Customer Reviews

Puerto Rico's Fighting 65th U.S. Infantry: From San Juan to Chorwan

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a descendant of one of the heroes of 65th Infantry, I was intrigued on how one of their former Commanding Officers would portray them. General Harris (then Colonel) did not wish to command this outfit and he resented his appointment, then unfairly known as a laid back, disorganized, backwater posting. He tells us how these men changed his outlook from day one of assuming command. These brave men, although barely two platoons strong when he assumed command, held off the best Division that the U.S. Army had to offer on training maneuvers, and the best the North Koreans and the Chinese had during the Korean War. When asked point blank if the puertorricans would fight when the time came, Colonel Harris' answer was just as direct: "My puertorricans will fight anyone, anywhere." They did not dissapoint their CO, becoming the most decorated Batallion of the Korean War. One can only wonder why this Batallion was rarely ever used during World War II.

The book has a few historical errors, all of them regarding Puerto Rico and its culture, and the narrative is sometimes repetitive. That is why I did not rate it as a 5 star book. But overall, it is an excellent military history narrative on one of the most decorated fighting units in the U.S. Army and the only Batallion to be transferred from the U.S. Army onto a National Guard when the time came to deactivate it. These men, along with every other war time hero, deserve our eternal thanks and our admiration for sacrificing their youth in order to preserve Freedom and Democracy.

This book exemplifies the spirit of the Puerto Rican soldier. Always willing to give their biggest effort in order to get the job done. It showed the valor and courage of this men. Is a book that every Puerto Rican serving in the Armed Forces should read and feel proud of the men before them.

This is a great book about an outstanding unit. As a "Boricua" i am proud of the deeds of the 65th, they demonstrated what they were made off and never let us down.
On another note the 65th was not a battalion but a Regiment composed of serveral battalions(just a correction to a previous review).

I must admit it's hard for me to be impartial about this book, since I was bursting with pride as I read the battlefield accomplishments of our boricuas. Nevertheless, I think this book has a lot going for it that objectively warrants it getting 5 stars.

This book gives an unfiltered look at a soldier's mind. The language is laconically military and without hints of heavy editing or ghostwriting, and its' simplicity allows for very quick reading. The autor really holds his heart in his hand for the reader: his initial prejudice at commanding a "rum and Coca-Cola" outfit, his terror during a particularly savage artillery bombardment, his "chuckling" at the fate of a North Korean unit caught inside a railroad tunnel with the 65th's engineers about to blow up the entrances. Or like when his commanding officer made expressions of disappointment at the performance of African American troops under his command in the Italian Front during WW2. The author did not gloss over, condemn, or justfy his comments. He just retold the conversation as it happened (he argued with the CO as to what color Puerto Rican troops actually were!).

He also offers interesting insights into the nature of battlefield command and tactics, like the importance of a commanding officer not being too belicose, gettting caught up in the heat of battle and losing sight of the big picture, but rather maintaining a distance from where he can get keep track of the whole battle. Or the preferrability of not encircling your opponent (thereby forcing him to dig in and fight with desperation), but rather allowing him an escape route to your advantge where they may be cut to pieces as they try to stream out. Some interesting historical insights as well, like the personal animosities between the commanders of the XXth Corps and 8th Army which impeded effective coordination and allowed a breach to be exploited by the Chinese in the early stages.

This is a book that anyone interested in military history can enjoy and learn from.

As a former Sanjuanero who used to travel the 65th Infantry Highway, I always wondered about the road's namesake unit. Well, now I know! Well told and well illustrated.

