Congressional Gold Medal to be presented to Colorado Springs veteran

A Southern Colorado veteran is one of several to be honored by Congress Wednesday.

Leaders of the U.S. House and Senate will present the 65th Infantry Regiment the Congressional Gold Medal. Victor Santiago, a Colorado Springs resident, was a part of that group during the Korean War.

Santiago says he’s grateful for the attention so that others will learn and remember the sacrifices of his fellow soldiers.

His home is a museum of his history, with medals and photos hanging on many walls.

“In the beginning they didn’t even want to recognize Korea, it was so bad,” he recalls.

The 65th Infantry Regiment consisted of Puerto Ricans who fought in World Wars I, II and the Korean War.

When he was deployed to Korea, his wife was nine months pregnant and Santiago wouldn’t see his son until he was one year old.

“We were supposed to go to Japan to get more training, but when we got to the outside of Japan, they came back and said ‘No – go straight to Korea,'” he said.

That sudden deployment came as a surprise. He and others admitted to being nervous, especially when they were deployed without winter clothing.

“They told us if you get frostbite you get court-martialed,” he said.

Despite the sudden deployment, he and others fought for nearly two years.

“We put our life on the line for this country,” he said.

The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian honor that Congress can bestow.

The ceremony begins at 1 p.m., MDT Wednesday. To watch it live, click here.