HN William F. Ortega KIA 18 JUN 2010 in AFGHANISTAN
June 20, 2010 by Da-Chief
Filed under Air Force News, Army News, Coast Guard News, Corpsman.com News, Marine Corps News, Military Information, National Guard News, Navy News
It is with a sad breaking heart that I have to put this notice up today, Fathers Day.
Somewhere a father is grieving along with his family.
A family lost a son on Friday.
A Hero, someone who volunteered to serve his country and gave the ultimate sacrifice.
HN Ortega has only been in the Navy a short time, so I know some of my fellow instructors at NHCS had taught this hero how to be a Corpsman.
Instructors at FMTB had instructed him how to take care of his Marines.
HN Ortega’s family is not the only family who feel this loss, the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard all grieve for this hero and his loved ones, as do we here at Corpsman.com.
We have a picture and the official notification below.
God Bless the Ortega family and his friends and shipmates. Please stop for a moment today to reflect on him and all those serving in harms way.
HN William F. Ortega KIA 18 June 2010
The Defense Department on Saturday announced the death of a hospital corpsman serving in Afghanistan.
Hospitalman William Ortega, 23, of Miami died Friday in Helmand province of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device, officials said.
Ortega was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.
No other details were immediately available.
You are deeply loved… God Bless your family and friends..You are a true hero… My soldiers be safe and stay out of harms way….
It's important to remember the sacrifices we make, never more evident than now, as we celebrated our Corps Birthday we lost another brother. God Bless him and his family. Rest in Peace HN Ortega
My deepest Sympathy, God Bless your family. God keep our soldiers safe!
Brother-in-law because i married his sister but brothers form the heart because we did everything toghether. I love HN ORTEGA as much as i would my own. We shared alot of fun and good times. He has gone to a better place but will be remembered always. I want to thank eveybody that has written a comment. Will remain in my heart and best memories. MAY HE REST IN PEACE!!!
My nephew was serving with him , also a corpsman with the 3/1. From our family to yours, God Bless you and we will keep you in our prayers. Thank you for giving him to us to keep us safe and his marines safe.
My deepest sympathy to the family, you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Ortega was one of the best of us. We graduated boot together we went to A school together. He helped me pass my inspections because he was always being perfect. My deepest condolances to his family and loved ones.
I may not have known him but it does hurt. I am an HM2 working out of the Miami area right now. To be with the Marines and to be out on mission with them, means he was first rate and knew his stuff. Please post any funeral information. I am standing by to attend myself. If anyone has any futher information please contact me at samuel.planas@navy.mil. RIP brother. You past your final inspection and relaxing with the rest of our brother/sisters and Marines. Semper Fi
Went to Corps School with Ortega, great Corpsman, great friend, great shipmate, rest in peace brother….rest in peace.
I want everyone who did not know William to know what a special person he was. The kind of person who naturally had a beautiful light about him. He could strike up a conversation with anyone, and make friends with anyone. He was one of the most amazing human beings i have ever met. He was not only a man i loved but he was a friend. He would stop at nothing to make people laugh. I miss and love him dearly..
Thank you all who have written beautiful things about him, thank you all for your love and support.
Rest in peace William. Love you now, as always.- Your “Chula”
William Ortega, one of the best corpsman i have seen. Great passion for helping others out. Never complained, and always did everything with a smile. God Bless Him and His Family.
HN Michael Buertey
Fellow Ortega, as I hear this news, my heart is really sunk. I remember our last day together. We were laughing happily, cheerfully. And like the Rose that so brightly blossoms in the morning and yet is gone by night, so has your life been.We had some wild dreams about what we both wanted to do. Tonight, I cry with your family because it is more healing to cry with someone than to cry alone. Our prayers are with you even now and forever.
My son serves as a hospital corpsman for the Marines, I pray for strength in this time for you and your family. I cannot immagine the pain. He served with honor and dignity and we should always be proud of him- Rose Squiabro
i have been really shaken by this ive known him since bootcamp up to field med where i used to take him up to LA and spend time with my family and friends. I had just talked to him before i deployed out here as well and told him i was hoping to meet up with him here i never thought it would have been like this. Def. a person with integrity and made friends with everyone, never failed to have a smile on his face no matter what was going on. A great corpsmen and friend, my prayers go out to his family….-carranza
Me and Ortega went through bootcamp and corps school together. i cant believe this happened. he really was a good person and a great friend. my heart goes out to his family. this is a sad loss as a friend and a fellow corpsman.
