Osbaldo Orozco
1st Lieutenant Company C 1-22 Infantry
Platoon Leader 2nd Platoon
KIA April 26, 2003
1st LT Osbaldo Orozco
was the first soldier of 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry,
and also the first soldier of the 4th Infantry Division,
to be killed in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
His hometown was Earlimart, California. At the time of his death he was 26 years old.
He was a star high school football player who attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, on a full football scholarship. The second-oldest of five brothers, he was the first in the family to graduate from college. Osbaldo shone on the football field. He was a captain for Cal Poly's Mustangs in 1999 and was named the team's Most Inspirational Player.
Orozco enrolled in Cal Poly's ROTC program and was commissioned as an Army officer on June 16, 2001, the same day he got his bachelor's degree in social science.
He had been married for
two years to Mayra Mendez Orozco. Mayra said of her husband:
"He had a real leadership quality......his men adored him
and respected him.
He was ready to go and do his job."
Osbaldo Orozco was a respected and well liked member of his community. He led by example, and was looked up to by many. He will be missed by his family, friends, and his fellow brothers-in-arms of 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry.
The following is taken from THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN May 6, 2003:
1st Lt. Osbaldo Orozco
Services: Wed., May 7, 11:30 a.m.
Services will be held Wednesday, May 7, at St. Judes Catholic Church, 1270 E. Washington Street, in Earlimart, for Osbaldo Orozco, who gave his life for his country, April 25, in Tikrit, Iraq. With his death, Osbaldo leaves his family and legions of friends mourning his loss, but celebrating his strength, courage and zest for life.
Osbaldo was born March 19, 1977, to Jorge and Reyes Orozco, the second of five sons. Raised in Earlimart, he attended Earlimart Elementary and Middle Schools and was a 1995 graduate of Delano High School, where, on the football field, he proved himself a natural leader. Osbaldo played varsity football for three years, making all-valley, all-area and all-state teams. A formidable 6-foot-one, 225 pounder his senior year, he was recruited by a host of colleges, but chose Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where he attended on full football scholarship. Affable off the field, but relentless on, Osbaldo was named to the NCAA Division 1-AA Independent first team his sophomore year and racked up 300 total tackles by the end of his college career.
Osbaldo joined the ROTC while at Cal Poly and fell in love with the rigors and discipline of military life. He earned his commission as an officer in the U.S. Army on June 16, 2001, the day he graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in social sciences.
Osbaldo married Mayra Mendez the week following graduation and the couple moved to Fort Benning, Georgia, where they lived 11 months, then moved to Fort Hood, Texas, where he joined the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment and trained to lead Bradley fighting vehicles into battle. As exemplary on the battlefield as he was on the football field, Osbaldos friends and family were saddened, but not surprised, to learn that their champion lost his life while rushing to aide fellow soldiers under fire.
Osbaldo will be missed always. In Osbaldo, Mayra found the love of her life, her protector and knight in steel armor. In Osbaldo his parents found a son who took the Fifth Commandment to heart and honored his parents in word and action to the final day of his life. In Osbaldo his brothers found a hero and best friend. For the rest of their lives they will say to their children and grandchildren Baldo was the best of us.
Osbaldo is survived by Mayra, his wife of two years; parents, Jorge and Reyes Orozco; brother and sister-in-law, George and Marilu Orozco, Jr.; brothers, Johnny, Andy and Ozzie Orozco; grandmother Ignacia Orozco; nephew and nieces, Hector, Jackelyn and Angel Orozco and many other beloved family members and friends.
Delano Mortuary Funeral Directors
Hundreds
gather in Earlimart to remember soldier killed in war
Orozco admired as role model with big heart
By Shannon Darling
Staff writer VISALIA TIMES-DELTA
Johanna Vossler/Times-Delta
EARLIMART --
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Osbaldo Orozco was a role model.
Neighbors looked up to him, classmates admired him and friends came from as far away as Georgia to pay their respects, joining more than 300 friends and family members Tuesday night during a wake at the home of Orozco's parents.
