Navy Seaman William Ortega

Remember Our Heroes

Navy Seaman William Ortega, 23, of Miami, Fla.

Seaman Ortega was assigned as a hospital corpsman to Third Battalion, First Marine Regiment, First Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, died June 18, 2010 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device blast while conducting combat operations against enemy forces.

MIAMI (WSVN) -- A local Navy seaman made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.
William Ortega of Miami died in Afghanistan. His grief stricken family shared memories of their loved one as they await for his body to be brought back to South Florida. "He was a good kid, great kid in school, great kid with his parents. He was like a son to everybody. He said he wanted to do something good with his life and he found it through the military, so decided to serve it," said Miguel Rodriguez.

Ortega, 23, was working at a marine hospital in Afghanistan. He died following a blast during a combat operation against enemy forces.

Hospital corpsmen are similar to medics. Ortega was attached to the Third Battalion, First Marine Regiment, First Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force out of Camp Pendleton in California.

His battalion, nicknamed the Thundering Third, took full command of the province in May, although it is unknown when Ortega was deployed.

On Friday, Seaman William F. Ortega will return home.

After graduating from South Dade Senior High in 2005, he joined the U.S. Navy in May 2008 and moved to Camp Pendleton in California to train as a corpsman, which is similar to a medic.

``He wanted to deploy. He wanted to serve his country,'' said friend Ana Miller, ``and he did.''

Ortega died June 18, two days before Father's Day, after a bomb exploded as he rode in a patrol vehicle ``while conducting combat operations against enemy forces,'' in Helmand Province, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

At the start of training in California, adjusting to West Coast life was hard for Ortega, Miller said. But Ortega adapted and made friends, including Miller, 21, and her husband, Jeremy, a fellow corpsman.

Still, the 23-year-old longed for home.

``He was telling me that when he came back from his deployment, if he was given the choice of where to go, he was going to choose Miami,'' said Miller.

Ortega's relatives declined to comment, saying it was too difficult.

Ortega was deployed to Afghanistan, attached to the Third Battalion, First Marine Regiment, First Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force.

His battalion, nicknamed the Thundering Third, took full command of the province in May, when he was deployed overseas.

After the bombing, Ortega was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, NATO Non Article V Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

On Friday, his remains will be returned to South Florida in a private event for his family at Homestead Air Reserve Base. There will be a funeral Saturday in Kendall, after which his body will be taken to Arlington National Cemetery, where he will be buried July 9.

He is survived by his parents, William and Marianela Ortega; sisters Karla Ortega, Edna Ortega, Maria Ortega, Aracely Ortega and Evelyn Lopez; brother-in-law Juan Martinez of the U.S. Navy; grandmother Gladys Francisca Gutierrez and grandfather Jose Centeno.

The local funeral will be at noon Saturday at Bernardo Garcia Funeral Home, 12050 SW 117th Ave.

The family asks that only family, friends and military and public officials attend.

Navy Seaman William Ortega was killed in action on 6/18/10.