A unit in the Puerto Rico Army National Guard, the 65th Infantry Regiment was originally constituted on 2 March 1899 in the Volunteer Army as the Puerto Rico Regiment of Volunteer Infantry. Nine years would elapse before it was allotted to the Regular Army under the new designation Puerto Rico Regiment of Infantry on 30 June 1908. In 1920, became the 65th Infantry Regiment, and it was under this designation proved itself on the field of battle, earning four campaign streamers for service in Italy, France, and Central Europe; it also was awarded an uninscribed American Theater streamer.
But it was during the Korean War that the Regiment, nicknamed the “Borinqueeners” after the Taino name “Borinquen” for Puerto Rico, would put to bed any doubts regarding its combat effectiveness. Assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division, the Regiment fought in nine Korean War campaigns, holding ground at heavy costs against waves of Chinese troops as it sought to help cover the retreat of the 1st Marine Division at the Chosin Reservoir. The action earned the unit a Navy Unit Commendation to go along with two Presidential Unit Citations (for Iron Triangle and the Hwachon Reservoir), a Meritorious Unit commendation, a pair of Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations, and the Chryssoun Aristion Andrias (Greek Cross of Valor).
Since 2003, the Regiment—which was officially designated as the 65th Infantry Regiment on 1 October 2005, with the 1st Battalion its only active unit—has been called into Federal Service twice, once in 2003 and again in 2009, with campaign participation in the War on Terrorism yet to be determined. The 1st Battalion, 65th Infantry Regiment is currently headquartered at
Cayey, Puerto Rico.
The 65th Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia was originally approved on 27 November 1923. It was amended to change the unit’s allotment to the Puerto Rico Army National Guard and add the motto HONOR ET FIDELITAS, Latin for “Honor And Fidelity,” on 13 June 1968.
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Also known as a unit crest or DUI, a Distinctive Unit Insignia is worn by all Soldiers (except General Officers) in units that have been
authorized to be issued the device. It is worn centered on the shoulder loops of the Army Green Service Uniform (AGSU) and the blue Army Service Uniform (Enlisted only) with the base of the insignia toward the outside shoulder seam. DUIs are not worn on the Dress variations of either uniform, however.
Enlisted personnel wear the insignia centered on a shoulder loop by placing it an equal distance from the outside shoulder seam to the outside edge of the shoulder-loop button. Officers (except Generals) wearing grade insignia on the shoulder loops center the DUI by placing it an equal distance between the inside edge of the grade insignia and the outside edge of the button.
Full guidance on wear of the DUI is found in DA Pamphlet 670-1,
Section 21-22, "Distinctive unit insignia" and 21–3(d) and (e),
"Beret" and
"Garrison Cap," respectively.