[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12047]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1640
                         SEAMAN WILLIAM ORTEGA

  (Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
honor the life of Navy Seaman William Ortega. This fallen American hero 
gave his life on June 18 after a bomb exploded while he was in a patrol 
vehicle and while he was conducting combat operations against enemy 
forces in the Helmand Province in Afghanistan.
  Seaman Ortega, 23 years old, was a hospital corpsman to the 3rd 
Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine 
Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton. His battalion is nicknamed the 
``Thundering Third.''
  His family stated that Seaman Ortega cherished becoming an American 
citizen. He enjoyed being named ``student of the month'' at school and 
winning first place at the local youth fair. Throughout middle school 
and high school, he made the Honor Roll. He was involved in clubs, and 
he excelled in every sport that he played. After graduating from South 
Dade High School in 2005, Seaman Ortega went on to study at Florida 
Career College where he obtained a degree in Web site design.
  Then Seaman Ortega joined the military because of the core values 
military life has to offer. He wanted to give back to a nation that had 
given him and his family so much opportunity. So, as a hospital 
corpsman, he was a Navy medic who treated those who were injured in 
combat.
  His sister Aracely Ortega described him as an ``awesome brother and 
an awesome friend.'' She also said, ``He had a lot of respect for this 
Nation, and he paid the ultimate sacrifice, unfortunately.''
  For his brave service and sacrifice, Seaman Ortega was posthumously 
awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Afghanistan 
Campaign Medal, the NATO Non Article V Medal, and the Sea Service 
Deployment Ribbon.
  He is survived by his parents--William and Marianela Ortega--and by 
his five sisters, and hundreds gathered, over the weekend in Miami, to 
pay respect and to pay tribute to this American fallen hero.
  Our grateful Nation grieves with his family during this difficult 
time, and our grateful Nation will never forget William Ortega, a true 
American hero.

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