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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.
Jose G. Velez
Brooklyn, NYC | November 25, 2007
I'm going to wait to see the repeat of this important documentary film on the 65th Puerto Rican Regiment. It is unfortunate that I only saw the last few minutes of the film on NYC's TV 21. But I have to say that it did bring forth a well-spring of pride to be Puerto Rican and an American too. Although I'm essentially a pacifist, it does not cloud my thoughts that many our of men fought bravely and with strong convictions that what they were doing was justified for the essential freedom of the Korean peoples of the Southern half of this peninsula. They fought and died for their beliefs in themselves and in their respective "countries" - Puerto Rico and The United States. My father told me that after WWII ended he left the armed forces and soon came to the mainland, to the city of New York. If he had decided to remain in the armed forces he says he would have been deployed along with the 65th regimental Puerto Rican men. But he had no idea that war was on the horizon once again five years later after The Second World War ended. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened to him had he stayed in US Army in PR. Would he have been one of the brave soldiers who died their on Kelly Mountain or Jackson Heights? What would our lives be like today had he gone, and who knows what could have happened to him. I raise a toast to all PR soldiers who participated in so many American wars for the past 100 years, and did so with such bravery and sacrifice.
Maria Soler
Bronx, NY | November 24, 2007
My mom and I watched The Borinqueneers today. Her brother, Luis Amaro Garcia Pfc. was a part of the 65th Infantry in Korea. He died there in Sept of 1952. She remembers my grandfather receiving the news of his death. The video was a very touching and beautiful tribute to the Puerto Rican Soldier. The last time I watched the documentary, I got my brother the book that goes with the video. My family and I would like to sincerely thank all those involved in honoring all the men who fought as part of the most honored Puerto Rican Regiment. Thank You.
ERNESTO J. MARRERO
BETHLEHEM, PA | November 20, 2007
MY OLDER BROTHER WAS IN THE CORREA WAR, BUT HE WASNT IN THE 65TH INFANTRY REGIMENT. HE VOLUNTEER IN UNITED STATES, I BROUGHT THE DVD FOR HIM. I WONDERED HOW MANY PUERTORRICANS FOUGHT IN CORREA, BUT WERE ENLISTED IN USA? HE SAY THAT WAS THERE IN THE WAR BUT NOT IN THE FRONT LINES. THEY HAD OTHER DUTIES AROUND CORREA, BUT MEET MANY MEN FROM THE 65TH, AND HE IS VERY PROUD OF THEN. HE LOVES THE DOCUMENTARY AND LEARNED ABOUT MANY THINGS HE DIDNT KNOW. HE DOESNT TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT THE WAR, BUT HE LIKE TO SAY HELLO TO ALL PUERTORICANS IN THE MILITARY. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF ALL OF THEN, AND ALWAYS SERVED PROUD AND WITH HONOR. MANY PUERTORRICANS ALSO SERVED IN WW11 FROM UNITED STATES, BUT WE KNOW LITTLE ABOUT IT. I WISH THEY WERE MENTION IN THE FUTURE, I REMEMBERED 2 TEACHERS FROM SCHOOL, THAT WERE FIGHTING IN WW11, BUT NOTHING IS MENTION. I AM TRYING TO TALK TO MY BROTHERS THAT WERE IN VIETNAN AND CORREA TO FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WARS BUT I KNOW IS VERY HARD FOR THEN TO TALK ABOUT THE WAR. I LIKE TO WRITE HERE WHAT EVER INFORMATION I CAN GET FROM THEN, SO THE PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES, AND OTHER COUNTRIES, CAN LEARN ABOUT CONTRIBUTIONS OF PUERTORRICANS IN THE MILITARY FOR UNITED STATES AND PUERTO RICO. WE OWED THIS MEN THE FREEDOMS THAT WE HAVE TODAY IN OUR COUNTRIES. MY FAMILY IS VERY PROUD OF OUR SERVICE IN THE MILITARY. WE THANKS GOD THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE LIKE NOEMI, HECTOR ELIZONDO, DAVID ORTIZ,RAQUEL ORTIZ, MIGUEL PICKER, PATRICIA GARCIA, EL POZO PRODUCTIONS IN GENERAL, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HELP TO DO THIS GREAT DUCUMENTARY.
