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1. I absolutely love to travel. I love pristine, white sandy beaches, warm tropical air and the sulphury smell of the ocean. And, I love snow shoeing in below freezing conditions with a gentle breeze caressing my cheeks during winter, climbing up mountains to gaze upon amazing views and overlooks. And, I love sightseeing and learning little know facts and history of small towns and big cities. Travel makes my heart sings.
2. To understand more about the Borinqueneers, I took my family on an amazing vacation to Vieques. Vieques is a tiny island that sits just off the coast of the Puerto Rico mainland. It is just twenty-one miles long and three miles wide. The military had a base there. It was the site of a large-scale exercise that the Borinqueneers were in called Operation PORTREX. It helped me to connect more with the story of the Men of the 65th. And, I enjoyed feeding the wild horses mangoes and the chicken pieces of lettuce.
3. I rarely get my hair cut. I am finally getting a hair cut in the next few weeks. It has been about a year. (But, I do regularly wash my hair)
4. I have two different ears (which is weird). I have one ear exactly like my mother’s and one ear exactly like my father’s. I know, strange but true.
5. I love to play games – everything from Monopoly to dice to cards. As a kid, I loved to play Monopoly, backgammon, Risk and cards. With my kids we play all sorts of games but my favorite card game is Spades.
Honor and Fidelity. That is the motto of the 65th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Borinqueneers, the only Puerto Rican unit in the United States Army.
Since the regiment’s creation in 1899, the men of the 65th have proudly served the US through multiple wars, despite facing racial discrimination. Their courage, loyalty, and patriotism earned them hundreds of accolades, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014.
But the honor and fidelity of the men of the 65th came into question in 1952, in the midst of the Korean War, when ninety-one Borinqueneers were arrested and tried for desertion and disobeying orders. How could this happen in one of the most distinguished and decorated units of the Army?
In this telling of one of the forgotten stories of the Korean War, author Talia Aikens-Nuñez guides us through the history of the Borinqueneers and the challenges they faced leading up to what was the largest court martial in the entire war. Rediscover the bravery of the men of the 65th through Aikens-Nuñez’s thorough writing and the soldiers’ firsthand accounts of the Korean War.
Read an Excerpt
“The Borinqueneers successfully defended the 1st Marine Division’s retreat, but they soon realized this was only part of a much larger withdrawal of UNC [United Nations Command] troops. As the retreat continued into mid-December, news came that the enemy buildup had accelerated. Chinese and North Korean forces were gathering and converging on Hungnam. The UNC’s worst fears were coming true: they were losing ground in the war.
They had to accelerate their plans in response to protect their troops and evacuate the Korean refugees that had fled to Hungnam. They ordered troops to board ships, division by division, and sail south to Pusan… Meanwhile, the 65th and the 3rd Infantry Divisions would hold the main line of resistance, providing enough cover for everyone to make it safely out of Hungnam…With each withdrawal, the enemy continued to push the Borinqueneers and the 3rd Infantry Division.
…They were exhausted from several days of fighting…The soldiers of the 65th were some of the last to leave Hungnam. They were hurried and squeezed tightly onto the final boats. Finally, they could rest and relax. Once they left, the military would destroy the port so the enemy could not use the equipment and facilities against them.
…After they loaded onto the final ship and set sail, the dynamite detonated. The soldiers looked back and watched the port explode…everything – erupted in smoke and flame.
About the Author:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Men-65th-Borinqueneers-Korean-War/dp/1728479142
Lerner: https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22654
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/talia_n
Website: http://www.kidslitbytalia.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/taliaaikensnunezchildrenswriter
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ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the post and excerpt.
ReplyDeleteOh my how I would love to read this. I have never heard of the unit until this hop. I love to read about history
ReplyDeleteThe excerpt was great.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a good book. Thanks for sharing the excerpt
ReplyDelete