Cortez, William Eugene

Lieutenant Colonel William Eugene Cortez was a 52-year-old U.S. Army Reserve officer from Brentwood, New York. He was assigned to the U.S. Military Observer Group-Washington and was deployed as part of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). His role involved supporting the UN's peacekeeping and stabilization efforts in the West African nation.

Cortez was killed in action on October 1, 2010, in Monrovia, Liberia. According to U.S. Department of Defense casualty reports, he died from injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident. The specific details of the incident were not publicly released by the Pentagon, which classified his death as occurring in a 'non-combat related' manner while he was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

His death is recorded under Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S. military's overarching campaign against terrorism that began in October 2001. While primarily associated with Afghanistan, the operation's geographic scope included other regions where U.S. forces were engaged in counter-terrorism activities. U.S. personnel in Liberia were part of a broader international effort to support the UN mission following the country's civil wars.

The U.S. Army confirmed his death in a press release. He was posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. His death was noted by military publications and in the official record of U.S. casualties from Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lt. Col. Cortez is memorialized on the Pentagon's memorial plaque for fallen civilian and military personnel who died supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. His name is also inscribed at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, which honors those who died at the Pentagon and in the subsequent conflicts.

Lt. Col. Cortez was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001?2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.

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