Medal of Honor
Sergeant First Class Modesto Cartagena (Ret.) died last week in Guayama, Puerto Rico at the age of 87. In the legendary 65th Infantry of Puerto Rico, Cartagena was known as the “one-man Army” and was considered by many to be worthy of a Medal of Honor.
More than 61,000 Puerto Ricans served in the Korean War, the bulk of them with the 65th. Not one member of this unit has ever been recognized with the Medal of Honor.
I don’t think the Army ever let Cartagena or his family know the results of a Congressionally-mandated review of Hispanic soldiers who may have been under-decorated. In fact, I am not sure that any upgrades or awards have been issued to Latinos as a result of that federally-mandated review.
Here is the story on Cartagena’s heroism and his quest for a Medal of Honor.
See “Honor and Fidelity” on pages 62, 63.
Here is an editorial I wrote for El Diario-La Prensa: A Battle for History and Respect. Excerpt below.
Bravery and sacrifice know no color or language. But too many of the veterans who fought for our nation have been treated as footnotes to history. It is time for the U.S. Armed Forces and White House to give proper recognition to these aging men and women.
As many as 750,000 Latinos and Latinas served in the armed forces during World War II, according to the U.S. Latino & Latina WWII Oral History Project. During the Korean War, the 65th Infantry of Puerto Rico won the praise of legendary military commanders such as General Douglas MacArthur. Yet, in the telling of U.S. history, Latino soldiers have received little mention.
Correcting this virtual invisibility is a matter of historical accuracy. And the service of Hispanics—which dates as far back as the revolt of the 13 colonies—must be placed in its context. Latinos have enlisted during periods in which brutal racial segregation was the status quo and their rights as citizens were denied. Others served as immigrants, a tradition that continues to this day.