,i #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #agbf ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,april #be1 #bjac ,mr4 ,posey 7for himself and ,mr4 ,pierluisi7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,financial ,services1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,house ,administration1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to award a ,congressional ,gold ,medal to the #feth ,infantry ,regiment1 known as the ,borinqueneers4 #a4 ,findings ,the ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,in #ahih1 the ,united ,states acquired ,puerto ,rico in the ,treaty of ,paris that ended the ,spanish-,american ,war and1 by the following year1 ,congress had authorized raising a unit of volunteer soldiers in the newly acquired territory4 7#b7 ,in ,may #aiag1 two months after legislation granting ,united ,states citizenship to individuals born in ,puerto ,rico was signed into law1 and one month after the ,united ,states entered ,world ,war ,i1 the unit was transferred to the ,panama ,canal ,zone because ,united ,states ,army policy at the time restricted most segregated units to noncombat roles1 although the regiment could have contributed to the fighting effort4 7#c7 ,in ,june #aibj1 the unit was re-designated as the #feth ,infantry ,regiment1 ,united ,states ,army1 and it would serve as the ,united ,states military's last segregated unit composed of ,hispanic soldiers4 7#d7 ,in ,january #aidc1 #ac months after the attack on ,pearl ,harbor that marked the entry of the ,united ,states into ,world ,war ,,ii1 the ,regiment again deployed to the ,panama ,canal ,zone1 before deploying overseas in the spring of #aidd4 7#e7 ,despite the ,regiment's relatively limited combat service in ,world ,war ,,ii1 the unit suffered casualties in the course of defending against enemy attacks1 with individual soldiers earning one ,distinguished ,service ,cross1 two ,silver ,stars1 two ,bronze ,stars and #ij ,purple ,hearts1 and the unit receiving campaign participation credit for ,rome-,arno1 ,rhineland1 ,ardennes-,alsace1 and ,central ,europe4 7#f7 ,although an executive order issued by ,president ,harry ,s4 ,truman in ,july #aidh declared it to be ,united ,states policy to ensure equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without respect to race or color1 implementation of this policy had yet to be fully realized when armed conflict broke out on the ,korean peninsula in ,june #aiej1 and both ,african-,american soldiers and ,puerto ,rican soldiers served in segregated units4 7#g7 ,brigadier ,general ,william ,w4 ,harris1 who served as the ,regiment's commander during the early stages of the ,korean ,war1 later recalled that he had initially been reluctant to take the position because of prejudice within the military and the feeling of the officers and even the brass of the ,pentagon 4 4 4 that the ,puerto ,rican wouldn't make a good combat soldier4 4 4 4 ,i know my contemporaries felt that way and1 in all honesty1 ,i must admit that at the time ,i had the same feeling 4 4 4 that the ,puerto ,rican was a rum and ,coca-,cola soldier44 7#h7 ,one of the first opportunities the regiment had to prove its combat worthiness arose on the eve of the ,korean ,war during ,,portrex1 one of the largest military exercises that had been conducted up until that point1 where the ,regiment distinguished itself by repelling an offensive consisting of over #cb1jjj troops from the #hbnd ,airborne ,division and the ,united ,states ,marine ,corps1 supported by the ,navy and ,air ,force1 thereby demonstrating that ,puerto ,rican soldiers could hold their own against some of the best-trained soldiers in the ,united ,states military4 7#i7 ,in ,august #aiej1 as the ,united ,states ,army's situation in ,korea deteriorated1 the commander of the #crd ,infantry ,division requested another infantry regiment to be added to his organization and1 owing in large part to the #feth ,infantry ,regiment's outstanding performance during ,,port,,rex1 it was selected for the assignment4 7#aj7 ,as the ,regiment sailed to ,asia in ,september #aiej1 members of the unit informally decided to call