Staff Sgt Billy Joe Orton
Born: September 2, 1962
Died: April 24, 2004 in Iraq
Staff Sgt. Billy J. Orton of Humnoke, Arkansas realized his dream of serving in the military. when he enlisted in the United States Army, in 1981. He had served deployments in Alaska, Panama, Egypt, and Iraq. Billy was known for constantly chewing tobacco, having his glasses slip down his nose and being able to find supplies no matter how disorganized they were. His life revolved around his family and his love for the military. His Awards and Decorations include, four ARCOM’s, two Army Achievement Medals, two Army Reserve Components Achievement Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M Device, two Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbons, Army Service Ribbon, Multinational Force and Observers, Arkansas Federal Service Ribbon, two Arkansas Service Ribbons, Arkansas Emergency Service Ribbon. He leaves his wife, Margarita, his three children, Manaser, David and Benjamin, his mother, Dorothy Orton, a brother, Leo, two sisters, Barbara and Linda. He is also the son of the late Troy Orton. Billy was killed at age 41 when mortar rounds hit his camp in Taji, Iraq. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Those who served with him called him a ‘true soldier’.
Army
National Guard
39th Support Battalion
39th Brigade Combat Team
1st Cavalry Division
Hazen, Arkansas
Burial is at Hazen Cemetery in Hazen, Arkansas
The Staff Sgt Billy Joe Orton by Freedom Remembered, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
