James J. Lortz

James J. Lortz joined the US Army in 1961, after graduating from high school in New York. He was lacking in direction in his life at the time, and believed enlisting in the military would put him on track and expand his horizons. Although his father was exempt from the World War II draft because he had four children to care for, Lortz had many uncles and cousins who served in that conflict and in the peacetime military before his own service. 

Lortz took basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey. He recalled that his adjustment there was easy and enjoyable, and confirmed that this was a career path he wanted to pursue. Lortz took an aptitude test at Fort Dix, and the results indicated that he would be a good fit for the Military Police. After Basic Training, he was sent to Fort Gordon, Georgia for Military Police advanced training; and, on its completion was assigned to a Military Police unit on the post. Lortz served there during the time of the Civil Rights Movement. He noted little to no discrimination within the military, among fellow Military Policemen and other soldiers.

Lortz wanted a change of scenery from Georgia and requested assignment to Alaska or Germany. When those choices were turned down, he requested New York, but was instead sent to Livingston, New Jersey’s Battery C, 5th Missile Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment. There, Lortz he was involved in base security for the Nike unit. He and his fellow MPs, along with their guard dogs secured half a dozen Nike nuclear antiaircraft missiles there.

After bouncing around from base to base, Lortz was discharged from Active duty at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn. He then took advantage of his opportunity for further education. Lortz commented that “one of the best things” the US government did for veterans like him was to provide them with the financial resources for a college education.

Using the GI Bill, Lortz obtained a college education, which cost him very little, and which he refers to as “a net gain.” He started out at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, but after reflecting on his passion for helping others, transferred to Hunter College’s Bellevue School of Nursing, where he studied to become a Registered Nurse. While a part-time student, Lortz joined the New York Police Department in 1965. In 1967, he transferred to the New York Fire Department, where he served until retiring in 1984. Lortz would frequently do his part-time school homework and study in the firehouse.

Lortz graduated from nursing school in 1974, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. After receiving his degree, he decided to go back into the military to continue to help and serve his country. In 1978, Lortz went to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey and applied for a position in the Air Force Reserve. He chose the Air Force because of his interest in becoming a flight nurse. Lortz attended the School of Air and Space Medicine, where he studied Aerospace nursing and took a flight nurse course. The course taught him a lot about the transportation of patients by aircraft, and how to deal with altitude, pressure, and noise issues that could potentially injure patients.

Lortz became a flight nurse at McGuire and traveled all over the world. He treated patients in Germany, Japan, Alaska, and other locations. Lortz placed heavy emphasis on the importance of flight nurse coordination with others, and provided an example of NATO stretchers not fitting in American ambulances, which had to be modified to resolve the problem. While a flight nurse, he was always prepared, and could pack up and go wherever he and his team happened to be needed.

After many years of service all over the world, James J. Lortz retired from the reserves as a Captain.