|
Screenings and Events
BORINQUENEERS STAMP CAMPAIGN
May 8, 2010 - Borinqueneers 65th MC PA Chapter 2nd Annual Puerto Rico Medal of Honor Memorial Monument Fundraiser Dinner
 The Borinqueneers 65th Motorcycle Club PA Chapter 2nd Annual Puerto Rico Medal of Honor Memorial Monument Fundraiser Dinner on May 8, 2010 will benefit the rebuilding of the now decaying Puerto Rico Memorial Monument located at the Freedom Foundation Medal of Honor Grove in Valley Forge, PA. It was built in honor of Puerto Rico's five Medal of honor recipients. The Gala Event will also host the Pennsylvania local premiere of the documentary film "THE BORINQUENEERS", with special invited guest Filmmaker Noemi Figueroa Soulet, as well as local 65th Infantry veterans. The Puerto Rico Memorial Monument was erected in August of 1977 by Colonel Lavon P. Linn but throughout the years has severely decayed. Only built from fiberglass and wood materials, it has cracked and rotted away including the plastic name plates and the seal of Puerto Rico which was made of a plastic composite as well. While other monuments were built or have been rebuilt of marble, stone or granite with seal and name dedication bronze plates, Puerto Rico's Memorial Monument has been forgotten!  The PA Borinqueneers 65th Motorcycle Club will never forget the sacrifice and heroism of our Puerto Rican Medal of Honor recipients and is committed to raising the funds needed to have this monument rebuilt no matter how long it takes. "It is our duty as veterans and Americans not to forget what these soldiers have endured through their flawless devotion and dedication to country! We will never falter." | Date: | Saturday, May 8, 2010 | | Time: | 4:00pm - 11:00pm | | Location: | Comfort Suite Hotel, 120 W. 3rd St, Bethlehem, PA 18015 |
Tickets in advance are $25 (or $30 at the door) and includes dinner, beer, DJ and entertainment. Dinner will be served at 6pm. Proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit the Memorial Monument Restoration. They need to raise $60,000 for the restoration. For a copy of the invitation flyer, click here: Invitation Flyer.
For more information about the campaign to renovate the PR Medal of Honor Monument or if you can't attend and want to donate to renovate the PR Medal of Honor Monument, you can make a tax-deductible contribution at our website at http://prmedalofhonor.webs.com/. At our website Donation Store, just select the Donation or Ticket Purchase option and pay on a secure website using PayPal. For more information or to make reservations, call Hector "Repoman" Diaz at 484) 767-5884.
JANUARY, 2010 - PUERTO RICAN PANORAMA SHOW AIRINGS
Noemí Figueroa Soulet, producer of “The Borinqueneers”—a documentary about the legendary 65th Infantry Regiment of Puerto Rico—will be the prime guest on the next Puerto Rican Panorama. Besides discussing the film, she will share information about an upcoming initiative intended to honor the historic military unit. Also appearing on the panel with Mrs. Figueroa will be Héctor Díaz of the PA Chapter of the Borinqueneers Motorcycle Club and Efraín Rivera of the American Legion Post 840—based in Philadelphia. This program will air (with closed-captions) on 6abc-TV of Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon, January 16, at 1:30 p.m. It will be re-broadcast early Sunday morning at 5 and overnight between Sunday & Monday at 3:30. After the weekend, it will be available for viewing on the 2nd WPVI channel on Wed. @ 8 a.m.; and Tues & Thurs. @ 6:30 p.m. For viewing on a digital TV set, the 2nd channel 6 is on 6.2. If TV set is not digital, cable providers have it on one of their channels (on Comcast, in the Philly area, it’s Ch. 245). On FiOS, it’s 466. NOVEMBER, 2009 PRESENTATIONS! Nov. 12th at 2pm - South Bronx JobCorps Academy, 1771 Andrews Ave, Bronx, NY. In honor of Veteran's Day. Nov. 17th at 5pm - HCC Beacon Hall, Bridgeport, CT. In honor of our Latino and Puerto Rican veterans sponsored by H.C.C. A.L.A.S. and the BPT Hispanic Heritage Committee. To RSVP and more information, please contact Magalys Cajigas , Advisor to HCC ALAS or Alma Maya at almita1452@yahoo.com. Nov. 30th at 1pm - Middle School 302, 681 Kelly Street, Bronx, NY 10455. PRIVATE EVENT. Rescheduled from Nov. 17th.