themselves the ,borinqueneers1 a term derived from the ,taino word for ,puerto ,rico meaning land of the brave lord4 7#aa7 ,the story of the #feth ,infantry ,regiment during the ,korean ,war has been aptly described as one of pride1 courage1 heartbreak1 and redemption4 7#ab7 ,fighting as a segregated unit from #aiej to #aieb1 the ,regiment participated in some of the fiercest battles of the war1 and its toughness1 courage and loyalty earned the admiration of many who had previously harbored reservations about ,puerto ,rican soldiers based on negative stereotypes1 including ,brigadier ,general ,william ,w4 ,harris1 whose experience eventually led him to regard the ,regiment as the best damn soldiers that ,i had ever seen4 7#ac7 ,arriving in ,pusan1 ,south ,korea in ,september #aiej1 the regiment was assigned the mission of destroying or capturing small groups of ,north ,korean soldiers1 and its success led ,general ,douglas ,mac,arthur1 ,commander-in-,chief of the ,united ,nations ,command in ,korea1 to observe that the ,regiment was showing magnificent ability and courage in field operations4 7#ad7 ,in ,december #aiej1 following ,china's intervention in the war1 the ,regiment engaged in a series of fierce battles with the enemy to cover the rear guard of the #ast ,marine ,division as it executed one of the greatest withdrawals in modern military history during the fighting retreat from the ,chosin ,reservoir4 7#ae7 ,the ,regiment was instrumental in helping to secure the final foothold for the ,marine evacuation at ,hungham1 and was among the last units to leave the beachhead on ,christmas ,eve1 suffering tremendous casualties in the process4 7#af7 ,the winter conditions in ,korea presented significant hardships for the ,regiment1 which suffered hundreds of casualties because its soldiers lacked appropriate gear to fight in sub-zero temperatures4 7#ag7 ,between ,january and ,march #aiea1 the ,regiment participated in numerous operations to recover and retain ,south ,korean territory lost to the enemy1 assaulting heavily fortified enemy positions and conducting the last recorded battalion-sized bayonet assault in ,united ,states ,army history4 7#ah7 ,on ,january #ca1 #aiea1 the commander of ,eighth ,army1 ,lieutenant ,general ,matthew ,b4 ,ridgway wrote to the ,regiment's commander3 ,what ,i saw and heard of your regiment reflects great credit on you1 your regiment1 and the people of ,puerto ,rico1 who can be proud of their valiant sons4 ,i am confident that their battle records and training levels will win them high honors4 4 4 4 ,their conduct in battle has served only to increase the high regard in which ,i hold these fine troops4 7#ai7 ,on ,february #c1 #aiea1 ,general ,mac,arthur wrote3 ,the ,puerto ,ricans forming the ranks of the gallant #feth ,infantry on the battlefields of ,korea by valor1 determination1 and a resolute will to victory give daily testament to their invincible loyalty to the ,united ,states and the fervor of their devotion to those immutable standards of human relations to which the ,americans and ,puerto ,ricans are in common dedicated4 ,they are writing a brilliant record of achievement in battle and ,i am proud indeed to have them in this command4 ,i wish that we might have many more like them4 7#bj7 ,the ,regiment played a critical role in the ,united ,states counteroffensive responding to a major push by the ,chinese ,communist ,forces 7,,cff7 in #aiea1 winning praise for its superb performance in multiple battles1 including ,operations ,,killer and ,,ripper4 7#ba7 ,by #aieb1 in light of the ,regiment's proven fighting abilities1 senior ,united ,states commanders ordered that replacement soldiers from ,puerto ,rico should no longer be limited to service in the ,regiment1 but could be made available to fill personnel shortages in non-segregated units both inside and outside the #crd ,infantry ,division1 a major milestone that1 paradoxically1 harmed the ,regiment by depriving it of some of ,puerto ,rico's most able soldiers4 7#bb7 ,beyond the many hardships endured by most ,american soldiers in ,korea1 the ,regiment faced unique challenges due to discrimination and