Hello, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Talia Aikens-Nuñez and her new book, “Men of the 65th: The Borinqueneers of the Korean War,” here on FAB!! For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.
Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Talia and to increase your chances of winning!!
Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!
Men of the 65th:
The Borinqueneers of the Korean War
by Talia Aikens-Nuñez
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GENRE: YA Nonfiction
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BOOK 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.
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EXCERPT ONE:
The US public was shocked to discover that during the war, 162 soldiers of the 65th Infantry Regiment had been court-martialed and ninety-one of those soldiers found guilty of disobeying orders and desertion.
The US military kept the courts-martial quiet. But the soldiers of the 65th sent letters to their families describing what was happening, which led to public outcry and confusion from the press. How could one of the most distinguished regiments of the Korean War, whose soldiers had only months before been praised by General Douglas MacArthur for their “brilliant record of heroism,” become involved in the largest mass court-martial of the Korean War?
Did the Borinqueneers lose their bravery and heroism in such a short time? Or were they victims of discrimination in a prejudiced and segregated system? Were they betrayed by the country they risked their lives for?
This is the story of one of the bravest and most decorated regiments in the history of the US military. It is a forgotten story in a forgotten war. But it is a story of patriotism, loyalty, and bravery in the face of danger and discrimination, and it is one that deserves to be told.
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GUEST POST:
My Favorite Scene in Men of the 65th:
My very favorite scene from the book is the opening scene. The Men of the 65th had been in the Korean War for about seven months at this point. They were ordered to take a hill in South Korea that the North Koreans and the Chinese occupied.
The Chinese army was tough. They would not easily give up a hill.
A soldier, Modesto Cartagena, came to the hill determined. While engaging with the enemy, a shot took out his machine gun. But, he had an idea.
He charged the mountain. Intense gunfire was aimed at and around him. Grenades exploded around him but he kept running. He lobbed one of his grenades at one of the enemy’s emplacement’s and BOOM! He took it out along with enemy soldiers.
He looked back and saw that most of his platoon was behind him. He told them to take cover and he continued to charge the hill.
The enemy was still firing at him. Dirt and earth raining down around him. So, he started to catch enemy grenades thrown at him and quickly throw them back at the Chinese and North Koreans. He took out another one of their emplacements with enemy soldiers.
He did not have time to catch his breath before one of the enemy grenades knocked him to the ground. He dusted himself off and continued to charge the hill.
Using grenades thrown at him he would continue to catch them and throw them back at the enemy destroying their emplacements and enemy soldiers. He destroyed five emplacements and killing over 40 enemy soldiers before the enemy targeted him. The enemy grenades would knock him down but he continued to get up and throw grenades back at them.
Eventually, he was hit. He lost a lot of blood but his platoon rescued him from that hill. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest military award. Some believe that he should have received the Medal of Honor, the highest military award.
The book details other stories of heroism like Modesto Cartagena who I affectionately refer to as a real life G.I. Joe.
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AUTHOR BIO:
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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.
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CONNECT WITH TALIA:
Website:
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/taliaaikensnunezchildrenswriter
Twitter:
https://www.twitter.com/talia_n
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6581341.Talia_Aikens_Nunez
Goodreads Book Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68755838-men-of-the-65th
Amazon Author Page:
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PRE-ORDER BOOK BUY LINKS & INFO:
**Men of the 65th: The Borinqueneers of the Korean War is currently available for Pre-order and will be released on May 2nd, 2023**
Amazon US Kindle eBook:
Amazon US Paperback:
Amazon CA Kindle eBook:
https://www.amazon.ca/Men-65th-Borinqueneers-Korean-War-ebook/dp/B0BNT3ZRZQ
Amazon CA Paperback:
https://www.amazon.ca/Men-65th-Borinqueneers-Korean-War/dp/1728479142
Lerner Books Paperback:
https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22654
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog. This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**
This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions. Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.
Thank you for hosting!
ReplyDeleteSounds great, thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an awesome read.
ReplyDeleteI love to read about history- this book sounds great-thanks
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds very interesting. Great cover!
ReplyDelete