...

Congressional Gold Medal. A teleconference bridge was made available for those that could not physically attend the meeting. Here is a link to our press release on the meeting. http://bit.ly/1SqGvef Below are the links of the photos for the front/back candidate design voted by the CCAC and photos of the complete selection of all of the front/back candidate designs. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69614265/Borinqueneers%20Congressional%20Gold%20Medal.JPG https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69614265/890_Obverse_Contact_Sheet.jpg https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/69614265/890_Reverse_Contact_Sheet_1.jpg All of the candidate designs were elegant and visually appealing. I personally think that the US Mint artists did a superb job in drafting the designs. However, in my best judgment, the preferred candidate design could have been more reflective of what the 65th Infantry veterans around the nation desired for the most part. In all, the whole medal survey process needed to be more inclusive of the Borinqueneers’ design feedback comments on the medal design. Not enough was done to achieve this intent. This is very unfortunate and it defeats the original purpose of the gold medal. Our volunteer group submitted 91 out of 130+ design surveys, all from 65th Infantry veterans. It remains to be seen how much of the veterans’ comments are reflected in the selected medal design. Furthermore, Tuesday’s teleconference hardly allowed for the 65th Infantry veterans to voice their remarks on the candidate designs or the medal itself. I was appalled by the intransigence of the CCAC to allow Borinqueneer veterans to speak. The absence of this courtesy is completely unacceptable. There were several detractors which hindered the veterans from expressing themselves. The teleconference had too much preamble from the Borinqueneers CGM Design Liaison Team, the “10-minute” recess extended more to like “20 minutes”, and when the moderator allowed “10 minutes” for a veteran family member to interpret for her grandfather, those were the fastest 10 minutes I have ever seen in my life. It is with much displeasure to say that I am extremely disappointed with Tuesday’s teleconference. I understand that there are protocols, procedures and set schedule in place. But when you have an honoree group of 500-600 still LIVING Borinqueneers, and a military unit spanning from 1899-1956, I think judicious discretion needs to be more effectively exercised to adjust these protocols and procedures. Furthermore, as a tax-payer, I think that the design survey process needs to be reviewed and refined in order to better accommodate/address an honoree group this large size or for any honoree group in general. This will make for a more equitable, inclusive process. In looking ahead, it is my sincerest appeal that the Borinqueneers CGM bronze replicas be fabricated AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. It has been more than one year that the CGM was approved into law. These 65th Infantry veterans are passing off to glory very fast and they cannot wait any longer! You can contact the following personnel and ask them about the whereabouts of your loved one’s CGM bronze replica and why it has taken over a year to be formally presented (in no particular order): George Laws, Rep. Pedro Pierluisi staffer: Email: [email protected] Phone: 202-226-9804/9928 Patrick Deitz, Rep. Bill Posey legislative director: Email: [email protected] Phone: 202-225-3671 William Norton, US Mint Legislative Liaison Email: [email protected] Phone: 202-354-7458 In closing, we will continue to support the best interest of the 65th Infantry Regiment legacy and its veterans. Let this note serve as a historical archive for posterity. The thoughts and opinions in this missive are solely my own and no one else’s…I would be remiss if I do not voice these concerns. Please feel free to contact me below for further dialogue. Honor y Fidelidad! En Solidaridad, Frank Medina National Chair Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal Alliance 239-530-8075 Sponsored by: You Are Strong! Center on Veterans Health and Human Services www.youarestrong.org