prejudice1 including-- 7,a7 the humiliation of being ordered to shave their moustaches until such a time as they gave proof of their manhood2 7,b7 being forced to use separate showering facilities from their non-,hispanic ,continental officers2 7,c7 being ordered not to speak ,spanish under penalty of court-martial2 7,d7 flawed personnel-rotation policies based on ethnic and organizational prejudices2 and 7,e7 a catastrophic shortage of trained noncommissioned officers4 7#bc7 ,in #aiec1 the now fully integrated ,regiment earned admiration for its relentless defense of ,outpost ,harry1 during which it confronted multiple company-size probes1 full-scale regimental attacks1 and heavy artillery and mortar fire from ,chinese forces1 earning #ad ,silver ,stars1 #bc ,bronze ,stars1 and #fg ,purple ,hearts1 in operations that ,major ,general ,eugene ,w4 ,ridings described as highly successful in that the enemy was denied the use of one of his best routes of approach into the friendly position44 7#bd7 ,for its extraordinary service during the ,korean ,war1 the ,regiment received two ,presidential ,unit ,citations 7,army and ,navy71 two ,republic of ,korea ,presidential ,unit ,citations1 a ,meritorious ,unit ,commendation 7,army71 a ,navy ,unit ,commendation1 the ,bravery ,gold ,medal of ,greece1 and campaign participation credits for ,united ,nations ,offensive1 ,,ccf ,intervention1 ,first ,united ,nations ,counteroffensive1 ,,ccf ,spring ,offensive1 ,united ,nations ,summer-,fall ,offensive1 ,second ,korean ,winter1 ,korea ,summer-,fall #aieb1 ,third ,korean ,winter1 and ,korea ,summer #aiec4 7#be7 ,in ,korea1 soldiers in the ,regiment earned a total of #aj ,distinguished ,service ,crosses1 approximately #bej ,silver ,stars1 over #fjj ,bronze ,stars1 and more than #b1gjj ,purple ,hearts1 but--despite numerous individual acts of uncommon valor--no ,medals of ,honor4 7#bf7 ,in all1 some #fa1jjj ,puerto ,ricans served in the ,united ,states ,army during the ,korean ,war1 the bulk of them with the #feth ,infantry ,regiment--and over the course of the war1 ,puerto ,rican soldiers suffered a disproportionately high casualty rate1 with over #gdj killed and over #b1cjj wounded4 7#bg7 ,in ,april #aief1 as part of the reduction in forces following the ,korean ,war1 the #feth ,infantry ,regiment was deactivated from the ,regular ,army and1 in ,february #aiei1 became the only regular ,army unit to have ever been transferred to the ,national ,guard1 when its #ast battalion and its regimental number were assigned to the ,puerto ,rico ,national ,guard1 where it has remained ever since4 7#bh7 ,in #aihb1 the ,united ,states ,army ,center of ,military ,history officially authorized granting the #feth ,infantry ,regiment the special designation of ,borinqueneers4 7#bi7 ,in the years since the ,korean ,war1 the achievements of the ,regiment have been recognized in various ways1 including-- 7,a7 the naming of streets in honor of the regiment in ,san ,juan1 ,puerto ,rico and ,the ,bronx1 ,new ,york2 7,b7 the erecting of plaques and other monuments to honor the ,regiment at ,arlington ,national ,cemetery in ,arlington1 ,virginia2 the ,san ,juan ,national ,historic ,site in ,san ,juan1 ,puerto ,rico2 ,ft4 ,logan ,national ,cemetery in ,denver1 ,colorado2 and at sites in ,boston1 ,massachusetts and ,ocala1 ,florida2 7,c7 the renaming of a park in ,buenaventura ,lake1 ,florida as the #feth ,infantry ,veterans ,park2 7,d7 a grant awarded by the ,new ,york ,state government to establish a memorial honoring the ,regiment at ,buffalo ,erie ,county ,naval ,military ,park in ,buffalo1 ,new ,york2 7,e7 the introduction or adoption of resolutions or proclamations honoring the ,regiment by the ,city of ,buffalo1 ,new ,york2 the ,city of ,deltona1 ,florida2 the ,city of ,kissimmee1 ,florida2 the ,city of ,orlando1 ,florida2 the ,city of ,springfield1 ,massachusetts2 the ,county of ,erie1 ,pennsylvania2 the ,florida ,house of ,representatives2 the ,new ,york ,state ,assembly2 the ,new ,york ,state ,senate2 and the ,texas ,state ,senate2 and 7,f7 the #aihe issuance of a ,united ,states ,postal ,service ,korean ,war ,commemorative ,stamp depicting