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A veteran opens up about the challenges of adjusting to civilian life

Lixannie Ortiz and Sergeant Alex Ortiz at their StoryCorps interview in Mayagüez, PR on February 10, 2024.
Jo Corona
/
StoryCorps
Lixannie Ortiz and Sergeant Alex Ortiz at their StoryCorps interview in Mayagüez, PR on February 10, 2024.

Sergeant Alex Ortiz volunteers helping veterans in Puerto Rico adjust back to civilian life. He served in the Army himself, deploying to both Iraq and Afghanistan as a wheeled vehicle mechanic, before injuries forced him to retire in 2013.

His wife Lixannie had never been close to a veteran before they met, and wasn’t always prepared for what their life together would be like.

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Jo Corona
Von Diaz