Warbird Information Exchange

I was privileged to meet one of our surviving WW2 vets on Saturday in Orlando. He is the most decorated Airman in USAF history.

Chief Master Sergeant Richard Ortega is a veteran of 29 years of service, three years in the army and 26 in the USAF. He was a private when he participated in the first wave of the D-Day invasion, landing at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. On July 18, 1944 he was recommended for the Medal of Honor by Brigadier General Norman D. Cota, 29th Div. during the capture of the city of St. Lo. France, but the recommendation was lost at HQ 29th Division in France. After being sent to the field first aid station 12 times in his first 56 days of front-line combat duty for minor wounds, he was seriously wounded at the end of July and hospitalized for 9 months. In May 1945, he was transferred to the Army Air Corps (later the USAF) and became a bombardier/instructor in the B-29/50 Superfortress. In July 1950, while on TDY at Kadena AB, Okinawa, he was the Lead Bombardier of the 1st bomb mission on July 9, 1950, and flew an 18 additional combat missions over North Korea. The Chief flew over 10,000 hours as a Bombardier, ECM operator, Loadmaster, Gunner and Boom Operator in many aircraft, including the C-119, C-123, C-124, B-17, B-24, B-29, B-50, B-36, B-66, KC-97, and KC-135. From 1960 to 1970, he participated in the development, deployment, and operation of the LGM-30 Minuteman and the LGM-118A Peacekeeper ICBMs. The Chief's combat decorations include 2 Silver Star medals, 4 Bronze Star medals with "V" (Valor in combat) device, 7 Purple Heart medals, Europe Campaign medal with Arrowed Head (D-Day Landing) and 4 Battle Stars, Command Aircrew wings, Master Missile with Operations Designator badge, Master Munitions badge and Master Munitions Maintenance badge. The Chief's peacetime decorations include the Legion of Merit medal, Joint Services Commendation medal, 3 Meritorious Service medals, 7 Air Force Commendation medals, 9 Command Airman of the Year citations and two AFA Airman of the Year medals. He was AFA's 1963 PACAF Airman of the Year and AFA's 1970 TAC Airman of the Year. After leaving the service, he became an educator and was the first recipient of the AFA Aerospace Education Lifetime Achievement Award, and has made it his life's mission to help kids.

Chief Ortega had a lot of stories to tell, and I wished I had had more time to spend with him.

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If God had intended airplane engines to have horizontally-opposed cylinders, Pratt & Whitney would have built them that way.

Now that is a man that has seen it all! Very cool.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

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S.

7 Purple Hearts? Holy crap. Is that a typo? What were the circumstances for those incidents?

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Sure, Charles Lindbergh flew the plane... but Tom Rutledge built the engine!

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No, 7 Purple Hearts is not a typo. He was actually wounded more than 7 times, but he doesn't know if they quit after 7 or what. He didn't pursue it.

Most of the wounds were shrapnel or minor gunshot wounds incurred in France during and after the Normandy invasion. Most were the "bandage me up and send me back out" type.

Walt

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If God had intended airplane engines to have horizontally-opposed cylinders, Pratt & Whitney would have built them that way.