When Antonio Molina was shot in the head by a sniper in Vietnam in 1965, a lieutenant told him, "thank God you're Puerto Rican. You guys are hard headed," Molina remembers now with a laugh.
Today, Molina is the president of the Puerto Rican Veterans Association of Massachusetts.
"There are more Puerto Ricans wounded and killed in action, per capita, than any state in the nation," he told GBH News at a Memorial Day commemoration at the Puerto Rican Veterans Memorial in the South End. "We have the 65th Infantry Regiment, — which we have a plaque back here — they went to Korea and they lost more men than any other regiment in the nation. And we continue to serve the country. I think that we honor and we feel great about honoring this great nation of ours."
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was among the politicians at the memorial Monday to honor the service of veterans.
"It is an honor to have this space in our city," Wu said. "The first and, currently, only in the country, specifically recognizing Puerto Rican veterans and this community's participation and sacrifice for our country."
Boston Veterans Services Commissioner Robert Santiago reminded the crowd in attendance that Memorial Day is not about barbeques or sales.
"I'm okay with the barbecues. I'm okay with the sales," Santiago said. "But everyone needs to take a moment today to commemorate, to honor and recognize our veterans —and not just the veterans, but their families as well."
Boston’s @mayorwu was among those honoring veterans on Memorial Day at the Puerto Rican Veterans Memorial. Wu spoke first in Spanish. @GBHNews pic.twitter.com/I8BVi0mZVr
— Craig LeMoult (@clemoult) May 30, 2022
Gov. Charlie Baker echoed that sentiment.
"The way you celebrate those folks, those who have been lost, is by being worthy of their sacrifice," Baker said.
On Boston Common, more than 37,000 flags have been planted in memory of every Massachusetts military member who lost their lives in service, dating back to the Revolutionary War.
"You honor and you celebrate those who paid that price by doing all you can to try to lead this country, this community, this city, this Commonwealth better than you found it," Baker said. "That's the way you deliver on the check that was written and paid with their lives by those 37,000 Americans."
