Latino Vets of Foreign Wars Honored in Mass.

The following story and photos are from ElMundoBoston.com, 4 November 2009.

Gala Honors Hispanic Veterans of Foreign Wars

Lombardo’s in Randolph was the setting last Friday evening (October 30), as members of the community came together to honor the many unsung and unheralded Hispanic veterans of foreign wars.

 

Brigadier General Thomas J. Sellars  

The gala dinner also served to raise funds that will go directly towards restoring the 65th Infantry memorial located at Union Park street in the South End (Boston), which is in desperate need of maintenance and refurbishing.

“This is an important step towards the process of beautifying and refurbishing one of the city’s historic landmarks,” stated Tony Molina, one of the organizers of the event.

 

Luis Balzac, director regional del Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA).  

Special words of appreciation came from Kenneth McClintock Secretary of State of Puerto Rico; Luis Balzac, regional director of the Puerto Rican Federal Affairs Administration; Boston City Councilor Bill Linehan; Massachusetts state Representative Jeffrey Sanchez; Eugene Vaillancourt, commissioner of Veterans Services for the City of Boston, and Joseph Pinckney “Joe” McCain II, brother of the U.S. Senator and two-time presidential candidate, John McCain. Joe was a member of the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.

 

Joseph McCain, hermano del ex-candidato presidencial John McCain.  

The invited keynote speaker of the evening was Brigadier General Thomas J. Sellars, Land Commander at the Joint Forces Headquarters of the Massachusetts Army National Guard.

 

Jaime Rodríguez, miembro del PRVMSA, entregando reconocimiento a Efraín Hernández.

The 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed “The Borinqueneers,” was an all-volunteer Puerto Rican regiment of the United States Army, whose motto was "Honor and Fidelity."   The regiment participated in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.  As frontline troops, they suffered more casualties than any other Army unit in the Korean War, received more Purple Hearts in Korea than all troops combined during Desert Storm and throughout their 100-year history.

 

Comisionado de los Veteranos de Boston entregando reconocimiento a la oficina del alcalde Thomas M. Menino, representada por Ramón Soto.  

The remodeling of the Puerto Rican Veterans monument park will include seating benches, a relocation of the existing flag poles, and other needed important updates.

 

Representante Estatal Jeffrey Sánchez.

The monument will be enlarged to include the names of fallen Puerto Ricans soldiers, supporters, and an English translation of the legendary story that is already on the monument in Spanish.

“The mission is for people who pass by this monument to realize that many Puerto Ricans and Latinos have died fighting proudly for the freedoms we enjoy in this country today,” added Molina.

 

Madison Park High School, Marine Cadets Color Guard.

 

Event Sponsors: American Airlines, Don Q, Malta India, Verizon Joiner Center – U/Mass, VFW and El Mundo Newspaper. More information: (508) 930-3015.

 

Miembros del Puerto Rican Veterans Monument Square Association (de izq. a der.): Sixto Ramos, Rafael Rodríguez, Daly Sepulveda, Isaías Sepulveda, felipe Reyes, Denise Guzmán, Jaime Rodríguez, Ramonita Salas y Richard Medina.

  Representantes de American Airlines reciben reconocimiento por su respaldo al Puerto Rican Veterans Monument Square Association.  

Source:  ElMundoBoston.com

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