65th Infantry Regiment (United States) - World War I

World War I

Different units of the regiment were stationed at other forts throughout the island. Lieutenant Teofilo Marxuach was stationed at El Morro Castle at San Juan Bay. Lt. Marxuach was the officer of the day at El Morro Castle on March 21, 1915. The Odenwald, built in 1903 (not to be confused with the German World War II war ship which carried the same name), was an armed German supply ship which tried to force its way out of the San Juan Bay and deliver supplies to the German submarines waiting in the Atlantic Ocean. Lt. Marxuach gave the order to open fire on the ship from the walls of the fort. Sergeant Encarnación Correa then manned a machine gun and fired warning shots with little effect.

Marxuach fired a warning shot from a cannon located at the Santa Rosa battery of "El Morro" fort, in what is considered to be the first shot of World War I fired by the regular armed forces of the United States against a ship flying the colors of the Central Powers, forcing the Odenwald to stop and to return to port where its supplies were confiscated. The shots ordered by Lt. Marxuach were the first fired by the United States in World War I. The Odenwald was confiscated by the United States and renamed SS Newport News. It was assigned to the U.S. Shipping Board, where it served until 1924 when it was retired.

Puerto Ricans of African descent were assigned to all black units.Puerto Ricans were unaccustomed to the racial segregation policies of the United States which were also implemented in Puerto Rico and often refused to designate themselves as "white" or "black". When the United States declared war against Germany, the Regiment was transferred to the regular Army and on May 3, 1917, recruited 1,969 men, considered at that time as war strength.

On May 14, 1917, the regiment was sent to Panama in defense of the Panama Canal Zone. The regiment returned to Puerto Rico on March 1919 and was renamed "The 65th Infantry Regiment" by the Reorganization Act of 4 June 1920. During this period a young Puerto Rican officer of the Regular Army, Major Luis R. Esteves, was sent to Camp Las Casas to serve as an instructor in the preparation of Puerto Rican officers. Esteves in the future would become known as the "Father of the Puerto Rican National Guard".