Known as the “The Borinqueneers,” the men of the 65th served courageously in both World Wars and the Korean War. In fact, the all-Puerto Rican 65th Infantry Regiment was segregated until its deactivation in 1954. Sadly, this was not the end of prejudice and discrimination in the military. But they served in segregated units until 1948, when President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981, which integrated the armed forces and mandated equal treatment and opportunity. For example, black Americans have engaged bravely in every war fought by or within the United States. The military is one institution that has evolved to better reflect this truth. There have been challenges in our journey to become a more perfect union, and our laws and institutions have not always reflected a self-evident truth: that all people are created equal. The flag does still fly, and today we can interpret the question mark more broadly to reflect on whether America is upholding the ideals on which we were founded. Does the flag still fly? Does the land of the free and the home of the brave still exist? The question mark was intended to represent a sense of fear and uncertainty. But you might not know the question mark at the end is not a typo.Īs Key witnessed the bombardment from a British ship where he was being held, he was unsure whether the United States would prevail through the battle or as a nation. Inspired by the defense of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in 1814, Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics as a poem, which was later set to the tune of a popular song.
We’re all familiar with this riveting final line of the first stanza of our national anthem. O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
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