OCTOBER 15th - SCREENING IN COLUMBUS, OHIO
 In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Nationwide Insurance is sponsoring a presentation of THE BORINQUENEERS at the Arena Grand Theater, 175 W Nationwide Blvd., Columbus, OH 43215-2581 (614) 469-5000 (http://www.arenagrand.com/) on Thursday, October 15th, 2009. There will be a Nationwide Blue Carpet Entry beginning at 6:00 pm and the film will start promptly at 6:30 pm. Filmmaker Noemi Figueroa Soulet and local 65th veterans Miguel Berlingeri, Carlos Montes and Florentino Arocho Malave will be attending and participating in a question-and-answer session after the screening.
The beautiful, stadium-seating theater located in downtown Columbus has a Bistro & Bar and an attached parking garage at Marconi Parking for $1 (up to 4 hours). Be sure to bring your parking stub into the theatre for validation. This event is free of charge and open to the public but you must RSVP by October 12th and let us know if you are attending by calling at (614) 335-4966.
OCTOBER 4th - NY’S INSTITUTE OF PUERTO RICO HONORS NOEMI FIGUEROA SOULET
 Filmmaker Noemi Figueroa Soulet, along with others, was a honoree of this year’s Institute of Puerto Rico cultural awards in New York City. The Institute recognizes and rewards, through an annual cultural ceremony, prominent people in the community. Among the honorees have been José Ferrer, Lucy Boscana, His Eminence Bishop Roberto O. Gonzalez, Raul Juliá, Rita Moreno, Pablo Elvira, Marta Casals Istomin, Sister Isolina Ferré, Enrique Laguerre and many others.
Coincidentally, thirty-five years ago when Noemi was a young lady she volunteered her time as an escort for the honorees at the Institute’s award ceremonies. The Institute would select nine young ladies from the community to represent the Greek muses. According to Greek mythology, the muses were goddesses who inspired artists, musicians, writers and poets. Noemi participated for 5 years as a Muse and saw first hand the wonderful work that the Institute was doing on behalf of the community.
The Institute of Puerto Rico is the oldest Puerto Rican organization in New York City founded in 1946 by a group of educators and civic leaders. The Institute’s goal is to promote and maintain the Puerto Rican culture. The Institute conducts literary discussions, lectures, concerts and recitals. The money obtained through their activities is used to provide scholarships to talented students.
OCTOBER 2nd SCREENING AT THE YONKERS RIVERFRONT LIBRARY
THE BORINQUENEERS will be presented at the Yonkers Hispanic Culture Weekend in New York. The event will take place on Friday, October 2, 2009 at the Yonkers Riverfront Library at One Larkin Center in downtown Yonkers, New York opposite the Metro-North Train Station.
It is open to the public and free of charge. There will be a free salsa dance demonstration from 5:30 to 6:30 pm and sample delicacies from local Latin-American restaurants starting at 6 pm. The film will be screened at 7:00 pm. For more information, call (914) 337-1500 or visit their website at http://www.ypl.org.
Filmmaker Noemi Figueroa Soulet and 65th veteran Eugenio Quevedo will be attending. If there are any local 65th Infantry veterans who can attend, please contact El Pozo Productions and let us know.
SEPTEMBER 27th RE-BROADCAST ON THE ARMED FORCES NETWORK
For the enjoyment of our U.S. troops overseas, THE BORINQUENEERS will be presented on the Armed Forces Network (AFN) on September 27th. To find out the exact time it will be shown for your time zone, visit their website at Armed Forces Network Schedule Search and type in “The Borinqueneers” in the search field and select your time zone.
