The Ortega Blog: My Dad, A Proud Member of the Greatest Generation

By Roy Ortega

My father, Salvador V. Ortega, served proudly and honorably as a member of the United States Army during World War II.

Although I have written several articles about my dad's military service during the war, I have not previously offered a complete look at his entire military service that included a long career in the United States Air Force.

Salvador trained in 1944 at the Army Forces Training Center
at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Twelve years after his passing, I began the process of logging and organizing all of his military service records and photographs.

My purpose in maintaining and documenting my dad's military experience is not just a matter of family pride. It is my hope that future generations of our family will love and appreciate his contributions and sacrifices during a particularly difficult time in our nation's history.

Salvador was only 17
years old when he enlisted
in the U.S. Army in 1944.

Salvador entered military service at Randolph Field in San Antonio, Texas in 1944 at the age of 17. He was assigned to Company "B", 6th Engineering Battalion, Army Service Forces Training Center at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

This photo was mistakenly labeled. It was actually
taken in 1946. The two soldiers standing either side
of Salvador are identified only as Oneall and Curtiss.

Records show that Salvador was trained as a Heavy Machine Gunner and received an "expert" designation as a Rifle Marksman. By late 1944, Salvador was enroute to Europe aboard a troop ship ready to join the Allied campaign against the Hitler Nazi regime. The ship arrived at La Havre, France where the unit disembarked and headed toward the war front.

Salvador's unit spent the next 5 months fighting its way toward the German border. On April, 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler committed suicide and the war began to wind down.

But Salvador was not destined to return home just yet. Soldiers who had not yet earned enough service points were reassigned to post-war duties. On January 9, 1946, Salvador was assigned to the 11th Constabulary Regiment, 51st Squadron "A" Troop posted at Passau, Germany located near the Austrian border. Their job was to provide security, help maintain order and hunt down Nazi war criminals.

This photo was taken in 1946. The names of the
other soldiers are not known.

This photo was taken in 1946 in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
The soldier with Salvador is not identified.

Members of the
U.S. Army Constabulary spent their
free time enjoying the sights and
scenery of the Alps.

St. Moritz, Switzerland, 1946.

Somewhere in the Austrian Alps, 1946.

Record show Salvador was discharged
from the U.S. Army on July 15, 1947.

Salvador's desire to continue serving his country did not end after the war. He became fascinated by the formation of the new United States Air Force and decided to enlist in 1947. He spent the first two years of his Air Force service on active duty and then spent the next 13-years as a member of the U.S. Air Force reserve where he rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant.

Salvador served as a loadmaster aboard a U.S. Air Force C-46
cargo plane. His unit's mission was the
transport of cargo throughout the U.S. During a massive
snowstorm in the Midwest in 1949, his unit was tasked with dropping
bales of hay to feed stranded livestock.