soldiers from the ,regiment4 7#cj7 ,in a speech delivered at a ,september #bj1 #bjjj1 ceremony at ,arlington ,national ,cemetery in honor of the ,regiment1 ,secretary of the ,army ,louis ,caldera said3 ,even as the #feth struggled against all deadly enemies in the field1 they were fighting a rearguard action against a more insidious adversary--the cumulative effects of ill-conceived military policies1 leadership shortcomings1 and especially racial and organizational prejudices1 all exacerbated by ,america's unpreparedness for war and the growing pains of an ,army forced by law and circumstance to carry out racial integration4 ,together these factors would take their inevitable toll on the #feth1 leaving scars that have yet to heal for so many of the regiment's proud and courageous soldiers44 7#ca7 ,secretary ,caldera said3 ,to the veterans of the #feth ,infantry ,regiment who1 in that far off land fifty years ago1 fought with rare courage even as you endured misfortune and injustice1 thank you for doing your duty4 ,there can be no greater praise than that for any soldier of the ,united ,states ,army44 7#cb7 ,secretary ,caldera noted that the men of the #feth who served in ,korea are a significant part of a proud tradition of service that includes the ,japanese ,american #ddbnd ,regimental ,combat ,team1 the ,african ,american ,tuskegee ,airmen1 and many other unsung minority units throughout the history of our armed forces whose stories have never been fully told44 7#cc7 ,the service of the men of the #feth ,infantry ,regiment is emblematic of the contributions to the armed forces that have been made by hundreds of thousands of brave and patriotic ,united ,states citizens from ,puerto ,rico over generations1 from ,world ,war ,i to the most recent conflicts in ,afghanistan and ,iraq1 and in other overseas contingency operations4 #b4 ,congressional gold medal 7a7 ,award ,authorized ,the ,speaker of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,president pro tempore of the ,senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the award1 on behalf of the ,congress1 of a single gold medal of appropriate design in honor of the #feth ,infantry ,regiment1 known as the ,borinqueneers1 in recognition of its pioneering military service1 devotion to duty1 and many acts of valor in the face of adversity4 7b7 ,design and ,striking ,for the purposes of the award referred to in subsection 7a71 the ,secretary of the ,treasury 7hereinafter in this ,act referred to as the ,secretary7 shall strike the gold medal with suitable emblems1 devices1 and inscriptions1 to be determined by the ,secretary4 7c7 ,smithsonian ,institution 7#a7 ,in general ,following the award of the gold medal in honor of the #feth ,infantry ,regimen1 known as the ,borinqueneers1 the gold medal shall be given to the ,smithsonian ,institution1 where it will be displayed as appropriate and made available for research4 7#b7 ,sense of the ,congress ,it is the sense of the ,congress that the ,smithsonian ,institution shall make the gold medal received under this ,act available for display elsewhere1 particularly at other appropriate locations associated with the #feth ,infantry ,regiment1 including locations in ,puerto ,rico4 #c4 ,duplicate medals ,under such regulations as the ,secretary may prescribe1 the ,secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck under section #b1 at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals1 including labor1 materials1 dies1 use of machinery1 and overhead expenses4 #d4 ,national medals ,medals struck pursuant to this ,act are national medals for purposes of chapter #ea of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code4 #e4 ,authorization of appropriations2 proceeds of sale 7a7 ,authorization of ,appropriations ,there is authorized to be charged against the ,united ,states ,mint ,public ,enterprise ,fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the cost of the medals struck pursuant to this ,act4 7b7 ,proceeds of ,sale ,amount received from the sale of duplicate bronze medals under section #c shall be deposited in the ,united ,states ,mint ,public ,enterprise ,fund4