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The "Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal" is a
Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. The congressional pract ...
awarded to
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
's 65th Infantry Regiment by President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
, at an official ceremony on June 10, 2014. On May 19, 2014, the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
passed the Bill, known as HR 1726 and three days later on May 22, 2014, the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
approved Bill S. 1174. With the approval of both houses, the president signed the legislation which awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry, the first segregated Hispanic military unit, and the first unit of the
Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
, to receive such distinction.


65th Infantry Regiment

The 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed "The Borinqueneers" from the original
Taíno The Taíno were a historic Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the ...
name of the island (Borinquen), was a segregated Puerto Rican regiment of the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
. The 65th Infantry Regiment participated in
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
,
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
and the
Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
.


Congressional Gold Medal

A Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...
and is, along with the
Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merit ...
, the highest civilian award in the United States. It is awarded to persons "who have performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized as a major achievement in the recipient's field long after the achievement." As of 2013, four military units had been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. These were the Navaho Wind Talkers – Native American Marines whose primary job was the transmission of secret tactical messages with the use of their Native language; the Nisei Soldiers -
Japanese American are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...
intelligence soldiers during WWII in the Pacific, Africa, Italy and France; the
Tuskegee Airmen The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332d Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the ...
- the first African-American military aviators; and the
Montford Point Marines The Montford Point Marine Association (MPMA) is a nonprofit military veterans' organization, founded to memorialize the legacy of the first African Americans to serve in the United States Marine Corps. The first African American U.S. Marines ...
- the first African-Americans to break the race barrier in the Marines. In addition, the Women's Air Service Pilots (WASP) received the Congressional Gold Medal.


Congressional Gold Medal initiative

The bill that would confer the Congressional Gold Medal on the 65th Infantry Regiment was introduced in both the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
and in the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...
. In order for the bill to become law and the medal to be conferred, one of those bills would have to pass in both chambers and be signed by the
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...
. was introduced into the House of Representatives on April 25, 2013 by Representative
Bill Posey William Joseph Posey (born December 18, 1947) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for , in Congress since 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he formerly served in the Florida Senate and the Florida ...
of Florida and
Pedro Pierluisi Pedro Rafael Pierluisi Urrutia (born April 26, 1959) is a Puerto Rican politician and lawyer currently serving as governor of Puerto Rico. He has previously served as Secretary of Justice, Resident Commissioner, acting Secretary of State, i ...
, Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner to the U.S. Congress. was introduced into the Senate on June 18, 2013 by Senator
Richard Blumenthal Richard Blumenthal (; born February 13, 1946) is an American lawyer and politician who is the senior United States senator from Connecticut, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he is one of the wealthiest members of ...
of Connecticut. The two bills, H.R. 1726 and S. 1174, were formally recognized as "identical bills" by the
Congressional Research Service The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a public policy research institute of the United States Congress. Operating within the Library of Congress, it works primarily and directly for members of Congress and their committees and staff on a ...
. This meant that they were "word-for-word identical." Section two of the bill reads as follows: Advocates garnered over 25 regional proclamations and resolutions signed by governors, mayors, county commissioners and state senators/representatives throughout the U.S., all urging the U.S. Congress to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry. There are also 10 memorials and monuments honoring the 65th Infantry around the nation.Puerto Rico Herald - Puerto Rico Perfil: El Regimiento del 65 de Infantería en Corea
, Retrieved 8 September 2007
On 14 August 2013, the Vietnam Veterans of America, a congressional-chartered veterans service organization, issued a national resolution in favor of the Congressional Gold Medal for the 65th Infantry Regiment. Also in August 2013, the Hispanic American Veterans of Connecticut announced their support of the CGM initiative. Other national organizations supporting the Congressional Gold Medal initiative include the
League of United Latin American Citizens The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the largest and oldest Hispanic and Latin-American civil rights organization in the United States. It was established on February 17, 1929, in Corpus Christi, Texas, largely by Hispanics ...
(LULAC), Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), American GI Forum (AGIF), and National Puerto Rican Coalition (NPRC).''Recognize the Borinqueneers Ahora!''
Fox News Latino; 8/26/13; by Larry Brystran. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
Individuals and organizations around the U.S. are currently advocated for the passage of both 65th Infantry CGM bills. They are urged their federal elected officials to join on as co-sponsors of HR 1726 in the House, and S 1174 in the Senate.''Former Bridgeport Man a Driving Force Behind Borinqueneers Effort''; Connecticut Latino News; 7/1/2013; by Barbara Thomas
Retrieved 13 August 2013.
The Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal Alliance, officially sponsored by the You Are Strong! Center on Veterans Health and Human Services, was the leading organization dedicated to the effort.


Congressional Gold Medal legislation

The Bill, known as HR 1726, passed favorably in the House on May 19, 2014. Three days later on May 22, 2014, the Senate approved Bill S. 1174. The Borinqueneers CGM Bill went to President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
, who signed the legislation, since then known as Public Law 113-120, at an official ceremony on June 10, 2014. The 65th Infantry is the first Hispanic military unit, and the first unit of the Korean War, to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.


Congressional Gold Medal design

A decision on designs for a congressional gold medal being awarded in 2015 to the Borinqueneers of the 65th Infantry Regiment was selected by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee on June 16, 2015. For the 65th Infantry Borinqueneers congressional gold medal, the CCAC recommended for the obverse a design depicting a close-up portrait of a unit staff sergeant, with three soldiers traversing rocky ground in the background. The recommended reverse features an historic sentry box in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, an olive branch, the 65th Infantry insignia patch and unit's motto, HONOR ET FIDELITAS (Honor and Fidelity). However, the gold medal design process and candidate design did not achieve unanimous support among various members of the Borinqueneers community. Some Borinqueneers advocates were not satisfied with the lack of fairness, inclusion, and transparency of the medal design process itself. In August 2015, the Borinqueneers CGM design was finally approved by the Secretary of the Treasury. On April 13, 2016, leaders of the United States House and Senate awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment.Congress honors Army's Borinqueneers with gold medal
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See also

* Military history of Puerto Rico * Camp Las Casas - the main training base of the "Porto Rico Regiment of Infantry" which would later become the 65th Infantry Regiment *
Puerto Ricans in World War I Puerto Ricans and people of Puerto Rican descent have participated as members of the United States Armed Forces in every conflict in which the United States has been involved since World War I. One of the consequences of the Spanish–American ...
*
Puerto Ricans in World War II Puerto Ricans and people of Puerto Rican descent have participated as members of the United States Armed Forces in the American Civil War and in every conflict which the United States has been involved since World War I. In World War II, more t ...


References

{{Reflist, 2 65th Infantry Regiment