Spc. Hilda I. Ortiz Clayton[b] (May 21, 1991 – July 2, 2013) was a U.S. Army combat photographer who was killed in 2013 when a mortar accidentally exploded during an Afghan training exercise. She captured the explosion that killed her and four Afghan soldiers.[1] She was assigned to the 55th Signal Company (Combat Camera) 21st Signal Brigade, Fort Meade, Maryland.[2] Ortiz Clayton was the first combat documentation and production specialist to be killed in Afghanistan.[3]
Ortiz Clayton was born on May 21, 1991, in Augusta, Georgia to Ellis Ortiz and Evelyn Suarez. She graduated in 2009 from Westside High School in Augusta.[4] Ortiz Clayton, who was of Puerto Rican descent, was married to Specialist Chase E. Clayton, member of Charlie Company 1-30 IN 2 ABCT, 3rd Infantry in Fort Stewart, Georgia.[4]
Military serviceedit
Ortiz Clayton's photo as the mortar shell exploded.
On July 2, 2013, Ortiz Clayton, who was then a visual information specialist with 55th Signal Company (Combat Camera), was photographing the training of Afghan National Army soldiers at Jalalabad, Laghman Province, Afghanistan.[5] She was photographing the live firing of a mortar, but the mortar shell exploded while in the launch tube.[6][7] Ortiz Clayton and an Afghan soldier took pictures at about the same time.
Ortiz Clayton's photograph was made public in the U.S. Army's Military Review in May 2017 by permission of her family and received widespread press attention from, among others, The New York Times,Time magazine and the BBC.[5][9][12][13]
Burialedit
Ortiz Clayton's funeral was held at the Poteet Funeral Home. She was buried in the Veterans Plot section of the Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Augusta, Georgia.
The 55th Signal Company named their annual competitive award for combat camera work "The Spc. Hilda I. Clayton Best Combat Camera (COMCAM) Competition" in her honor.[9]
Ortiz Clayton was honored in 2017 in the May–June issue of the U.S. Army journal Military Review as part of a feature on gender equality in the Army.[14]
Awards decorationsedit
Amongst Ortiz-Clayton's military awards and decorations are the following:
^ abKatz, Andrew (2 May 2017). "The Story Behind an Army Combat Photographer's Final Picture". Time. Time Inc. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
^Brown, Wesley (4 July 2013). "Official: Training explosion killed Augusta Army photographer". The Augusta Chronicle. from the original on 20 October 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
^Gardiner, Thomas (3 May 2017). . The Augusta Chronicle. Archived from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
^Fichtl, Marcus (1 May 2017). "Army releases images of combat photographer's final moments before fatal blast". Stripes.com. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
^ abc"Spc. Hilda I. Clayton: May 21, 1991 to July 2, 2013". Military Review: The Professional Journal of the U.S. Army. Army University Press. May–June 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
^"Army photographer captures her own death in mortar explosion". Fox News. Fox Broadcasting Company. Associated Press. 3 May 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
^Diamond, Christopher (1 May 2017). "Army releases combat photographer's last photos before fatal explosion". Army Times. Sightline Media Group. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
^Hauser, Christine (5 May 2017). "A Fatal and Fiery Photograph Reawakens Memories of a Soldier's Life". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
^"US photographer captured moment of her death in Afghanistan". BBC News. BBC. 3 May 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
Media related to Hilda Clayton at Wikimedia Commons
January 01, 1970
hilda, clayton, hilda, ortiz, clayton, 1991, july, 2013, army, combat, photographer, killed, 2013, when, mortar, accidentally, exploded, during, afghan, training, exercise, captured, explosion, that, killed, four, afghan, soldiers, assigned, 55th, signal, comp. Spc Hilda I Ortiz Clayton b May 21 1991 July 2 2013 was a U S Army combat photographer who was killed in 2013 when a mortar accidentally exploded during an Afghan training exercise She captured the explosion that killed her and four Afghan soldiers 1 She was assigned to the 55th Signal Company Combat Camera 21st Signal Brigade Fort Meade Maryland 2 Ortiz Clayton was the first combat documentation and production specialist to be killed in Afghanistan 3 Spc Hilda ClaytonBornHilda I Ortiz Suarez a 1991 05 21 May 21 1991Augusta Georgia USDiedJuly 2 2013 2013 07 02 aged 22 Jalalabad Nangarhar Province AfghanistanCause