Marion County veterans share strong feelings over Afghanistan pullout ocala.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ocala.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The regiment was a highly decorated unit that overcame discrimination and showed fervent patriotism.
Victor Colon, 55, a 32-year Army veteran and native of Puerto Rico who has served in every major conflict since 1989, helped organize Saturday s ceremony.
Colon is a member of the Borinqueneers Motorcycle Club, which was established in 2005 to pay tribute to the members of the 65th Infantry Regiment.
The club is made up of members of law enforcement and first responders and provides ceremonial escorts.
( Members of the 65th Infantry Regiment) endured hardship and racism and they paved the way for me, Colon said.
Colon worked with a historical research team and had a reproduction of a Returned from Hell-Korea 1950-1953 patch made for the two veterans.
Empowerment Job Fair in Ocala brings employers, job seekers together ocala.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ocala.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The start of a life of service
DeFrancesco reflected upon the war years recently during a visit at his Marion County home.
DeFrancesco was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, on Jan. 29, 1924. His father, a World War I veteran, worked in the copper tubing industry.
As a youth, DeFrancesco was fascinated by early helicopter prototypes he saw on test flights from the Sikorsky Aircraft company, located near his home. He built and flew model airplanes.
DeFrancesco joined the Army Air Corps in 1942 just after graduation from high school. His first flight was in an Aeronca, a small single-engine plane. The Aeronca was fun; it sort of floated, said DeFrancesco.
Support for all small businesses and entrepreneurs
“It’s not just for Hispanics. I can’t stress that enough,” Sinisterra said. “We started with that focus because it was a very underserved part of the community, but we see that there are other parts of the community that are underserved as well.”
The original Hispanic Business Council existed in Marion County over 10 years ago. In creating the new HBC, Sinisterra and his co-founder, Esmirna Caraballo, kept the name for exposure and branding but expanded the mission and scope to all small business owners and entrepreneurs.
In addition to office space for the founders, a veteran-owned business and two minority-owned businesses, the 4,000-square-foot space at 2945 NE Third St., Suite 205, in Ocala includes a conference room, resource center and larger training room.