March 20, 2023
In a striking telling, Aikens-Nuñez (Small Nap, Little Dream) chronicles the formation, accomplishments, court-martial, and legacy of the Army’s 65th Infantry Regiment, the only Puerto Rican unit in U.S. Army history. Via accessible and animated-feeling text, Aikens-Nuñez details Congress’s 1899 establishment of the 65th—known as the Borinqueneers—which was the “biggest, longest-standing Latino military unit in US history.” In a foreword, retired U.S. Army colonel Gilberto Villahermosa describes the 65th as one of only four units to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, while subsequent brief, propulsive chapters outline how the unit would eventually serve in both world wars and the Korean War. Despite the Borinqueneers’ acumen, they still endured prejudiced treatment from fellow troops, who believed that “Puerto Ricans could never be good soldiers.” In penultimate chapter “Courts-Martial,” the author explains how 92 Borinqueneers were found guilty in November 1952 for refusing to fight following the unit’s near-massacre in a strategic battle, a crime for which none of the continental U.S. soldiers involved were tried. An important read about an often forgotten piece of U.S. military history that celebrates its subject by forefronting their bravery in overcoming obstacles both foreign and domestic. Ages 11–up.