65th Infantry Regiment

Establishment of the Regiment

On May 20, 1899, the 65th Infantry Regiment was officially established. It consisted of four companies with no more than 100 men in each company, for a total of 400 men. Recruitment was by order of Major General Guy V. Henry. He sent out a request to each American military outpost in Puerto Rico to recruit 25 men for the new regiment. To qualify for the regiment, prospective soldiers were required to have basic military skills, a reasonable command of the English language, and the ability to pass the U.S. Army's health requirements. Each soldier would enlist for two years and receive the same salary as a comparable soldier in the mainland U.S. forces.

In the beginning, the regiment's officers were Americans. However, on August 30, 1899, a command was issued to the military outposts to recruit Puerto Rican officers. The first Puerto Rican officer was Major Lorenzo P. Davison. That same year, the 65th Infantry Regiment became a unit of the U.S,. Army. The appointment of officers was made by Congress instead of by the president, as in previous years. This was in accordance with the appointment procedures for American officers on the mainland. The first officer appointed in this manner was Jaime Nadal, who was the only person to pass the first round of examinations. The second round of testing provided seven more Puerto Rican officers.

A mounted Puerto Rican battalion was organized on February 12, 1900. The battalion was not a part of the 65th Infantry Regiment but would work closely with it in the future.

In 1904, the regiment became officially known as the Puerto Rico Provisional Regiment of Infantry. There were two battalions, one of which was mounted. On May 27, 1908, the regiment became an official part of the U.S. Army and was called the Puerto Rico Regiment of Infantry USA.

World War I

With the onset of World War I, the 65th Infantry Regiment had its first call to service as a branch of the U.S. Army, and 18,000 Puerto Rican men were recruited through selective service. On May 3, 1917, the 65th Infantry Regiment, with 4,000 men, was sent to defend the Panama Canal. The regiment stayed in Panama until March 1919. It never had a chance to see action in Europe, as the war ended on November 11, 1918. On June 4, 1920, the regiment officially became the 65th Regiment of the U.S. Army.

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