Some sample times are:
September 27 12:00pm Seoul 11:00am London 1:00pm Kuwait
SEPTEMBER 24TH - SCREENING AT YALE UNIVERSITY
THE BORINQUENEERS will be presented at Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University in honor of Hispanic Heritage month on September 24th from 4:00 to 7:00pm. The Peabody Museum is located in the Science Hill section of the Yale campus, at Whitney Avenue and Sachem Street in New Haven, Connecticut. Filmmaker Noemi Figueroa Soulet will be attending and participating in a question-and-answer session after the screening along with some 65th Infantry veterans. This is a private event for Yale staff.
SEPTEMBER 18th and 19th - WINNER OF AUDIENCE AWARD AT THE ORLANDO HISPANIC FILM FESTIVAL
 THE BORINQUENEERS was the Winner of the Audience Award at the 3rd Annual Orlando Hispanic Film Festival (OHFF) in the heart of Orlando, Florida, during Hispanic Heritage Month Sept. 16th - Sept. 20th, 2009. The film was screened on Friday, September 18th at 2:00pm and Saturday, September 18th at 3:00pm at the Plaza Cinema Café in Downtown Orlando, 155 S. Orange Avenue, 321) 558-2878. For more information about the film festival, call (321) 274-1570 or visit their website at http://www.ohfilmfestival.com. The filmmaker Noemi Figueroa Soulet attended. The festival organizers wrote “Your film contributed to our great success and was well received by the media, sponsors and patrons of the Festival.” We want to thank all of those who attended and voted for us; in particular, 65th veterans: SFC German Bravo and Raul Reyes Castañeira (both participated in the Q&A session), CSM Jose Amalbert (Ret.), Andres Medina and Igrail Morales; Carlos Guffain (65th vet LTC Tomas Guffain’s son), the Orlando chapter of the Borinqueneers Motorcycle Club and all my family and friends. ¡Gracias! 
AUGUST 22nd SCREENING AT THE SAGINAW FILM FESTIVAL
THE BORINQUENEERS will be presented at the 3rd Annual Saginaw Film Festival in Michigan which takes place August 20-23, 2009. The film will be screened on Saturday, August 22nd at 12:00pm at the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History, 500 Federal, Saginaw, Michigan. For more information, call (989)752-2861 or visit their website at http://www.riversidesaginawfilmfestival.org. If there are any local 65th Infantry veterans who can attend, please contact El Pozo Productions and let us know.
THE BORINQUENEERS WINS TWO 2008 INSIGHT AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
 El Pozo Productions received a 2008 Insight Award of Excellence by the National Association of Film and Digital Media Artists (NAFDMA) for its independent documentary film "The Borinqueneers" which showcases the history of the all-Puerto Rican 65th Infantry Regiment. A second Award of Excellence was also bestowed upon the acclaimed-actor, Hector Elizondo, for his outstanding voice-over work on the documentary film as the Narrator. Elizondo, an accomplished film, theater and television actor, as well as a director and producer with a career spanning 40 years, is currently appearing on the hit USA series, "Monk". THE BORINQUENEERS is currently airing nationally on PBS and the Armed Forces Network. NAFDMA presents the Insight Awards annually to individuals, businesses, and organizations in the film and/or digital media arts whose work is not only exemplary but also has made a contribution to society by increasing public awareness or raising social consciousness for situations, societies, and issues that affect our global communities. The Insight Awards honor filmmakers who, through their creative work, provide multiple viewpoints, create diversity, address complex social issues, and/or strengthen ties between international audiences across perceived boundaries of race, culture, age and gender. Entrants include major studios, film and video production companies, cable and broadcast television whose work is judged by industry professionals who are recognized for work in their respective fields. For information on the Insight Awards, visit www.insightawards.
