US Department of Defense Recognizes Puerto Rican Military Service

The Department of Defense recently spotlighted Puerto Rico’s participation in the U.S. Military with an article bringing out the details of the territory’s service since World War I.

“I’m super-proud of my heritage,” the article quotes retired Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Ildelfonso “Pancho” Colon Jr. as saying. “Like any soldier from Texas who loves his Texas flag and loves his state, Puerto Ricans, we love our flag, we love our state — we call it a state. I’ve wanted to be a soldier all my life. It’s so motivational being around all of these veterans. We’re proud Americans. We love our country, but we love Puerto Rico, too.”

The men and women of Puerto Rico have served in U.S. wars from the Revolutionary War and the Civil War on. Since becoming U.S. citizens in 1917, Puerto Ricans have served in disproportionate numbers relative to their population within the U.S.

Even under Spanish rule, Puerto Ricans fought alongside American colonists in the Revolutionary War. The U.S. Department of Defense states that a southern troop — consisting primarily of Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics — captured the cities of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Mobile, Alabama; Pensacola, Florida; and St. Louis, Missouri, from the British.

Read more: http://www.puertoricoreport.com/us-department-defense-recognizes-puerto-rican-military-service/