65th Infantry Regiment "Borinqueneers" Bronze Medal 3 Inch

The 65^th Infantry Regiment “Borinqueneers” three–inch medal is a bronze duplicate of the Congressional Gold Medal awarded collectively to the 65^th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers, in recognition of its members’ pioneering military service, devotion to duty, and many acts of valor in the face of adversity.

Composed primarily of Hispanic soldiers, the U.S. Army 65^th Infantry Regiment was the last segregated unit of the U.S. military. Though restricted to noncombat roles during World War I, the regiment served heroically on the battlefields of World War II and Korea. As the regiment sailed to Asia in September 1950, members of the unit informally decided to call themselves the “Borinqueneers,” a term derived from the Taίno word for Puerto Rico meaning “land of the brave lord.” The regiment participated in some of the fiercest battles from 1950 to 1952, earning the admiration of many, and dispelling negative stereotypes and reservations about its fighting experience. By 1953, the regiment was fully integrated.

In April 1956, as part of the reduction in forces following the Korean War, the regiment was officially deactivated. In all, approximately 61,000 Puerto Ricans served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, the majority were part of the 65^th Infantry Regiment.

The obverse design depicts a portrait of a fictional Borinqueneer. The soldiers in the background are in an inverted “V” formation, taking the high ground with fixed bayonets during an assault on the enemy during the Korean War. The inscriptions are “65^th INFANTRY REGIMENT” and “BORINQUENEERS.” The Crossed Rifles insignia appears at the bottom of the design.

The reverse design depicts the Castillo de San Felipe del Morro of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is a 16^th-century citadel, a central symbol of Puerto Rico and the preferred military command ceremonial parade site of the 65^th Infantry Regiment. The inscriptions are “HONOR ET FIDELITAS,” “1899–1956,” “WORLD WAR I,” “WORLD WAR II,” “KOREAN WAR,” and “ACT OF CONGRESS 2014.”