Political Quotes

“I rise today with a heavy heart to pay tribute to SFC, Retired, Restituto ``Tuto'' Oyola-Alvarez, a courageous member of our military and devoted family man. Sadly, Sergeant First Class Oyola-Alvarez passed away on July 22, 2018, at the age of 101. He will be remembered for his tireless, dedicated service to our nation. Sergeant First Class Oyola-Alvarez was born in Arecibo, PR, and he enlisted in the U.S. Army at Fort Buchanan on January 22, 1941. He went on to serve in Puerto Rico's 65th Infantry Regiment during the Korean war. The regiment was referred to as the Borinqueneers, and Sergeant First Class Oyola-Alvarez and the rest of his Latino-segregated unit played a valuable role in helping American war efforts. Unfortunately, despite their remarkable dedication, the Borinqueneers' contributions went largely overlooked once the war ended. After 20 years of Active service and many more decades during which it went unrecognized, Sergeant First Class Oyola-Alvarez was at last granted the awards his unfailing support of our Nation deserved. On Veterans Day in 2012, I was honored to present him a number of hard- earned medals at his home in Hartford, CT. Four years later, I was proud to present him and his fellow Borinqueneers with the Congressional Gold Medal at the Connecticut State Capitol.…”