Most Marines had by no means seen fight when Peter Ortiz joined the Corps in June 1942. Nevertheless, he had already survived 5 years within the French Overseas Legion and fought in Africa, confronted the Nazis in France, spent 15 months as a prisoner of battle, and escaped occupied Europe to get again into the battle.
Earlier than the battle ended, the New York-born Legionnaire would turn out to be probably the most embellished member of the Workplace of Strategic Providers and one of the embellished Marines of World Battle II.
From New York Metropolis to the French Overseas Legion
Born July 5, 1913, Ortiz was raised in affluence because the son of Philippe Ortiz, a French-Spanish artwork vendor, and his mom Marie Louise. His dad and mom separated when he was younger, and he lived along with his socially linked mom. After being educated on the College of Grenoble in France, the place he turned fluent in ten languages together with French, German, Arabic, Italian and Portuguese, he made a alternative at 19 that shocked his rich household.
In February 1932, Ortiz joined the French Overseas Legion. He was despatched first to the Legion’s brutal coaching camp at Sidi Bel-Abbes in Algeria, coaching designed to interrupt recruits bodily and mentally. Ortiz did not simply survive it—he excelled. After this, he was assigned to Morocco with the third Machine Gun Firm of the 2nd REI.
He fought in opposition to Rif rebels in Morocco, incomes two Croix de Guerre for his actions in fight. After assembly Ortiz, British journalist George Ward Worth would write: “This distinguished-looking younger American would have made an officer of whom any military on the earth would have been proud.”
Ortiz rose shortly via the ranks—corporal in 1933, sergeant in 1935. He turned the youngest sergeant in Legion historical past on the time and was supplied each a fee and French citizenship. He declined each. When his five-year enlistment led to 1937, he returned to California, the place he labored as a technical adviser on battle movies.
Wounded, Captured and His Escape Behind Enemy Strains
When Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, Ortiz re-enlisted within the French Overseas Legion. In Might 1940, through the Battle of France, he obtained a battlefield fee to lieutenant. Weeks later, he was shot within the hip whereas blowing up a German gasoline depot. Wounded and trying to flee on a stolen bike, the Germans captured him.
For the subsequent 15 months, Ortiz moved between POW camps in Germany, Austria and Poland. He tried to flee 5 occasions earlier than lastly succeeding in October 1941. His fluency in a number of European languages helped—he stayed along with his father in Paris earlier than slipping throughout the border into impartial Spain. He then made his solution to Portugal, then sailed again to the US.
Simply earlier than his ship made it to New York, he discovered of the Japanese Bombing of Pearl Harbor. The U.S. Army Air Corps promised him a fee however the paperwork moved too slowly for his liking. On June 22, 1942, he enlisted within the Marine Corps as a personal. His navy file instantly stood out from different recruits.
One senior Marine officer wrote that “the somewhat distinctive experiences and {qualifications} of Lieutenant Ortiz point out that he could be of outstanding worth to American items working in North Africa.”
After simply 40 days of service—a lot of it spent as an assistant coaching officer at Parris Island—Personal Ortiz turned Second Lt. Ortiz. By December, he had been promoted to captain, skipping first lieutenant fully. He was assigned to the twenty third Marines at Camp Lejeune earlier than receiving orders for Morocco.
Behind Enemy Strains in North Africa
On Dec. 21, 1942, Capt. Ortiz flew to North Africa, formally as an assistant naval attaché and Marine Corps observer stationed in Algiers. As a part of the OSS, he was truly tasked with organizing native resistance to conduct reconnaissance and collect intelligence behind Axis traces.
In January 1943, throughout a nighttime reconnaissance patrol in Tunisia, Ortiz and his males ran right into a German patrol. In what was described as a “fierce firefight,” Ortiz was severely wounded in the appropriate hand. Regardless of the damage, he continued throwing grenades, forcing the Germans to withdraw. Ortiz was evacuated to a hospital in Algiers, then flown dwelling to the U.S. to get better.
Gen. William Donovan, director of the OSS, obtained a message from Algiers stating: “Peter Ortiz, U.S.M.C.R. was severely wounded in the appropriate hand whereas engaged in a private encounter with a German patrol. He dispersed the patrol with grenades.”
Donovan learn Ortiz’s after-action report and wrote over it: “Very attention-grabbing, please re-employ this man as quickly as potential.”
