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Rio Grande movie


Abilene Slim SASS 81783

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Just finished watching for the umpteenth time. Still can’t figure out the mysterious looking troop captain with the eye patch. Seems they went to some trouble to make him stand out from the rest of the cast, but played no real role in the story. I’m wondering if his character was just lost on editing room floor?

 

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Cpt St Jacques. Was he French? Or Canadian? I think the character was just there to add a little exotic variety. Not unusual to see foreigners in the frontier army. There were many in the ranks on both sides during the War Between the States,
 

 

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On 9/10/2020 at 8:10 PM, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Cpt St Jacques. Was he French? Or Canadian? I think the character was just there to add a little exotic variety. Not unusual to see foreigners in the frontier army. There were many in the ranks on both sides during the War Between the States,
 

 

 

50,000 Canadians fought in the U.S. Civil War, most served on the Union side.

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12 hours ago, Hendo said:

I'm not sure why Ortiz's character was in the movie, but I think he was a friend of John Ford's. 

His biography is one heck of a read.

An excerpt from the militarymuseum.org web site re: Colonel PeterOrtiz:

 

"Ortiz returned to California and civilian life in the movie industry as both a technical advisor and as an actor. He was a good friend of director John Ford, who put him in a couple of John Wayne movies. He wasn't the greatest of actors, and he never really liked seeing the movies he was in.

He remained in the Marine Corps Reserve, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was offered the command of a reserve tank battalion located in San Diego, but had to turn it down because his commitments in Hollywood kept him quite busy. In April 1954, he wrote a letter to the Commandant, volunteering to return to active duty to serve as a Marine observer in Indochina. The Marine Corps was unable to accept Ortiz' offer because "current military policies will not permit the assignment requested."

He retired in March 1955 and was promoted to colonel on the retired list for having been decorated in combat. In October 1945, the French government decreed him a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. He also received the Croix de Guerre with five citations, the Medaille de Blesses, Medaille d'Evades, Medaille Coloniale. In addition to his two Navy Crosses, his American awards included the Legion of Merit with Combat "V" and two Purple Heart Medals. And, as noted earlier, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division).

On 16 May 1988, Colonel Peter J. Ortiz, USMCR (Ret) died of cancer, and in doing so, lost the only battle of the many he fought. He was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery, with military representatives of the British and French governments present.

While the name of Peter Ortiz may not be well known to present-day Marines or to the American people, it is certain that the citizens of les Saisies or of Centron will never forget him and the Marines who fought with him in France. Both towns commemorated the anniversaries of the major events which occurred in each place 50 years earlier. Invited to attend the ceremonies in August 1994 were Colonel Ortiz' wife, Jean, and their son, Marine Lieutenant Colonel Peter J. Ortiz, Jr., retired Sergeant Major John P. Bodnar, and former Sergeant Jack R. Risler. Also present at the ceremonies were Lieutenant Colonel Robert L. Parnell II, USMC, assistant Naval Attaché in Paris, and Colonel Peter T. Metzger, commander of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, then in the Mediterranean, together with a color guard and an honor guard from his unit.

On 1 August 1994, the ceremonies at les Saisies began in the afternoon with a parachute drop made by French troops. Members of the famous Chasseurs Alpins together with the 26th MEU Marines rendered honors as a monument acclaiming the 1994 event was dedicated. Twelve days later, the town of Centron held its own ceremonies when it unveiled a plaque naming the town center "Place Peter Ortiz." This event was attended by many former members of the local maquis unit in the region, as well as the Marine contingent and Mrs. Ortiz and her son. As an aside, during CBS's coverage of the last Winter Olympics in Albertville and the surrounding region, Charles Kuralt had a 20-minute spot about Peter Ortiz, telling of his exploits."

 

As Hendo wrote, his biography is well worth reading.  If a movie were to be made of his life no one would believe it.

 

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