Epoch Times – Javier E. Ortiz wanted nothing more than to become a Marine. And after a humble beginning, he quickly devoted himself to the Corps. In return, he says he was stripped of his dignity and left to fight an uphill battle alone.
Ortiz was born in the Dominican Republic on Dec. 22, 1994. He was a boy when his father left the family to build another. In search of the American dream, Ortiz moved with his mother and older brother to New York in November 2003. A month later, they moved to New Jersey and Ortiz entered the American school system. His mother’s cash stockpile slowly deteriorated as she cared for Ortiz, an older brother, and other family members in the home.
Taking the opportunity to live closer to his grandparents, Ortiz moved with his mother and brother to Kissimmee, Florida, in 2005. As his mother continued to struggle financially, he eventually was adopted by an aunt and uncle in 2007 who began to provide the stable environment he longed for.
Distancing himself from the family’s rocky start in America, Ortiz began to cultivate the idea of serving in the United States Marine Corps as one of “the few, the proud.” “I decided to do everything I had to do to be able to join the Marines,” he told The Epoch Times.
With frequent visits to the local recruiting station between 2012 and 2015, Ortiz grew increasingly motivated to join the Corps. In 2014, he gained naturalization for work, which allowed him to apply for a Social Security card. And in 2015, he was able to do what he had always wanted to do: join the Marine Corps.
Ortiz traveled to Parris Island, South Carolina, for boot camp during the fall-to-winter cycle of 2015. “The first night I arrived, there was a meteor shower, a complete affirmation I was doing the right thing,” he said. Thirteen long weeks of training were “good,” he said. “I adapted well due to my long-awaited goal of protecting my new homeland.” MORE
Carlos Hathcock was dismissed from the Marines about 2 months prior to his 20 (thus making his retirement income less than half of what it would have been at 20 yrs.). He was told that “… the Marine Corps is not a welfare organization …”
Can’t expect bureaucracies to have compassion or sympathy – those connected are protected, those who aren’t, aren’t.
mortem tyrannis
izlamo delenda est …
I was an Artillery Cannoneer and can attest to his suffering. I hated being around those noisy ass things in the 82nd Airborne. One 155 round takes out a square kilometer. I volunteered to become a forward observer, and carried a rifle and radio with encoder, just to get away from the guns. The VA says my 2 bad knees, and sciatica and hearing loss are not service connected from being an Airborne Ranger. I can relate to what he is going thru at VA
sadly he is just another cog in the wheel
Every vet has been betrayed.
A friend joined the Army right out of high school at 17, in 1982. 6 years, 4 of which 101st Airborne. You think he saw a lot? He sure did, most of which we don’t know the details. Had PTSD from the beginning, but all the VA did was give him pills. He stopped taking the pills mid-90s and ended up robbing several banks (no weapons, just a note). Did 8+ years in federal prison. Still had PTSD when he got out, finally hit bottom around 2010 and miraculously was enrolled in a trial VA program in 2011, just him and one other guy who ended up taking the easy way out (RIP). And my friend almost did the same – but now is in pretty good shape and the VA is taking care of him – albeit minimally. He was lucky to have that opportunity, and gives back on a weekly basis by visiting the VA and bringing food and comfort. But the numbers of homeless vets at the VA is growing (did I mention it’s Los Angeles?), VA again doing the minimum. And even this big guy who was in Airborne takes precautions around the homeless.
I was once in a similar situation. In Vietnam during a firefight I had an RPG detonate just a few feet behind me in the side of the hill we were on. The blast blew my happy ass down into a low area downhill and knocked me out for I don’t know how long. One of my Marines told the Gunny…”Doc got BLOWED UP!” That probably explains why I’m such a screwball!
DANE BRAMAGE!
Back in the old days we didn’t know it was TBI, we just referred to it as “getting your bell rung”.
I read about one Marine on one of those shithole islands in the Pacific during WWII – can’t recall which one – Tarawa, Peleliu, whatever – anyway, at the end of the battle, out of his company there were 10 or 12 guys left standing – they were told to “… get on the boat – there’s still a war on …” and that was their “commiseration” from the rear-echelon Marines.
mortem tyrannis
izlamo delenda est …
Huh! What did you say! Speak up! I have hearing loss from working around Navy jets both at NAS Miramar, Cal. (just N. of San Diego) and on the flight deck of the USS Kitty Hawk CV 63 from 1973-75. The ear plugs that they issued us weren’t that great and the big ear mufflers weren’t that great either. My daughter as well as my late wife both have supersonic hearing and can hear me from clear across the room, every sound that I make drives them nuts including chewing on food. And my daughter swears she can hear my snoring downstairs from her upstairs bedroom.
My beloved Corps, is an uncaring, inconsiderate, ungrateful and vengeful beast of a bitch. Betrayal is not uncommon. I experienced the worst the Corps could dish out for 8 months after returning from over 20 months in VN as a Sergeant, Forward Observer for Naval Gunfire, Artillery and gunships.
It took 10 years to get over the betrayal and another 25 years hiding my service of serving in VN. I finally felt good about my Service in VN (thanks to many long conversations with a Command Master Chief of the Navy Seals).
I’m still low key and am embarrassed when told “Thanks for your Service” particularly when knowing the Corps slipped me the big green weenie rather than helping me readjust to the Spit shined boots, starched utilities, Cover and the utter Bullshit of Garrison duty after a 20 month combat tour.
Oh yes, I remember the REMFs, crossing their T’s and dotting their I’s as they road their desks stateside wearing their gedunk medals and kissing the Colonel’s ass while looking down on a Marine they wish they could be.
I don’t hold any animosity toward REMFs, those pencils can’t push themselves.
I remain faithful to the Corps, those I served with and proud of serving our Nation in difficult times.
Semper Fi
From all Marines, THANKS DOC !!
You are truly “One of the Few”.
The “American” government is gone, man. We have a mafia running our country, selling us out left and right, oppressing us, and killing our future while they get richer.
Cato, and all you other vets out there: Thank you for your service!
(with all sincerity)
mortem tyrannis
izlamo delenda est …
Can I tell you about a Marine Captain who ejected from a burning Harrier in 1985? 25 instantaneous Gs and he was told he would have back problems in later life. They were right. The VA doesn’t see a link between the ejection and his current back and neck issues.
He doesn’t support the man, he supports the office.
Said the father of a marine when asked 9 years ago, “How do you square your commitment to your service with the fact that your CIC is an anti-american pro-muslem marxist?”
What a pantload of doubletalk. No wonder we haven’t won anything worthwhile since the 1940’s.