"He was just a good guy," said Clifton Barbee, a Delano High School classmate of Orozco's. "He just had such a big heart."
Orozco was deployed with the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment based in Fort Hood, Texas, when he was killed April 25 while near a checkpoint under fire in Tikrit, Iraq. Orozco was killed when his Bradley tank flipped over as it maneuvered into position to return fire. He was 26.
Orozco was one of two soldiers who died that day.
The 6-foot, 1-inch star linebacker was known for his great football skills. He even passed up a chance to play professional football to enlist.
Even though Barbee fought back tears at his friend's wake, he said he was proud his friend served the country, making the ultimate sacrifice.
Yellow ribbons and U.S. flags decorated the home of Jorge and Reyes Orozco, the parents of Osbaldo Orozco. Friends and family filled the house, the front yard and blocked the streets in front of their Earlimart home.
"He was friends with everybody," said Sal Jimenez, 18.
Jimenez lived only two houses down from the Orozcos and he said he saw Orozco almost as an older brother.
"I looked up to him a lot. I looked at the way he made his family proud and wanted to be like that," Jimenez said. "He helped me grow up."
Jimenez said he can't remember a time when Orozco wasn't helping someone.
"He was always there for someone. In this case, it was for his country," Jimenez said.
Johanna Vossler/Times-Delta
Orozco left behind his parents; his wife, Mayra Mendez Orozco, and five brothers.
"You couldn't have asked for a better son-in-law," said Luis Martinez, Orozco's father-in-law.
Orozco and his wife would have celebrated their second year of marriage in June. The two were high school sweethearts and had no children
"It's so hard to understand," Martinez said. "Nobody can take Osbaldo's place."
At 26 years old, Martinez said it will be difficult for his daughter to deal with the loss of her husband.
"It just hurts a lot you know," he said.
Mayra Orozco wore the identification tags of her late husband during the wake.
Services will be at 11:30 today at St. Jude's Catholic Church in Earlimart. More than 1,800 students from all three of the public schools in Earlimart are expected to line the streets of the small town to pay tribute to the fallen soldier.
Carrying yellow roses, family friend Stacey Brownell said Orozco was happy to have the chance to join the Army, which he did after graduating from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
"He was probably one of the best people I knew," Brownell said. "He did everything for his family and friends."
Originally published Wednesday, May 7, 2003
Soldier Mourned
|
| EARLIMART -- More than 350 people
crowded inside St. Jude's Catholic Church while another
crowd of about 500 waited outside Wednesday for the
funeral of Army 1st Lt. Osbaldo Orozco, the Valley's
first fatality in the war with Iraq. Mourners stood in the parking lot. They stood across the street. They sat in chairs off to the side. Mexican and American flags flew outside as yellow ribbons dotted the pews and aisles. Some people carried red and white flags of the United Farm Workers Union in homage to his family's farmworker past. Orozco, 26, died April 25 when his Bradley fighting vehicle rolled over, crushing him under its weight. His unit was rushing to help others under attack near Tikrit, according to the Pentagon. College football teammates stood next to farmworkers, reflecting two of Orozco's many roles: husband, son, brother, soldier, athlete, son of immigrants. During the service, friends remembered him as the one who quickly patted them on the back. He thrust out his hand to offer help. He swiftly kicked them in the butt when they needed that, too. "Animal gente," they said. The gentle animal. At 6-foot-1, 250 pounds, Orozco wasn't afraid of much. But, friends said, he was also kind. He picked up hitchhikers, often bringing them home and giving them a meal. His academic adviser at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, remembered him as the first student in 15 years to invite her over for dinner. He was a star linebacker at Delano High School, named to The Bee's 1994 all-star football team. He attended Cal Poly on a football scholarship. "Baldo was wild," said Cal Poly teammate David Kellogg. "He was always yelling and screaming at us, trying to motivate us. He always painted his face, either camouflage