reservoir (November-December 1950): One of the most desperate battles in modern military history
- Chinese forces surrounded U.N. troops in extreme cold (-40°F temperatures)
- The 65th helped cover the withdrawal of U.N. forces
- Puerto Rican soldiers, many from a tropical island, fought in conditions of extreme cold with inadequate winter clothing
- Multiple acts of heroism were documented

1. Outpost Kelly (1952): The 65th held and defended a strategic outpost under intense Chinese assault
2. Iron Triangle operations: The regiment participated in multiple offensive operations

The Mass Court-Martial (1953):
In September 1953, over 91 soldiers of the 65th Infantry were court-martialed for refusing to advance:
- The soldiers argued that they were being ordered into suicidal attacks without proper support
- The refusal occurred after a change in command — a new commanding officer with no experience with Puerto Rican troops and no Spanish language skills
- The court-martial was the largest in the Korean War
- Sentences ranged from 1 to 18 years in prison
- Context: the soldiers had been in continuous combat for months, sustained heavy casualties, and received inadequate replacements and supplies
- Many historians view the court-martial as racially motivated — mainland soldiers in similar situations were not mass-prosecuted

The Aftermath:
- Most sentences were reduced or commuted after review
- The 65th Infantry was eventually deactivated
- The Puerto Rican National Guard inherited the regiment's legacy
- For decades, the court-martial overshadowed the regiment's combat achievements

The Congressional Gold Medal (2014):
- In 2014 — 60 years after their service — the Borinqueneers were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal
- The delay itself is colonial: mainland units received recognition contemporaneously; Puerto Rican troops waited generations
- The award was the result of decades of advocacy by veterans and their descendants

The Colonial Military Pattern:
The Korean War experience repeats the pattern established in WWI, WWII, and Vietnam:
1. Puerto Ricans are drafted or volunteer for a military they cannot vote to control
2. They serve with distinction under difficult conditions
3. They face racism within the military institution
4. Their achievements are minimized or forgotten
5. Recognition, if it comes, arrives decades late