GOD BLESS AMERICA AND PUERTO RICO, ERNESTO J. MARRERO
Kay Bruce
Katy, TX | November 19, 2007
I was fortunate to see your documentary on Saturday at Rice University in Houston and was very moved and informed by it. I had not heard about the "Borinqueneers" before then. But now, what I do know I will share with my fellow Boricua's and others. I had an uncle who fought in the Korean war and I am going to ask my mother if he was part of the brave men with the distinguished lable of "Borinqueneer". Thanks again for your very much appreciated "labor of love".
Marie Lopez
Houston, TX | November 19, 2007
Thank you so much for all your years of hard research and labor on this documentary in behalf of the 65th. It is now our responsibility for the next generations to be informed and proud of their heritage. God Bless.
Jorge Velez
Killeen, TX....born in Sabana Grande, PR | November 17, 2007
I just saw the movie (Borinqueneers), it was great, made more proud to be a boricua...i'm always proud to be puerto rican...love to see one day a list of names back in the 50's who served in the 65th.....my uncles and father-in-law served in the army from P.R. back than..great movie, ty.....
1SG (RET) Wilson Rodriguez Manzano
Hinesville, Georgia | November 15, 2007
First, I'd like to thank the team for wonderful job in making this possible. It's obvious that it took extensive research. I'm a proud Puerto Rican Retired Army First Sergeant who served proudly for 23 years and in IRAQI Freedom. My father, Retired BG Rodriguez Balinas who served in the Borinquenneers during the Korean War taught me everything there is about our Puerto Rican Pride while serving in the Military. I just returned from PR where my father was recognized at the Colegio de Abogados for his outstanding contribition to the nation as a Veteran/Lawyer. This last Sunday we watched the documentary in PR's channel Six. The whole family comment, laughed and cried together as this wonderful production was going on. My father and I were so proud that at the end we marched around the house calling cadence. He turn around and I saluted him while saying BORINQUENEERS SIR!!!; he proudly returned my salute. It was so funny as it was emotional. Our whole family enjoyed this event. SOMOS LOS MEJORES SIN DUDA! 65th ALL THE WAY, HOOAH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sergeant Major (R) Orlando Gallardo
Columbus, GA | November 14, 2007
It was due, it was time that we did something to conmemorate a unique unit of soldiers that fought so bravely. If the 65th Infantry Regiment was active in the US Army today, it would be a lesson to all other units on how to fight, honor to serve and pride; to include a set of timbales equal to none. Hats off to this unit and to it's soldiers...I have you in my heart....
SPC Perez
Arecibo, PR | November 14, 2007
I am very proud that out of all the war documentry's of the US ARMY finally comes one of the 65 reg. I had known about the reg. and it's history but never seen much fotos of the soldiers who were behind the 65 inf. reg. I am curently deployed in iraq and can proudly say that out of all the soldiers that stand out here in country are latinos specially those from PR. When it comes down to improviseing, adapting and overcoming we truly dominate. Let it be known the history of 65 inf. reg. and the soldiers who stuggled and proudly served like never before seen. My personal opinion is that no other country has more outstanding soldiers than those from PR.
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.
I'm going to wait to see the repeat of this important documentary film on the 65th Puerto Rican Regiment. It is unfortunate that I only saw the last few minutes of the film on NYC's TV 21. But I have to say that it did bring forth a well-spring of pride to be Puerto Rican and an American too. Although I'm essentially a pacifist, it does not cloud my thoughts that many our of men fought bravely and with strong convictions that what they were doing was justified for the essential freedom of the Korean peoples of the Southern half of this peninsula. They fought and died for their beliefs in themselves and in their respective "countries" - Puerto Rico and The United States. My father told me that after WWII ended he left the armed forces and soon came to the mainland, to the city of New York. If he had decided to remain in the armed forces he says he would have been deployed along with the 65th regimental Puerto Rican men. But he had no idea that war was on the horizon once again five years later after The Second World War ended. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened to him had he stayed in US Army in PR. Would he have been one of the brave soldiers who died their on Kelly Mountain or Jackson Heights? What would our lives be like today had he gone, and who knows what could have happened to him. I raise a toast to all PR soldiers who participated in so many American wars for the past 100 years, and did so with such bravery and sacrifice.
