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Health & Fitness

America's Unsung Heroes

Anyone who knows me well knows I hate political correctness. As far as I'm concerned, political correctness is doing more to destroy our nation than any terrorist could possibly hope to. A society of finger pointing and guilt is, in my opinion, a society which is free falling into failure. Having said all that, though, I admit there are times when an unfairly treated group of people deserve to be recognized.

One such group are the "Borinqueneers." Never heard of 'em? Neither had I until recently. The Borinqueneers were members of the 65th Infantry Regiment out of Puerto Rico. They had served in World Wars One and Two, but really made their mark in the Korean War. There, they fought with extreme courage against often insurmountable odds.

You want tough? These guys were the last American soldiers to engage in a full fledged bayonet charge. You want brave? On a piece of rock known as Jackson Heights they fended off wave after wave of Chinese soldiers – all while being completely exposed to enemy artillery. You want reliable? When the Marines were catching hell at the dreaded Chosin Reservoir, it was the Borinqueneers who had their backs.

Yet in spite of such service, the 65th Infantry Regiment was treated harshly by our military. Many soldiers were allowed to have mustaches at the time, but the Borinqueneers were forced to shave theirs off. Why? Because white officers didn't think they were manly enough to deserve to wear them. What's more, these mainland officers took away the Borinqueneers' traditional Puerto Rican food and forced them to eat hot dogs (talk about really rubbing someone's face in it).

Never mind that the Borinqueneers had shed and spilled a whole lot of blood in Asia. Never mind that they were indeed United States citizens. They weren't white, they weren't from the continental United States and they had no one in real power to defend them. Therefore, there were subject to abuse and humiliation from the very people they were fighting for.

On a personal note, my father pretty much grew up in Puerto Rico. Like a lot of people living there at the time, though, he was a “continental” - a white American of strictly European descent who was born in the mainland United States. While serving in the military, he got to know and befriend members of the 65th Regiment. It wasn't until recently, however, that he learned of their history.

Now my father, along with many others, has joined in the fight to have the Borinqueneers recognized for their achievements by the United States government. Many American fighting regiments have received the Congressional Gold Medal, but the 65th Regiment has been sadly overlooked. It's time for that to change.

You can reach the Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal Alliance at http://www.65thcgm.org/

It's good to keep in mind that these were tough, honorable men who fought bravely for freedom in a place where merely wanting freedom could get you a bullet through the head. They may have been from a Caribbean Island, but they were American soldiers. Our soldiers.

They deserve their moment in the sun.

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