He is a hero.
and this nation needs to know that there are human beings who feel pain, fear…but who embrace love, peace and joy.
William was one of them
May God bless the Ortega family.
God Bless you Brother and your family left behind!!! HooRah
HM3 Rauch
I went through bootcamp and corps school with HN Ortega. I would like to send out my prayers to his family and those close to Ortega. He was an amazing person with a smile on his face everytime I seen him. My last encounter with him was before I got to Okinawa. He was at my house with our fellow corpsman Caranza, Lavander and a few others. My family also would like to send thier prayers to his family. HN Ortega you will always be remembered and in our thoughts and prayers.
Last night I spent a couple hours with the family. At the request of the family, they would like all the Corspman who knew HN Ortega to contact them and if possible attend the viewing. Please contact me for further details. Samuel.Planas@navy.mil. I understand most of you are HM3 and below so please contact me so I may talk to your Chain. I am the HM2 Attached to the local command here with in Miami, fl, and I am aiding in the arrangements. Please All HM's who potentially able to to make it, please contact me via email and then i will provide my Cell phone number.
HM2 can you contact me via email?
HMC.crone@corpsman.com .
If you want to write a story I will post it about the funeral arrangements.
I’m doing this from my IPHONE as I’m traveling but can post stories from here.
Thanks
HMC
The last thing I remember about Ortega was his smile. RIP brother.
-HN Rojas
I too will remember his smile. Rest in peace HN Ortega.
Rest in Peace brother.
So so sorry to hear another one of our beloved Corpsman gone. I pray the family can find some comfort in this time.
I can remember going to Parcheesie's to bowl a few times and talking to him in Zappers in Corps School everytime I saw him. I will never be able to forget his smile and how extremely nice he was to everyone. I just found out that it's him, I will be escorting tomorrow, and I can honestly say it's an honor to escort you back home. But when I heard the name I had to look at the picture and say “Wow, that can't be true!” You will be missed my brother. My prayers will be with the family and friends of Ortega. Rest In Piece.
God Bless your Family William. They have suffered a great loss. You have made the ultimate sacrifice, and given your life for your country and your beliefs. We all are so very thankful and will never forget what you did.
– HM3 Callender, United States Navy Hospital Corpsman
we miss and love you william…the family really misses you especially your sister…i keep looking at the pictures of us and i still cant believe it… :'(
William and I were in the same unit in bootcamp and corpschool…he was hilarious, fun, smart and constantly made fun of me for being shorter than him:) I hope the Ortega family knows we are all praying and thinking of you. He will be missed by many! God bless.
Ortega…I remember when I was your squad leader in field med. I remember when you, Omar, and I drove down to San Diego and stayed at a friends house and then partied in Mission Valley with Louis and his girl. I also remember the last time I saw you…at the smoke pit behind the RAS…I remember telling you to keep your head on a swivel and to stay safe…damn. I honestly thought nothing like this would happen. You will not be forgotten brother. I know that you're in a better place.
Rest in Peace. We miss you brother.
HN Bolser
RIP Ortega
Ortega was one of my juniors at 3/1 a great guy with a great sense of humor. We will miss you brother, May god be with your family during this difficult time
HM2(FMF) Begger
I met HN Ortega at San Diego State while on orders for a Pashto Language Course. We are from the same home town, definitely one of the funniest guys I've ever met. I am lost for words, I can't believe he is gone.
Que Dios te Bendiga y te mantenga en Gloria.. “acere”.
Sgt Rosa E Riedel
USMC
Te encomiendo a la Misericordia Divina.
Bendigo tu luz y pido a los Santos Espiritus, que ya dejaron este plano te conduzcan por sederos de claridad y de paz.
Asciende y evoluciona en paz.. Que la paz de Dios envelva tu alma y que su amor te llene de felicidad.
Te enviamos nuestro amor y pedimos tu rapida Ascencion hacia el Padre……. Que asi sea.
I Still can't believe this happened.. I remember being at the Airport just coming back from leave, when I got the message from Conrad. I remember just crying at the airport and people questioning why I was crying made cry even more. It brought back all the memories from bootcamp and Corpschool. I remember the talks I had with Ortega he literally helped me through bootcamp I was always ready to snap on the RDCs. At one point I was ok with dropping out off bootcamp. I was ready to quit because I knew I coulnt pass the PRT, and for the last month he would make me get out of bed and do push ups and train.. and guess what I made it through thanx to him.. We barely been in two years.. And I know that we signed the paper I know we put our lives on the line. It really puts things into perspective, cause we go through life thinking things like this won't happen.. You'll be missed HN Ortega but never forgotten.. My condolences to the family..