I found this book in a Fort Gordon, Georgia library as I was searching for a book to write a book report on. The book report was a requirement for the Signal Officer Basic course that I was enrolled in. It was back in June 2000, and I was a lieutenant in the US Army. I was pleasantly surprised and emotionally moved by this book. I must say that it continues to be one of my favorite books of all time. This is the book review I wrote back then for this book:

In this book the then Col Harris recounts his experience as commander of the 65th U.S. Infantry. He writes of the entire experience with this regiment. The reader can get a clear understanding of the author's feelings as he retells the experience as vividly as if it had happened just a few days ago. He takes the reader from 1949 when he was first assigned as commander of the 65th U.S. Infantry Regiment at Fort Brooke, Puerto Rico to the end of his commanding Chorwan, Korea 1951. He vividly describes his lack of knowledge, misconceptions as well as curiosity as to what he expected from the Puerto Rican soldiers. This book is organized as a journal and the reader feels as if Harris himself is telling you the story of how he felt back then and he then comes back and mentions how wrong he was to feel this way. This book written twenty-five years after the Korean War, is Harris' way of giving recognition and informing others of his unforgettable positive experience with the 65th Infantry Division.

One of the best lessons learned from this book is that one shouldn't judge others just by stereotypes. Col. Harris expected to be met by this "rum and coca-cola army" and in return he was impressed by the fierce combat skills that the soldiers of the 65th displayed during their initial training exercise Operation Portex: the Vieques Maneuver. During this training exercise the 65th proved themselves as a well trained, skillful organization. It was during this training exercise that Harris started to get a taste of what these soldiers were capable of. As a result of becoming well known for their distinction as they "beat" 3rd Division, a few months later they received orders that would send them to a war that was being fought in Korea. Official records indicate that soldiers from the 65th were responsible for 2,086 POWS captured, 5,905 enemies killed during the Korean War. Four soldiers from the 65th were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and 127 soldiers were awarded the Silver Star. Soldiers who participated in this war were documented as saying that what motivated them to do such a great job was in order to bring recognition to the Puerto Rican soldier and through their valiant performance, they were able to break that stereotype. Commanding Generals kept sending the 65th on these outrageous suicide missions and they always returned victorious taking down every enemy position and bunker in an incredibly valiant way. These were the same commanding generals who didn't trust the capability of the 65th. These brave soldiers were able to prove them wrong.

Another lesson learned from this book is that a good soldier gives it his or her best. The soldiers of the 65th were effective in combat in temperatures that they had never experienced. At times they were in temperatures of up to forty degrees below zero and they still were ready for battle. They always stood their ground and responded with fierce battle. No matter what the mission was, they ensured that the mission was met with success in battle.

The reason why I selected this book is more of a personal one. I am a Puerto Rican soldier, and during my experience in the military, I have sometimes been approached by senior officers as well as NCOs who when find out where I am from seem to mention the bravery of the warriors of the 65th during the Korean War. I knew that many Puerto Rican soldiers had served in that war, but I was unaware of the important role that they played during combat. In movies I have also often heard that Puerto Ricans make the best infantrymen. After reading this book I understand where this concept came from. As a Puerto Rican soldier I feel that it is my responsibility to educate myself as to what my forefathers did and how they placed their mark and recognition in history. By educating myself I can also educate other lieutenants who will have Puerto Rican soldiers in their platoons and later on under their command. I have noticed that many still have the misconception and lack of knowledge as to how Puerto Ricans are. This book is a good example of how BG Harris came to realize that limited knowledge of the English language as well as having a different culture doesn't stop a soldier from supporting the democratic principles of the United States. Harris was also able to understand that no ethnic group has greater pride in itself and its heritage than the Puerto Ricans. This explains the constant display of our flag. It is not that we think less of the American flag, but on our island, both flags are displayed side by side. I would definitely recommend this book, it took me through an emotional journey as I submerged myself in the experience. This book is a must not only for every Puerto Rican soldier, so they can recognize where they are coming from, but to every soldier who will eventually have a Puerto Rican soldier in their chain of command. I believe it is important for all of us to understand where we are all coming from. This is an excellent book that tells the history of the "Borinqueneer."

DAISY M. PEREZ

2LT, SC

SOBC 03-00