Puerto Rican Veterans Park Arch Dedicated

As they have done every Veteran's Day since November, 2013 when the Puerto Rican Veterans Monument Park was dedicated, the Puerto Rican Veterans Monument Association (PRVSMA) gathered with neighbors, veterans and public servants to commemorate Veteran's Day.

On Monday, November 18, the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended land, sea and air fighting in World War 1, the PVRMSA dedicated a new entrance arch to the park at the corner of West Dedham and Washington Streets.

PVRMSA president Anthony Medina emceed the proceedings, which included remarks by a host of state and local elected officials and veterans' affairs professionals; musical selections befitting the occasion, the placement of a red, white and blue wreath at the park's sculpture of male and female soldiers by city councilor at large Michelle Wu and Boston Veterans Services commissioner Giselle Sterling. Members of all six branches of the United States armed forces were called forward to be recognized.

Efraín Salgado sang the "Star Spangled Banner" and Sebastian Medina sang "La Borinqueña," the Puerto Rican national anthem. Among the crowd of approximately 40 people were Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) CEO and Jovita Fontanez, Boston's first Hispanic female election commissioner and the first Latina elected to the Electoral College of Massachusetts.

The park pays special tribute to the Borinqueneers, the 65th Infantry Regiment, the first Puerto Rican regiment of the United States Army which has gone to battle since World War I.

Speakers included Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans Services Francisco Ureña; Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh; Boston Commissioner of Veterans Services Giselle Sterling; Boston Police commissioner William Gross; Boston Fire Commissioner Joseph Finn; Boston city councilors Michelle Wu and Ed Flynn; 9th Suffolk District state senator-elect Jon Santiago, a captain in the US Army Reserves; and Dr. Ernie Rosado, director of military outreach at Columbia Southern University.

Secretary Ureña said, "This monument continues to honor all veterans and the Puerto Rican veterans who have served with distinction and honor." In his address, Walsh noted with pride that the Puerto Rican Veterans Monument Park in Boston is the first and only monument to Puerto Rican veterans, male and female, in the US.

"This monument represents all of our gratitude, it helps keep stories alive and it shows our commitment to making sure that veterans have all the supports they need to get through their own lives. Our commitment is a holistic approach including housing, social supports and health care. It's about helping the vets work through their limits and unlock the skills of civilian life," Walsh said. The mayor then described the city's Veterans Care program, which helps veterans with PTSD. "The most important thing we can do is to say thank you, gracias," Walsh added.

He called the unveiling of the entrance arch a symbol of the city's ongoing commitment to the veteran community, concluding with the words of President John F. Kennedy, "We must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them." Flynn, who served in the U.S. Navy for 25 years, was stationed in Guantánamo Bay and in the Persian Gulf during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Flynn said after the ceremony, "It was an honor to serve overseas with the Puerto Rican National Guard. He described the Puerto Rican service members as "Very hard-working and always looking out for other vets." Wu saluted the contributions of service members with remarks delivered fluidly in Spanish.

The entrance arch, which was draped in red, white and blue bunting, was unveiled by Mayor Walsh, some of the government officials and a member of the military. The arch reads, "Puerto Rican Veterans Memorial Plaza" "Bienvenidos" (Welcome).