Book Review - Men of the 65th: The Borinqueneers of the Korean War by Talia Aikens-Nunez

Men of the 65th: The Borinqueneers of the Korean War by Talia Aikens-Nunez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

They were assigned the toughest tasks and outperformed the rest!

Men of the 65th: The Borinqueneers of the Korean War is the amazingly clear and well-presented history of this special group of brave and patriotic fighting men, whom most people have never heard of before. Organized and celebrated for over 100 years ago, the infantry regiment’s incredible and spotless record was besmirched during their long service in the Korean War. Only in recent years were they exonerated.

The 65th was a segregated all-Puerto Rican infantry regiment in the United States Army with a ferocious reputation. Many of the soldiers spoke Spanish, creating a communication problem with some of their English-only officers. There even existed a lot of prejudice against these men by their white officers. However, in the years the 65th fought in Korea, they were given some of the toughest, nastiest, and most hopeless assignments, and they still produced numerous examples of outstanding personal and regimental heroism. Still, near the end of the war, when the 65th was at the limits of its trained personnel and resources, they were tasked with the impossible and, perhaps, the ill-planned, and some of the men had had enough.

As the author mentions, the Korean War is often called “The Forgotten War,” probably because it followed closely behind two world wars and preceded Vietnam. The study of this conflict barely got a mention in any U.S. history course I ever took, and I would go so far as to say most people’s knowledge of the Korean War is whatever they gleaned from the television show M*A*S*H.

The author’s writing style is easy to read, and the storytelling and research are compelling. While the book targets a young adult audience, I think even older readers will find it fascinating reading. I know I did.

I recommend MEN OF THE 65TH: THE BORINQUENEERS OF THE KOREAN WAR to non-fiction readers interested in this little-known part of history.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.

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