of deathExplosionResting placeHillcrest Memorial Park in Augusta GeorgiaOccupationU S Army combat photographer Contents 1 Early life 2 Military service 3 Burial 4 Awards decorations 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksEarly life editOrtiz Clayton was born on May 21 1991 in Augusta Georgia to Ellis Ortiz and Evelyn Suarez She graduated in 2009 from Westside High School in Augusta 4 Ortiz Clayton who was of Puerto Rican descent was married to Specialist Chase E Clayton member of Charlie Company 1 30 IN 2 ABCT 3rd Infantry in Fort Stewart Georgia 4 Military service edit nbsp Ortiz Clayton s photo as the mortar shell exploded On July 2 2013 Ortiz Clayton who was then a visual information specialist with 55th Signal Company Combat Camera was photographing the training of Afghan National Army soldiers at Jalalabad Laghman Province Afghanistan 5 She was photographing the live firing of a mortar but the mortar shell exploded while in the launch tube 6 7 Ortiz Clayton and an Afghan soldier took pictures at about the same time Various sources have been conflicting about who took which picture Stars and Stripes Military Review CBS News and Fox News credit the above photo to Ortiz Clayton 1 8 9 10 Army Times attributes another picture to Ortiz Clayton 11 Ortiz Clayton s photograph was made public in the U S Army s Military Review in May 2017 by permission of her family and received widespread press attention from among others The New York Times Time magazine and the BBC 5 9 12 13 Burial editOrtiz Clayton s funeral was held at the Poteet Funeral Home She was buried in the Veterans Plot section of the Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Augusta Georgia The 55th Signal Company named their annual competitive award for combat camera work The Spc Hilda I Clayton Best Combat Camera COMCAM Competition in her honor 9 Ortiz Clayton was honored in 2017 in the May June issue of the U S Army journal Military Review as part of a feature on gender equality in the Army 14 Awards decorations editAmongst Ortiz Clayton s military awards and decorations are the following nbsp National Defense Service Medal nbsp Global War on Terrorism Service ribbon nbsp Army Service Ribbon nbsp Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon Badge nbsp Marksman Weapons Qualification BadgeSee also edit nbsp Puerto Rico portal nbsp Biography portal List of Puerto Ricans List of Puerto Rican military personnel Puerto Rican women in the military History of women in Puerto RicoNotes edit In this Spanish name the first or paternal surname is Ortiz and the second or maternal family name is Suarez In this Spanish name the first or paternal surname is Ortiz and the second or maternal family name is Clayton References edit a b Martin David May 3 2017 Army combat photographer s last picture is of her own death CBS News Retrieved May 4 2017 Hart John May 2 2017 Local Army photographer honored nearly four years after death WJBF Augusta Georgia Retrieved May 4 2017 Military Review a b Hilda Clayton s Obituary The Augusta Chronicle Retrieved 25 July 2018 via Legacy com a b Katz Andrew 2 May 2017 The Story Behind an Army Combat Photographer s Final Picture Time Time Inc Retrieved 8 January 2018 Brown Wesley 4 July 2013 Official Training explosion killed Augusta Army photographer The Augusta Chronicle Archived from the original on 20 October 2017 Retrieved 25 July 2018 Gardiner Thomas 3 May 2017 Army releases Spc Hilda Clayton s final photographs The Augusta Chronicle Archived from the original on 15 August 2017 Retrieved 25 July 2018 Fichtl Marcus 1 May 2017 Army releases images of combat photographer s final moments before fatal blast Stripes com Retrieved 25 July 2018 a b c Spc Hilda I Clayton May 21 1991 to July 2 2013 Military Review The Professional Journal of the U S Army Army University Press May June 2017 Retrieved 25 July 2018 Army photographer captures her own death in mortar explosion Fox News Fox Broadcasting Company Associated Press 3 May 2017 Retrieved 25 July 2018 Diamond Christopher 1 May 2017 Army releases combat photographer s last photos before fatal explosion Army Times Sightline Media Group Retrieved 25 July 2018 Hauser Christine 5 May 2017 A Fatal and Fiery Photograph Reawakens Memories of a Soldier s Life The New York Times Retrieved 8 January 2018 US photographer captured moment of her death in Afghanistan BBC News BBC 3 May 2017 Retrieved 8 January 2018 NewsweekExternal links edit nbsp Media related to Hilda Clayton at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hilda Clayton amp oldid 1217947347, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