Operation Union: Parachuting Into Occupied France
After recovering in Washington in early Might 1943, Ortiz was reassigned to the OSS Naval Command. He turned considered one of solely 80 Marine Corps officers to serve with the OSS throughout WWII. Transferred to London in July, he obtained orders for his most harmful project but.
On the night time of Jan. 6, 1944, Ortiz parachuted from a Royal Air Power bomber into the Haute-Savoie area of German-occupied France. He jumped as a part of Operation Union, a three-man group that included British Col. H.H.A. Thackwaite from the Particular Operations Govt and French radio operator Andre “Monnier” Foucault. Their mission was to evaluate the navy capabilities of Maquis resistance items within the area and arrange them previous to D-Day.
The group jumped in civilian garments—conscious they might be executed as spies if captured—however carried their uniforms with them. After linking up with resistance fighters, they turned into uniform to display this was an official navy operation. Ortiz posed as a Parisian clothier to keep away from suspicion when transferring in civilian garments.
Nonetheless being a Marine although, he selected to always put on his obligation uniform, full with ribbons and medals. Thackthwaite later wrote, “Ortiz, who knew not worry, didn’t hesitate to put on his U.S. Marine captain’s uniform on the town and nation alike; this cheered the French however alerted the Germans, and the mission was always on the transfer.”
For 5 months, the group labored to unify the resistance teams, organized airdrops of weapons and ammunition, and led raids in opposition to German positions. Ortiz proved his worth repeatedly, even going so far as organizing hospitals and safe-houses for the resistance, procuring provides from the Allies, and even securing stipends for the households of fallen resistance members.
He even earned the Order of the British Empire by breaking right into a Gestapo storage, stealing a car and a Gestapo move, regardless of the Germans actively searching him. He then drove 4 downed Royal Air Power pilots via Vichy France to the Spanish border, then returned to proceed his mission.
Operation Union ended on Might 20, 1944, when the group was airlifted again to England. Ortiz was promoted to main and obtained his first Navy Cross for his extraordinary heroism behind enemy traces.
Toasting Roosevelt at Gunpoint
It was throughout Operation Union that considered one of Ortiz’s most well-known incidents occurred. German officers from the 157th Division—who had been actively searching the Marine and his resistance contacts—had been consuming in a membership. They allegedly started loudly cursing the “tall American Marine,” President Franklin Roosevelt and even the U.S. Marine Corps.
Ortiz, sitting close by in civilian garments, didn’t take that evenly. He left the bar, returned to his protected home, and placed on his Marine Corps service uniform—full with all his American and French decorations. He threw a raincoat over the uniform, holstered two Colt Mannequin 1911 .45-caliber pistols, and walked again to the membership.
He approached the German officers and ordered drinks for them. Then he eliminated his raincoat to disclose his Marine Corps uniform and drew his pistols on the shocked Nazi officers.
“A toast to the president of the US,” he allegedly mentioned.
The Germans raised their glasses and drank. Ortiz ordered one other spherical.
“A toast, to the Marine Corps.”
The officers drank once more. Some accounts declare Ortiz then shot and killed the officers. Ortiz later claimed he escaped with out killing anybody—he wished them to stay and unfold the story.
Whereas the story has been debated, a number of accounts affirm Ortiz carried his Marine uniform throughout his missions in France. Maquis chief Raymond Bertand even photographed Ortiz in his service uniform throughout this time.
Operation Union II: Surrendering to Save a Village
On Aug. 1, 1944, Maj. Ortiz returned to France for Operation Union II. This time he commanded his personal group: 5 Marine noncommissioned officers—Gunnery Sgt. Robert LaSalle, and Sgts. Charles Perry, John Bodnar, Fred Brunner and Jack Risler—together with Army Air Power Capt. Francis L. Coolidge and Joseph Arcelin, a Free French officer carrying papers figuring out him as a Marine.
Through the parachute insertion into the French Alps, Sgt. Perry died when his parachute did not open correctly. One other Marine was severely injured on touchdown and needed to be evacuated. Regardless of these losses, Ortiz pushed ahead along with his remaining males.
For 2 weeks, the group performed sabotage operations and direct motion raids in opposition to German forces retreating from southern France towards Germany. To spice up morale amongst French civilians, the group moved brazenly of their Marine uniforms.
