Men of the 65th by Talia Aikens-Nunez with guest post from the author plus a giveaway

Men of the 65th

by Talia Aikens-Nunez

GENRE: YA Nonfiction

BLURB:

Honor and Fidelity. That is the motto of the 65th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Borinqueneers, the only Puerto Rican unit in the United States Army.

Since the regiment’s creation in 1899, the men of the 65th have proudly served the US through multiple wars, despite facing racial discrimination. Their courage, loyalty, and patriotism earned them hundreds of accolades, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014.

But the honor and fidelity of the men of the 65th came into question in 1952, in the midst of the Korean War, when ninety-one Borinqueneers were arrested and tried for desertion and disobeying orders. How could this happen in one of the most distinguished and decorated units of the Army?

In this telling of one of the forgotten stories of the Korean War, author Talia Aikens-Nuñez guides us through the history of the Borinqueneers and the challenges they faced leading up to what was the largest court martial in the entire war. Rediscover the bravery of the men of the 65th through Aikens-Nuñez’s thorough writing and the soldiers’ firsthand accounts of the Korean War.

Excerpt:

“The Borinqueneers successfully defended the 1st Marine Division’s retreat, but they soon realized this was only part of a much larger withdrawal of UNC [United Nations Command] troops. As the retreat continued into mid-December, news came that the enemy buildup had accelerated. Chinese and North Korean forces were gathering and converging on Hungnam. The UNC’s worst fears were coming true: they were losing ground in the war.

They had to accelerate their plans in response to protect their troops and evacuate the Korean refugees that had fled to Hungnam. They ordered troops to board ships, division by division, and sail south to Pusan… Meanwhile, the 65th and the 3rd Infantry Divisions would hold the main line of resistance, providing enough cover for everyone to make it safely out of Hungnam…With each withdrawal, the enemy continued to push the Borinqueneers and the 3rd Infantry Division.

…They were exhausted from several days of fighting…The soldiers of the 65th were some of the last to leave Hungnam. They were hurried and squeezed tightly onto the final boats. Finally, they could rest and relax. Once they left, the military would destroy the port so the enemy could not use the equipment and facilities against them.

…After they loaded onto the final ship and set sail, the dynamite detonated. The soldiers looked back and watched the port explode…everything – erupted in smoke and flame.

Guest Post from the Author:

I am a multicultural children’s book author. Some have asked, ‘why?’ ‘why write mainly multicultural stories?’

I became a multicultural children’s author selfishly for my own kids and family. A couple of years ago, my brown son challenged my statement that “brown boys can be superheroes too.” He said, “no they can’t.” In that moment, I realized that he never saw a brown superhero. Nor had I. A few months later, Black Panther was released. The joy in his eyes for that entire movie will forever be imprinted in my memory. After the movie, I asked him again, “now, can brown boys be superheroes.” With a wide smile, he nodded. And, he wore the Black Panther costume for weeks. Eek! The smell of it was horrid.

Several months later, I took him to see the animated Spiderman movie with Miles Morales (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse). He identified even more with that movie since Miles was half black and half Hispanic. (And, whoa! The smell of that costume was indescribable.) Once it was released, we purchased it and he watched it over, and over, and over again.

Many months later, I read an article that explained the importance of kids seeing themselves in books. Two of the reasons that stood out to me were (1) to provide a mirror to identity and (2) for connections to be built. That is why I write multicultural stories. I hope that my stories provide connections for other young people and encourage them to read more.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Talia Aikens-Nuñez is passionate about sharing with young readers the little known stories, accomplishments, and contributions of people of color from all throughout history. Aikens-Nuñez is the author of Small Nap, Little Dream, a bilingual Spanish/English picture book. She and her husband live in Connecticut with their two children.

Links:

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Men-65th-Borinqueneers-Korean-War/dp/1728479142

Lerner: https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22654

Twitter: talia_n

Website: Http://www.kidslitbytalia.com  

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/taliaaikensnunezchildrenswriter

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