Memorial Day Message, May 27th, 2013
Memorial Day us a very sad day for Puerto Rico, not only for
the loss of life but for the fact that puertorricans have fought as members of
the US Armed Forces in defense on democracy to guarantee basic human rights for many countries around the world, but our Nation denies the most elemental constitutional and democratic rights to our soldiers.
Us Citizens who reside in Puerto Rico do not have right to elect and have a
proportional congressional representation. Puertorricans who serve in the
military are denied the right to vote for their Commander in Chief, POTUS and VP.
Puerto Rico has been a US territory since 1898. Puertorricans are US Citizens since 1917. We have had our own local Government and Constitution since 1952.
But it is tragic that US Citizens who reside in Puerto Rico do not have the same Constitutional rights and opportunities as other US Citizens who reside in any if the 50 states. In effect, US born citizens who fight to defend the US Constitution and US democracy live under a segregationist political status.
When you visit the Vietnam Memorial, please look for, touch their names and honor 345 puertorricans who died in Vietnam and were denied the full rights of the US Citizenship.
That is just the reason why Memorial Day is a sad day for Puerto Rico.
Hernán Padilla, MD
Former Mayor of San Juan, PR
President of Igualdad, Futuro Seguro
Facts about Puertorricans in the US Armed Forces.
THE 65th INFANTRY REGIMENT, AN ALL PUERTO RICAN REGIMENT OF THE USA ARMY SINCE
1908.
KOREAN WAR
THIS REGIMENT ESTABLISHED A REPUTATION AS ONE OF THE
3rd INFANTRY DIVISION’S BEST AND MOST DEPENDABLE FORMATIONS DURING THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THE KOREAN WAR..
IN THE FIRST YEAR IN KOREA, HAD WON 2 MEDAL OF HONOR,
14 SILVER STARS, 23 BRONCE STARS FOR VALOR AND 67 PURPLE HARTS IN BATTLE.
TODAY, ONLY THE 1ST BATTALION OF THE 65th INFANTRY REMAINS, A TESTIMONY TO A UNIQUE REGIMENT THAT SERVED THE UNITED STATES ARMY WELL FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.
IN ALL SOME 61,000 PUERTORICANS (ISLAND RESIDENTS) SERVED IN THE U.S. ARMY DURING THE KOREAN WAR WITH THE 65TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 48,000 OF THESE WERE
VOLUNTTARIES.
OVER THE COURSE OF WAR, 764 WERE KILLED IN ACTION AND 2,318 WOUNDED. ONE OF EVERY 42 CASUALTIES INCURRED BY U.S. FORCES WAS PUERTO RICAN, AND THE ISLAND SUFFERED ONE CASUALTY FOR EVERY 660 OF ITS INHABITANTS AS CONPARED TO ONE CASUALTY FOR EVERY 1125 INHAVITANTS OF THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES.
GEN.DOUGLAS Mac ARTHURTOKYO, 12 FEBRUARY 1951
“THE PUERTO RICANS FORMING THE RANKS OF THE GALLANT 65th INFANTRY ON THE BATTLEFIELDS OF KOREA…ARE WRITING A BRILLIANT RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENTS IN BATTLE
AND I AM PROUD INDEED TO HAVE THEM IN THIS COMMAND. I WISH THAT WE MIGHT HAVE MANY MORE LIKE THEM”
Have in mind that Puertorricans fought for freedom and democracy, but do not have the same rights, just because they were born and resided in Puerto Rico
WWI 19,000 SOLDIERS
WWII 65,034 SOLDIERS
KOREAN WAR 61,000 SOLDIERS
VIETNAMWAR 48,000 SOLDIERS
GOLF WAR 4,300 SOLDIERS
Iraq and Afghanistan – data not available.