Full Text of HR0350 98th General Assembly
HR0350 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Military heroes who served valiantly and | 3 | | honorably in wars in which this country's freedom was at stake | 4 | | should be recognized by the people of this great nation; the | 5 | | courage with which these soldiers fought should never be | 6 | | forgotten; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with | 8 | | its long standing traditions, it is the sense of the members of | 9 | | this body to urge Congress to recognize the 65th Infantry | 10 | | Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers, and recommend that the | 11 | | regiment receives the Congressional Gold Medal; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, This auspicious honor is an award bestowed by the | 13 | | United States Congress and is, along with the Presidential | 14 | | Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United | 15 | | States; it is given to persons who have had an impact on | 16 | | American history and culture that is likely to be recognized | 17 | | long after the achievement of the meritorious events; the | 18 | | Borinqueneers have truly had this kind of impact; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, Mandated by Congress in 1899, the 65th Infantry | 20 | | Regiment from Puerto Rico, the Borinqueneers, played a | 21 | | prominent role in American military history; the regiment has | 22 | | participated in 3 United States wars, World War I, World War |
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| 1 | | II, and, most notably, the Korean War; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Enlisted in the United States Armed Forces, the | 3 | | Borinqueneers courageously shed their blood, sweat, and tears | 4 | | to defend our freedoms; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, The 65th Infantry Regiment of Puerto Rico earned | 6 | | the sole distinction of conducting the last battalion-sized | 7 | | bayonet charge in American military history; one battalion from | 8 | | the 65th Infantry Regiment, the Borinqueneers, gallantly faced | 9 | | overwhelming odds on February 2, 1951, while in combat against | 10 | | the 9th Chinese Infantry Division; and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, The 65th Infantry Regiment served with | 12 | | distinction and valor, earning two Presidential Unit | 13 | | Citations, an Army Unit Superior Award, a Navy Unit Citation, | 14 | | two Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations, and the | 15 | | Bravery Gold Medal of Greece; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, The Congressional Gold Medal of Honor would affirm | 17 | | that the 65th Infantry Regiment, the Borinqueneers, is an | 18 | | American national treasure, who served their country with honor | 19 | | and bravery; and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, In the spirit of true American heroism, the 65th | 21 | | Infantry Regiment of Puerto Rico is an inspiration to every |
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| 1 | | American; they are exceptional soldiers who deserve to be | 2 | | recognized, commended, acknowledged, and remembered by the | 3 | | people of the State of Illinois and the citizens of this great | 4 | | nation; therefore, be it
| 5 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 6 | | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 7 | | we urge Congress to recognize the 65th Infantry Regiment of | 8 | | Puerto Rico, known as the Borinqueneers, and further recommend | 9 | | that they receive the Congressional Gold Medal based on their | 10 | | gallant record of achievement on the battlefields, | 11 | | particularly in Korea from 1950 to 1953; and be it further
| 12 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 13 | | delivered to the President of the Senate of the United States; | 14 | | the Speaker of the House of Representatives; the members of the | 15 | | Illinois congressional delegation; Frank Medina, National | 16 | | Chair of the Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal Alliance; | 17 | | Anthony Mele, Chairman of the 65th Infantry Regiment Honor Task | 18 | | Force and great-grandson of Leonicio Beauchamp (65th Infantry | 19 | | Regiment of Puerto Rico - 1917); and Javier Morales, President | 20 | | of the 65th Infantry Veterans Association in Puerto Rico.
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