or tiger-striped. He'd yell at us in Spanish and English, even though most of us didn't know what he was saying." By the end of his college career, he had racked up 300 total tackles (No. 3 all-time at Cal Poly), five sacks and three interceptions. He earned the respect of his teammates, coaches and fans. And he earned the admiration of the children of Earlimart and Delano, who would ride a bus for hours to Cal Poly just to see the local boy hit someone on Saturdays. Andre Patterson, Orozco's former college coach, said he was ready to play from the day he arrived on campus. "He was a tremendous kid," Patterson, who now coaches defensive line with the Cleveland Browns, said in an interview by telephone. "He had no fear, but he was so much a people person. Everyone looked up to him. I wasn't surprised to learn that he had joined the Army." Serving his country was higher on his list than chasing professional football dreams, his friends said. He was proud to be a soldier. Proud to be fighting for freedom. "We get a lot of students without physical training," said Maj. Paul Buechner, an Army ROTC instructor at Cal Poly. "And Osbaldo would help every one of them, yelling encouragement and pushing them hard. He led by example." "It's difficult to lose a soldier," said Brig. Gen. Thomas Bostick, assistant division commander of the 1st Cavalry, which shares Fort Hood with Osbaldo's 4th Infantry Division. "But I never expected to see so many people show up here. I knew he was well-liked in his community, but I am overwhelmed with the amount of people here." An American flag draped the silver and chrome casket holding Orozco's body as it sat at the front of the church, surrounded by flowers and pictures. After the ceremony, seven ROTC cadets stood at attention as Orozco's brothers -- dressed in gray shirts and black pants and wearing white gloves -- carried the coffin out of the church. A line of cars more than a mile long formed as the procession made the 10-mile journey to Delano. The cars wound through a landscape of green grapevines and orchards where he had worked alongside his family while growing up. At the Delano Cemetery, the seven cadets raised their rifles and fired three shots in unison -- a 21-gun salute. A lone trumpeter played taps. A Kern County firetruck hung a gigantic American flag from its ladder. A flag at the Veteran of Foreign Wars memorial, near where Orozco is buried, flew at half-staff. Mayra Orozco wore her husband's dog tags next to a cross around her neck. She stood solemn, hiding her eyes behind a pair of dark sunglasses. Cadets took the flag off the casket and slowly folded it, gently handing it to the widow. She sat facing her husband's casket, clutching the flag. Orozco's mother, Reyes, sat next to her. Orozco's four brothers took off their white gloves and white carnations. They folded the gloves and placed their flowers on top. One by one, they placed them atop the casket. Mayra and Reyes stood up and gently held two white doves. They tossed them into the air. A Marine in full dress saluted. An Army general wept. The reporter can be reached at jplemons@fresnobee.com or 622-2409. |
From
the Modesto, CA Bee:
Love essential to observing Memorial Day
Published: May 26, 2003, 06:35:11 AM PDT
An
Army general wept this month at the funeral of Army 1st Lt.
Osbaldo Orozco of Earlimart in Tulare County, the San Joaquin
Valley's first fatality in the war with Iraq.
More than 800 people gathered for Orozco's funeral May 7, among
them Brig. Gen. Thomas Bostick, assistant division commander of
the 1st Cavalry, which shares Fort Hood with Orozco's 4th
Infantry Division.
"It's difficult to lose a soldier," said Bostick.
"But I never expected to see so many people show up here. I
knew he was well-liked in his community, but I am overwhelmed
with the amount of people here."
That affection is the essence of Memorial Day. While we pay our
respects to veterans in a general way with our formal ceremonies,
brass bands and hundreds of flying flags, at the heart of this
day of remembrance are individual faces of soldiers -- fathers,
mothers, sisters, brothers, friends -- and the people who love
them and miss them.
The poignancy is all the more acute this year with so many of the
valley's loved ones called to duty in Iraq. Fortunately, hundreds
of our warriors have already returned home safely -- alive and
victorious, jubilant at the welcoming sight of their family and
friends.