HONORABLE MENTION BY THE CHRIS AWARDS
The Film Council of Greater Columbus takes pleasure in notifying you that your entries in the 56th Columbus International Film + Video Festival, also known as The Chris Awards, have won the following awards: The Borinqueneers
Honorable Mention (5 out of 7 rating points)
The Chris Statuettes, Bronze Plaque, and Honorable Mention awards will be presented at the 56th annual Awards Ceremony, Saturday, November 15, 2008 at the Columbus College of Art & Design. The main week of film screenings for the festival will be held November 11-16, 2008.
NEW BOOK – HONOR AND FIDELITY: The 65th Infantry in Korea, 1950-1953
 The long-awaited book written by the on-camera historian of THE BORINQUENEERS, Col. Gilberto Villahermosa, is now available! HONOR AND FIDELITY: The 65th Infantry in Korea, 1950-1953 discusses the experiences of the 65th Infantry, a Puerto Rican infantry unit, during the Korean War. Although in existence for almost fifty years, the 65th had not experienced intense combat until Korea. Despite a lack of previous wartime experience, the regiment did extremely well from September 1950 to August 1951, establishing a solid reputation as a dependable infantry unit. The combat performance of the unit began to slip from the summer of 1951 to the autumn of 1952, when major failures occurred, first at Outpost Kelly in late September and then at Jackson Heights a month later.
After the failures at Outpost Kelly and Jackson Heights, the Army recognized that these problems had to be decisively addressed or the regiment’s combat effectiveness would be permanently degraded. The Army reconstituted the 65th as a fully integrated infantry regiment in the spring of 1953. By that June, the regiment had redeemed itself in the eyes of the Army’s senior leadership. The unit’s colors remained in Korea until November 1954, when they returned to Puerto Rico. The paperback book is written in English and contains 348 pages with maps, tables and illustrations.
Col. Gilberto N. Villahermosa currently serves as the chief of the Office of Defense Cooperation, U.S. Embassy, Sana’a, Yemen. This Armor officer holds a Master in International Affairs, Master in Philosophy of Political Science, and Certificate in Advanced Soviet Studies from the Harriman Institute, Columbia University. In addition to troop assignments in Germany and the United States, he has served with the Joint Staff; Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe; International Security Assistance Force; and Combined Joint Task Force, Allied Force North. Col. Villahermosa’s father, CW2 Jesús María Villahermosa (Ret.) fought with the 65th Infantry Regiment in Korea from 1951 to 1952.
NEW BOOK – RETURN TO AVALON
 Add this important book to your collection about the 65th Infantry Regiment's participation during World War II!  In 1940, as the United States teetered toward entering the war in Europe, Gabriel Fuentes Jr. accepted an active duty commission as a second lieutenant in the 65th Infantry. Lieutenant Fuentes had just graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in engineering, using an ROTC scholarship to earn his way through school. Military planners, desperate for forces but influenced by the prejudices of the times, were not ready to fully trust the Puerto Ricans. The men of the 65th set about proving their doubters wrong. Their original assignments were protecting the interests of the U.S. in the Caribbean, including an extended stint guarding the Panama Canal. Their exemplary service there earned them a transfer to the African Theater and ultimately to the Maritime Alps, where they guarded supply lines and the Franco/Italian border in the closing hours of the war.