On Aug. 16, 1944, whereas passing via the village of Centron, the group was ambushed by a German convoy. A firefight erupted, however the Individuals had been surrounded. German Maj. Kolb believed he confronted a company-sized unit—not less than 100 males.
Ortiz knew the Germans had liquidated complete cities for harboring resistance fighters. French civilians begged the Individuals to give up to forestall reprisals. Ortiz made a drastic choice. He approached the German traces below a flag of truce and negotiated immediately with Maj. Kolb.
Ortiz supplied to give up his “complete garrison” if Kolb gave his phrase the villagers wouldn’t be harmed. Kolb agreed.
When solely Ortiz, Sgt. Bodnar and Sgt. Risler walked out of the village, the Germans had been shocked. Kolb was livid when he realized solely three Marines had held off a German battalion. However Kolb stored his phrase. The individuals of Centron lived.
His second Navy Cross quotation famous that regardless of being imprisoned and subjected to quite a few interrogations, Ortiz divulged nothing. It additionally said that “the story of this intrepid Marine Main and his group turned a superb legend in that part of France the place acts of bravery had been thought of commonplace.”
Finish of the Battle and Remaining Captivity
Ortiz spent the rest of the battle as a prisoner. He was shuttled between POW camps in northern Germany, the place German officers handled him as a daily prisoner somewhat than a commando—presumably as a result of Maj. Kolb had shielded him from the SS.
Ortiz made a number of escape makes an attempt whereas imprisoned. On Dec. 18, 1944, he and Navy Lt. Hiram Harris lower via wire fences at a POW camp close to Bremen and reached the woods. The boys had been captured; Ortiz was overwhelmed and positioned in solitary confinement.
In April 1945, with the Allies closing in, Ortiz and his fellow prisoners had been moved to a different camp. Through the march, RAF Spitfires attacked the column. Within the chaos, Ortiz escaped with two Individuals and one British prisoner. They hid within the woods for ten days, hoping to be rescued by Allied troops. Ravenous, they had been compelled to return to the camp they’d been held in, in search of meals.
After they entered the camp, they found the prisoners had taken management. On April 29, 1945, the British seventh Guards Armored Division liberated them. Ortiz was reunited with the Marines from his OSS group.
Hollywood, Arlington and Legend
Ortiz was discharged from lively obligation in 1946 however remained within the Marine Corps Reserve, lastly retiring on March 1, 1955, with promotion to colonel on the retired record. He even volunteered to return to the Corps to function an advisor in Indochina, however this was denied.
He returned to Hollywood and resumed his movie profession, forming a friendship with director John Ford, who had additionally served with the OSS. Ortiz appeared in a number of Ford movies, together with Rio Grande in 1950 and The Wings of Eagles in 1957, each starring John Wayne.
Two movies had been based mostly on his wartime exploits: 13 Rue Madeleine in 1947 starring James Cagney, and Operation Secret in 1952. Ortiz served as technical adviser on each however had little enter on the scripts. He later informed columnist Bob Thomas: “That they had stipulated that I used to be to assist in the screenplay however by no means consulted me.”
His son, Marine Lt. Col. Peter J. Ortiz Jr., summed up his father’s performing profession merely: “My father was an terrible actor however he had nice enjoyable showing in films.”
Ortiz married his sweetheart, Jean Morlan, in 1948. They finally settled in Arizona, the place Ortiz pursued pursuits in artwork, historical past, faith and filmmaking whereas elevating their son.
Peter Ortiz died of most cancers on Might 16, 1988, on the Veterans Medical Middle in Prescott, Arizona. He was 74 years outdated. He was buried with full navy honors at Arlington Nationwide Cemetery. Representatives from the British and French governments attended the ceremony, alongside his former comrades Bodnar and Risler.
His decorations from three international locations included two Navy Crosses, a Legion of Benefit with Valor system, an Order of the British Empire, two Purple Hearts, 5 Croix de Guerre, and quite a few different American and French awards.
In August 1994, the village of Centron held a ceremony to rename the city middle Place Peter Ortiz. His widow Jean, his son Pete Jr., and Sgts. Bodnar and Risler attended. A plaque now hangs within the mayor’s workplace commemorating the Marine who surrendered to save lots of their city.
He was probably the most embellished OSS agent of WWII. Marine historian Benis Frank later wrote: “Peter Julien Ortiz was a person amongst males. It’s uncertain that his variety has been seen since his time.”