MY OLDER BROTHER WAS IN THE CORREA WAR, BUT HE WASNT IN THE 65TH INFANTRY REGIMENT. HE VOLUNTEER IN UNITED STATES, I BROUGHT THE DVD FOR HIM. I WONDERED HOW MANY PUERTORRICANS FOUGHT IN CORREA, BUT WERE ENLISTED IN USA? HE SAY THAT WAS THERE IN THE WAR BUT NOT IN THE FRONT LINES. THEY HAD OTHER DUTIES AROUND CORREA, BUT MEET MANY MEN FROM THE 65TH, AND HE IS VERY PROUD OF THEN. HE LOVES THE DOCUMENTARY AND LEARNED ABOUT MANY THINGS HE DIDNT KNOW. HE DOESNT TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT THE WAR, BUT HE LIKE TO SAY HELLO TO ALL PUERTORICANS IN THE MILITARY. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF ALL OF THEN, AND ALWAYS SERVED PROUD AND WITH HONOR. MANY PUERTORRICANS ALSO SERVED IN WW11 FROM UNITED STATES, BUT WE KNOW LITTLE ABOUT IT. I WISH THEY WERE MENTION IN THE FUTURE, I REMEMBERED 2 TEACHERS FROM SCHOOL, THAT WERE FIGHTING IN WW11, BUT NOTHING IS MENTION. I AM TRYING TO TALK TO MY BROTHERS THAT WERE IN VIETNAN AND CORREA TO FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WARS BUT I KNOW IS VERY HARD FOR THEN TO TALK ABOUT THE WAR. I LIKE TO WRITE HERE WHAT EVER INFORMATION I CAN GET FROM THEN, SO THE PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES, AND OTHER COUNTRIES, CAN LEARN ABOUT CONTRIBUTIONS OF PUERTORRICANS IN THE MILITARY FOR UNITED STATES AND PUERTO RICO. WE OWED THIS MEN THE FREEDOMS THAT WE HAVE TODAY IN OUR COUNTRIES. MY FAMILY IS VERY PROUD OF OUR SERVICE IN THE MILITARY. WE THANKS GOD THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE LIKE NOEMI, HECTOR ELIZONDO, DAVID ORTIZ,RAQUEL ORTIZ, MIGUEL PICKER, PATRICIA GARCIA, EL POZO PRODUCTIONS IN GENERAL, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HELP TO DO THIS GREAT DUCUMENTARY.
GOD BLESS AMERICA AND PUERTO RICO,
ERNESTO J. MARRERO
First, I'd like to thank the team for wonderful job in making this possible. It's obvious that it took extensive research. I'm a proud Puerto Rican Retired Army First Sergeant who served proudly for 23 years and in IRAQI Freedom. My father, Retired BG Rodriguez Balinas who served in the Borinquenneers during the Korean War taught me everything there is about our Puerto Rican Pride while serving in the Military. I just returned from PR where my father was recognized at the Colegio de Abogados for his outstanding contribition to the nation as a Veteran/Lawyer. This last Sunday we watched the documentary in PR's channel Six. The whole family comment, laughed and cried together as this wonderful production was going on. My father and I were so proud that at the end we marched around the house calling cadence. He turn around and I saluted him while saying BORINQUENEERS SIR!!!; he proudly returned my salute. It was so funny as it was emotional. Our whole family enjoyed this event. SOMOS LOS MEJORES SIN DUDA! 65th ALL THE WAY, HOOAH!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was due, it was time that we did something to conmemorate a unique unit of soldiers that fought so bravely. If the 65th Infantry Regiment was active in the US Army today, it would be a lesson to all other units on how to fight, honor to serve and pride; to include a set of timbales equal to none. Hats off to this unit and to it's soldiers...I have you in my heart....