This comprehensive 510-page book serves as a stirring biography of one 65th Infantry officer, Gabriel Fuentes, Jr., and includes an early history of Puerto Rico with numerous and rare photographs of the 65th during World War II. In Return to Avalon, author Gabriel Fuentes III, aided by the invaluable insight of his uncle Jorge L. Fuentes Vazquez, uses elegant and richly detailed prose to tell the story of his father and the 65th Infantry and their important role in World War II. Written in English. Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.6 x 1.6 inches
En 1940, cuando los Estados Unidos vacilaba para entrar en la guerra en Europa, Gabriel Fuentes, hijo aceptó una comisión como subteniente para servicio activo en el Regimiento 65 de Infantería. El teniente Fuentes acababa de graduarse de la Universidad de Michigan como ingeniero, con la ayuda de una beca ROTC. Los planificadores militares, desesperados para fuerzas pero bajo la inflluencia de los prejuicios de los tiempos, no estaban listos a confiar totalmente en los puertorriqueños. Los hombres del 65 se emprendaron a probar sus escépticos incorrectos. Sus asignaciones originales protegían los intereses de los Estados Unidos en el Caribe, incluso un período extendido de vigilar el Canal de Panamá. Allí su servicio ejemplar los ganó una transferencia al teatro africano y por último a los Alpes Marítimos, donde ellos vigilaron líneas de abastecimiento y la frontera franco/italiana en las últimas horas de la guerra.
Este libro exhaustivo de 510 páginas sirve como biografía conmovedora de un oficial del 65 de Infantería, Gabriel Fuentes, hijo, e incluye una historia de Puerto Rico con numerosas y raras fotografías del 65 durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. En Return to Avalon, el autor Gabriel Fuentes III, ayudado por la perspicacia inestimable de su tío Jorge L. Fuentes Vazquez, usa prosa elegante y lujosamente detallada para contar la historia de su padre y el 65 de Infantería durante su papel importante en la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Escrito en inglés. Dimensiones: 10.5 x 8.6 x 1.6 pulgadas
Available for purchase for $60 at www.borinqueneers.com/shop
NEW BOOK in SPANISH – VIVENCIAS DE LA GUERRA
Many of you have requested more books in Spanish so we are pleased to continue expanding our collection of 65th Infantry books for the enjoyment of our supporters.
Written in Spanish by SPC 3 Angel M. Rivera Ortiz, recalling his experiences with the 65th Infantry Regiment when he served with the Second Battalion in the Korean War. 92 pages in paperback.
Escrito en español por Especialista de tercera clase Angel M. Rivera Ortiz, recordando sus experiencias con el Regimiento 65 de Infantería cuando sirvió en el Segundo Batallón durante la Guerra de Corea. 92 páginas de tapa suave.
AUGUST 21, 2008 - IMAGEN AWARDS NOMINATES THE BORINQUENEERS
 The Imagen Foundation nominated THE BORINQUENEERS in the “Best Documentary for Television” category for their 23rd Annual Imagen Awards which took place on Thursday, August 21 at 7 PM at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in California. “I am consistently amazed with the exponential growth in both the quantity and quality of the entries we receive each year,” stated Helen Hernandez, Founder of The Imagen Foundation and creator of the pioneering Imagen Awards, which annually draws A-list stars and luminaries from the world of Latino entertainment. “The increase of Latino representation across entertainment disciplines is truly indicative of the prevalent role we play in Hollywood, mainstream America, and throughout the world.” LATV, the nation’s first bilingual entertainment/music network distributed via digital multicast, will be airing a one-hour special on their channel featuring the Red Carpet arrival and behind-the-scenes exclusives of nominated Latinos at the 23rd Annual Imagen Awards. The Imagen Foundation works to enhance opportunities for Latinos in front of and behind the camera. Based in the Los Angeles area, the Imagen Foundation serves as a liaison between the industry and the Hispanic community by providing access, education and resources. For the complete list of the 2008 nominees, visit their website at www.imagen.org.
