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Men of the 65th: Honoring Puerto Rican Borinqueneers

“Honor and Fidelity” is the motto of the 65th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Borinqueneers, the only Puerto Rican unit in the United States Army. To honor National Hispanic Heritage Month, Connecticut author Talia Aikens-Nuñez will share the 65th’s story—one of the forgotten sagas of the Korean War—and the challenges they faced leading up to the largest court martial in the war in “Men of the 65th: The Borinqueneers of the Korean War,” at the New Haven Museum on Oct. 3, at 6 p.m., preceded by a reception at 5:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Since the regiment’s creation in 1899, the men of the 65th have proudly served the U.S. through multiple wars despite facing racial discrimination. The Borinqueneers fought in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. Due to segregation, Aikens-Nuñez says, it was not until the Korean War that they were able to demonstrate their determination, bravery, and courage.

Aikens-Nuñez will base her lecture on her book of the same title, underscoring the courageousness of the men of the 65th and the soldiers’ firsthand accounts of the Korean War. The commander of the United Nations Forces, General MacArthur, visited the unit on the Korean battlefield and praised their “brilliant record of achievement in battle.” But the honor and fidelity of the men of the 65th came into question in 1952 when 91 Borinqueneers were arrested and tried for desertion and disobeying orders. Years later, the convictions were overturned for the Borinqueneers, and they were given honorable discharges.

For more information, visit newhavenmuseum.org or @NewHavenMuseum or call 203-562-4183.