THE WALL OF FACES

Dear Lt Jose Ortiz, Thank you for your service as a Tactical Aircraft Pilot. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Lent has begun. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

1LT Jose Ortiz, You are remembered by all FACs. OV-10A 68-3824.

I remember living next door to you and Elena in pilot training when you had your son. I found out you'd died when I was passing through Manila on my way on my way to Vietnam. I wish I could tell your son what a great guy you were. I'll never forget you.

First Lieutenant Jose Hector Ortiz, Served with the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron, 504th Tactical Air Support Group, 7th Air Force.

I was in pilot training at Reese AFB and lived on base next door to José and his wife. They had to keep some sort of appointment one day and asked if my wife and I could watch their two-week old son for a couple of hours.

My wife and I had no children of our own as yet, knew nothing about babies, and were terrified that something might happen to the baby while in our care. So we placed him on our sofa with blankets all around him and sat on the floor for two hours without taking our eyes off of him :)

José was a couple of classes ahead of me, and the day that they got their assignments he came straight home and pounded on my front door, he was so excited to have been assigned to the OV-10.

I didn't find out that Jose had been killed until a couple of years later, when I was on my way to Vietnam and ran into one of Jose's classmates in the Philippines.

I'll never forget you.