Awards & Honors
* Winner, Insight Award of Excellence, National Assoc. of Film & Digital Media Artists, 2008
* Hector Elizondo - Voice-over Narration -Winner, Insight Award of Excellence, National Assoc. of Film & Digital Media Artists, 2008
* Winner, Award of Excellence, Accolade Television Awards, 2008
* Winner, Best Puerto Rican Documentary, Rincon International Film Festival, 2008
* Winner, Best Professional Documentary, Real to Reel International Film Festival, 2008
* Winner - Audience Award, Orlando Hispanic Film Festival, 2009
* Honorable Mention, Chris Awards, 2008
* Nominee, Best Documentary for Television, Imagen Awards, 2008
* Finalist, Estela Award, National Association of Latino Independent Producers, 2008
* Official Selection, Saginaw Film Festival, 2009
* Official Selection, Cinesol Film Festival, 2008
* Official Selection, Tulipanes Latino Art & Film Festival, 2008
* Official Selection, Orlando Latin American Film & Heritage Festival, 2008
* Official Selection, Puerto Rican Film Series, PRIAC, 2007
IN MEMORIAM...
| Marcelino Cruz | October 11, 2008 | | LTC George D. Jackson (Ret.) | September 6, 2008 | | Maj. Gilberto Gonzalez Julia (Ret.) | September 1, 2008 | SFC Carmelo Roman-Vazquez (Ret.) | August 24, 2008 | | | | William Marquez | August 11, 2008 | Santiago Montalvo Montalvo | April, 2008 | | SSGT Antonio Santos Carrucini (Ret.) | March 19, 2008 | | LTC Tomás Guffain (Ret.) | February 10, 2008 | | Jesús Nieves Crespo | November 16, 2007 | | Carlos Ruíz Gaudín | December 1, 2006 | | SFC José Escribano, Sr. (Ret.) | June 14, 2006 | | LTC Romeo “Rick” Bucknell (Ret.) | March 15, 2006 | | CSM Jose “Pepe” Figueroa-Casos (Ret.) | January 5, 2006 | | Carmelo Acevedo | December 9, 2005 | | Jose Eugenio Rivera Acevedo | January, 2002 | | Miguel Angel Seda | date unknown | | | |
ONE-HOUR VERSION NOW AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC SCREENINGS
In response to public demand, we are happy to report that we now have available a one-hour version of THE BORINQUENEERS which is appropriately suited for many organizations who would like to schedule screenings of the film but had time restraints. This shorter length is perfect for Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations. If you are interested in purchasing the public performance rights, please call us at (914) 739-3989.
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH SEPT 15- OCT 15 Now is the time to plan your organization’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration with a screening and filmmaker appearance of THE BORINQUENEERS! This inspiring multi-media presentation will captivate audiences and serve as a perfect tribute to the service of our Hispanic-American soldier heroes. This educational and compelling presentation can be customized to your needs and include the participation of the filmmaker and, where possible, 65th Infantry veterans, along with a screening of the award-winning film THE BORINQUENEERS and a historial photo exhibit.
“Thank you for a very dynamic presentation... Your remarks clearly underscored the observance theme, “Americans Making a Positive Impact on American Society”… You engaged a diverse audience and left pearls of wisdom and encouragement for all that attended.“ - SGM (R) Gary E. Robinson Sr., Army National Guard Readiness Center CALL (914) 739-3989.
PAST SCREENINGS AND PRESENTATIONS
PBS & ARMED FORCES NETWORK (AFN) BROADCASTS
 The PBS Broadcasts of the 1-hour version of THE BORINQUENEERS have been a great SUCCESS! THANK YOU FOR WATCHING THE PROGRAM AND PLEDGING YOUR DONATIONS TO PBS.
We do not know about ALL the PBS broadcasts scheduled across the country. The ones we do know about we list here. Remember that even if you have missed your local broadcast, many stations will probably be re-broadcasting the program sometime in the future, particularly during pledge drives.
Call your local PBS station to inquire (and encourage) them to air it. Please send us the broadcast dates and times so we can include it here. You can also check your local listings at www.pbs.org to see if they will be airing it in your area. Check this page frequently as times and dates sometimes change.
Please note that these dates and times are subject to change. Check your local listings at www.pbs.org shortly before the scheduled broadcast to confirm.
The Armed Forces Network (AFN) has been airing THE BORINQUENEERS for our U.S. troops overseas. For the exact air dates and times in your area, visit the AFN website by clicking HERE.
Please let your family and friends know!
|