But in this war, like all others before it, there is a tremendous
price to pay and this year the valley has paid with the life of
Orozco, a most promising and inspiring young man. A star football
player in high school and college, he was a son of immigrants who
went on to graduate from California Polytechnic State University,
San Luis Obispo. He was team captain and voted most inspirational
player. The university held a memorial service in his honor.
After his funeral in Earlimart, a stream of cars more than a mile
long formed the procession to Delano Cemetery, where he was
buried.
That was a dramatic demonstration of the love of one community
for its fallen son. Yet it is a picture that is repeated time and
again throughout our nation's history.
Losing the lives of some of our loved ones is the price we must
be willing to pay for our liberty. On Memorial Day and every day,
we owe much to the Orozcos among us for being willing to die
protecting us.
Like the tearful Army general at Orozco's funeral, we should
never harden our hearts to the significance of that
self-sacrifice.
Osbaldo Orozco Date of Birth: March 19, 1977 Football career at Cal Poly (1995-99): 300 total tackles (No. 3 all-time at Cal Poly), 136 solo tackles, 23 tackles for 64 lost yards, five sacks, three interceptions. 1999 (Senior) -- Third on the Mustangs in total tackles with 79, including 41 solo tackles ... seven tackles for a loss of 21 yards and one sack ... intercepted one pass and returned it 24 yards ... 12 tackles vs. Youngstown State ... strong and physical player who likes to hit ... fills holes well ... tough to block ... aggressive player who has a nose for the ball ...preseason honor candidate by I-AA Independents ... named teamıs Most Inspirational Player. 1998 (Junior) -- Voted "Linebacker of Year" by teammates ... led team with 98 total tackes and a team-high 46 unassisted tackles ... six tackles for a loss ... played in 10 games ... did not play in final game vs. Liberty ... 12 tackles vs. Northern Arizona to earn I-AA Independent Weekly honors ... followed that game with 14 tackles in week two at Sacramento State ... season-high 16 tackles vs. UC Davis (No. 10 all-time at Cal Poly) ... had season-best eight solo tackles at Portland State ... finished with ten tackles against the Vikings including three for a loss ... had 13 tackles at Southern Utah, six assisted. 1997 (Sophomore) -- Led defense with 106 tackles, third-most ever in school history ... First-Team I-AA Independent selection ... 14 tackles vs. W. Montana ... 11 tackles vs. Western New Mexico ... 10 vs. Northern Iowa ... 9 tackles and 1 interception vs. Liberty ... INT vs. Sac State. 1996 (Freshman) -- 17 tackles, five solo and 12 assisted ... four for a loss of 16 yards ... forced one fumble and one sack ... four tackles vs. St. Mary's, three for a loss of 13 yards, including a sack ... had four tackles vs. Western Illinois. 1995 -- Redshirt. High School -- Played for coach Jamie Robles at Delano High School ... All-League First-Team ... All-Area .. First-Team All-State. Personal -- Son of Jorge and Reyes Orozco ... brothers George, Johnny, Andy, and Ozzie ... benches 350 and squats 525 ... member of Cal Poly's ROTC program and MEXA ... one of two Cal Poly students selected to represent the University at the NCAA Leadership Conference held in Orlando, FL. in May 1999 . |
Osbaldo Orozco Photo and information taken
from the |
May 29, 2003
From
the San Luis Obispo Tribune:
....Athletic
director John McCutcheon also announced the Osbaldo Orozco
Memorial Award, in memory of the Cal Poly linebacker who was
recently killed in the line of duty near Tikrit, Iraq, will be
handed out perpetually beginning next year. The award will be
given for leadership and outstanding achievement. Orozco played
football at Cal Poly from 1995 through 1999 and served as a 1st
Lieutenant in the Army with the 4th Infantry Division out of Fort
Hood, Texas.
**********************
The uniform of 1st LT
Orozco on display at the
National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia.
The dog tags of 1st LT
Orozco on display at the
National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia.
The circular disc attached to the dog tag chain is a 22nd
Infantry coin
presented to members of 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry
prior to the unit's deployment to Iraq in 2003.
**********************
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