Men of the 65th:
The Borinqueneers of the Korean
War
by Talia Aikens-Nunez
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GENRE: YA nonfiction
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BLURB:
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.
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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. -pages 65-67
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Talia Aikens-Nuñez writes chapter books, picture books, and
nonfiction for children. Her daughter inspired her to write her OMG Series of
books about an accidental little witch. She and her husband live on a river in
Connecticut with their daughter and son.
Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Men-65th-Borinqueneers-Korean-War-ebook/dp/B0BNT3ZRZQ/
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GIVEAWAY:
Talia
Aikens-Nunez will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via
rafflecopter during the tour.
We appreciate you featuring this book. Thank you.
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ReplyDeleteThis looks like a great read.
ReplyDeletesounds very interesting, I'll check it out
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