TRENTON — Gov. Jon Corzine has ordered all U.S. and state flags on state, county and municipal buildings to fly half-staff Aug. 6 in memory of Army Capt. Maria I. Ortiz, killed in Baghdad, Iraq.
Ortiz lived the first five years of her life in Camden. Her mother and twin sister still reside in Pennsauken.
She joined the Army in 1991 and served for eight years in the enlisted corps prior to obtaining her nursing degree in 1999, and joining the officer corps.
She serves in Honduras, South Korea and at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C.
She was the chief nurse of general medicine at the Kirk United State Army Health Clinic at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, where she distinguished herself with her dedication and commitment to the highest standards of medical care, according to a release from the governor’s office.
She volunteered for service in Iraq with the 28th Combat Support Hospital, 3rd Medical Command, in order to treat wounded soldiers and civilians in a combat theater.
She died as a result of wounds suffered while caring for others in the service of the nation.
She has received some of the nation’s highest combat decorations including the Bronze Star.
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