Assembly Resolution No. 610

BY: M. of A. Ramos

COMMEMORATING the 103rd Anniversary of the naming
of the Borinqueneers on June 4, 2023, and paying
tribute to these soldiers of the 65th Infantry
Regiment for their courage, bravery, service and
dedication to the United States Armed Forces

WHEREAS, Members of the Armed Services from the State of New York,
who have served so faithfully and courageously in wars in which our
Nation's freedom was at stake, as well as in the preservation of peace
during peacetime, deserve a special salute from this Legislative Body;
and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the
103rd Anniversary of the naming of the Borinqueneers on June 4, 2023,
and to pay tribute to these soldiers of the 65th Infantry Regiment for
their courage, bravery, service and dedication to the United States
Armed Forces; and

WHEREAS, Each year, National Borinqueneers Day is celebrated in
April to recognize the many meritorious contributions of the
Borinqueneers and to highlight their representation of Hispanic soldiers
and veterans; and

WHEREAS, The 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the Borinqueneers
during the Korean War for the original Taino Indian name for Puerto Rico
(Borinquen), is a Puerto Rican regiment of the United States Army; and

WHEREAS, On March 2, 1899, the United States Congress created the
Army Appropriation Bill to create the first body of native troops in
Puerto Rico, and on June 30, 1901, the "Porto Rico Provisional Regiment
of Infantry" was organized; and

WHEREAS, On July 1, 1908, the United States Congress incorporated
the regiment into the regular Army as the Puerto Rico Regiment of
Infantry, United States Army, and on May 14, 1917, the regiment was
activated, and additional men were assigned, with the unit being sent to
serve at Panama; on June 4, 1920, the regiment was renamed the 65th
Infantry; and

WHEREAS, During World War II, the 65th Infantry Regiment saw action
in the European Theater, especially France and Germany, participating in
Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno and Rhin; years later, several Purple Hearts
were awarded posthumously to members of the regiment; and

WHEREAS, During the Korean War, the 65th Infantry Regiment,
hereafter, the Borinqueneers, engaged in substantial combat operations
on the Korean Peninsula, and the unit played a central role in several
offenses and counter-offenses that earned it well-deserved admiration
and commendation; and

WHEREAS, Wounded Borinqueneers were evacuated from Korea to Walter
Reed Medical Center in Baltimore and once discharged, they would fly

from Baltimore to Laguardia Airport in New York where they would stay a
few days and participate in parades in the Bronx and Harlem; and

WHEREAS, The 65th Infantry Regiment was deactivated from the regular
United States Army, and in 1959, its units and regimental number were
assigned to the Puerto Rico National Guard; and

WHEREAS, The United States Army Center of Military History in 1982
officially authorized designating the 65th Infantry Regiment as the
"Borinqueneers"; and

WHEREAS, On June 14, 2014, President Obama signed into law 113-129
the Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal authorization bill; and

WHEREAS, The Borinqueneers have been honored and recognized in and
throughout the great State of New York for their contributions,
including having a section of Southern Boulevard in the South Bronx
co-named La 65 de Infanteria Boulevard in 2012, and having the National
Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City dedicated to them in 2014; and

WHEREAS, On April 13, 2016, Congress awarded the Congressional Gold
Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment in recognition of the Borinqueneers'
numerous contributions to American history and outstanding military
service from World War I through the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and
Iraq; and

WHEREAS, The Borinqueneers were symbols of hope for people willing
to make sacrifices for a better future, even as they searched for
acceptance and equality; as long as the memory of their valor is
honored, their sacrifices will not be in vain, and their legacy will
live on for generations of Puerto Ricans to be proud of; and

WHEREAS, Our Nation's veterans deserve to be recognized, commended
and thanked by the people of the State of New York for their service and
for their dedication to their communities, their State and their Nation;
now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 103rd Anniversary of the naming of the Borinqueneers on
June 4, 2023, and to pay tribute to these soldiers of the 65th Infantry
Regiment for their courage, bravery, service and dedication to the
United States Armed Forces; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the National Museum of the United States Army and the New
York Military Museum and Veterans Research Center.