Keep your chin up Anthony, sorry for your loss, we all feel here at Corpsman.com when we lose a hero.
Keep your head in the game, as your still in it and I am sure William would want you to as well.
This is a very sad thing….and tony, i wish u could have been at the funeral yesterday. it was really amazing, and finally he was laid to rest. i can still hear the 3 gun salute…i cant even imagne he pain his family is going through, because with us being just friends it hurts alot.
i remember when me and ortega were on ship staff together in bootcamp….he was always joking around or laughing…i never saw him mad or upset and he had a very positive attitude. we would just sit and talk about our RDC's,and what we have been doing and what not…and in Corps school he was th exact same. i am really honored that i met him, and honred that i can call him a friend. and i thank him for making the ultimate sacrafice and fighting for our freedom. He is home now for good, away from war, and crime, and hate. and in time we will meet again. So RIP william, and god bless his family and other friends and fellow shipmates.
RIP Fellow Brother
yeah…i just got back from afghanistan too…he was with my MO…I think about him every night…he was one of my shipmates in FMTB school…i miss him…God bless his family
HN(FMF) HUYNH
yeah…i just got back from afghanistan too…he was with my MO…I think about him every night…he was one of my shipmates in FMTB school…i miss him…God bless his family
HN(FMF) HUYNH
RIP HN Ortega. Saw you FMTB a couple times, and this has been a real eye opener for all of us corpsman with 1/4 in the middle east right now. I know you are in a better place right now and we are all hoping to lend aid to all our brothers in 3/1 in Afghanistan. God Bless.
Mr.Miami…I shed tears for you my brother,because you shed your blood. Coolest Doc you ever wanna meet, Marines would come to sickcall and special request Ortega, because he didn't just care for them,he actually cared about them. Im so sorry that you'll never come back home to FLA,but I Pray that your new home with Jesus will suffice. I will never forget ya Ortega HWY 🙂 R.I.P
Coolest Doc in the entire 3/1 BAS. treated me several times. just cant believe tht hes gone. May his soul rest in eternal peace.Will forever be remebered. Cpl Wanjiru
Gone but not forgotten, remembered as the optimistic one, the life of the party never in a bad mood. My teacher mi mentor but most of all my friend. He was and will always be my older brother I never had. A hard worker, dedicated to his work. William was friends with everione, had no enemies. Easy to get along with. He had a smart mouth, but that was his way of getting his point across. I was fortunate to spend a lot of time with him, the good and the bad. I had his back and he had mine. The last thing he told me before he departed to go to Afghanistan was don’t be a hero do your job and stay safe. I will never forget all the things I learned from him. A good teacher but a better friend I could not ask for. My brother in arms may you rest in peace.
My brother Ortega. We go way back to boot camp days getting yelled at for laughing all the time. We grew together as young sailors trying to make our own path in the Navy. The last time I saw you we were at Mojave Viper. Brief words were spoken but we told eachother to stay safe out there. I shed tears when I found out that you passed. Someone lost a son, a friend, and we all lost a brother. Rest In Paradise Ortega you will be missed
I went to High School With Will.. I remember when he first decided to go in. He was Excited for the experience.. Then I remember seeing him when he graduaduated bootcamp and came back home for a little bit.. And I also remembered going to his Going Away party at his parents house that last night befor he was going to Cali.. He was such a Beautiful Soul. Thats the only way to explain HIM. Always did have a smile on his face, and WAS ALWAYS HAPPY.. Even If he was having a bad day, he’d do anything possible to make your day better.. THAT WAS WILL. Last time he came home was for christmas 2010. we went out for a friends birthday and had an AMAZING time.. all of us friends knew he was being deployed so we were trying to spend as much time as possible with him. Words will never describe how sorry i am for your loss. the wounds never heal, but you’ll always have those great memories of him. He died to protect us and for that we will forever be in his debt.. MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU CLOSE TO HIS HEART WILL, WE LOVE YOU FRIEND AND WILL NEVER FORGET YOU. TILL WE MEET AGAIN… This picture is from his going away party..
I am doing a report on William F. Ortega for class, and i want to capture everything about him. If you have time I would like to interview you and get some more information. I recently got out of the navy as 8404 Hospital Corpsman and I am trying to get into P.A. School and want to do him justice in this project. Any information will be great. Thank you.
It would be my pleasure. Email me if you’d like. ymesa573@hotmail.com