Herman Bottcher

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Herman J. F. Bottcher
Born 1905 or 1909 – December 31, 1944
Major Herman Bottcher
Place of birth	Landsberg, Germany
Place of death	Leyte, Philippines
Allegiance	Spanish Republic; United States of America
Service/branch	International Brigade United States Army
Years of service	1936-38 1941-44
Rank	Major
Unit	Abraham Lincoln Brigade; G Company, 126th Infantry, 32nd Division
Battles/wars	Spanish Civil War (1936-1938) *Battle of Madrid World War II, *Battle of Buna-Gona *Battle of Leyte
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross (2) Silver Star Legion of Merit Purple Heart (4) Spanish Medal of Valour

Major Herman J. F. Bottcher (1905 or 1909 – December 31, 1944) was a German national who achieved the rank of Major (United States) with two different armies: the International Brigade during the Spanish Civil War and the United States Army during World War II. He was awarded two U.S. Distinguished Service Crosses, the second highest U.S. military decoration after the Medal of Honor. Because the International Brigade was a nominally Communist organization, the United States Government denied him American citizenship for many years. Bottcher however, joined the United States Army and distinguished himself in combat during World War II. He was granted his U.S. citizenship days before he was mortally wounded.

Contents 1 Early years 2 Spanish Civil War 3 World War II 3.1 The Battle of Buna 4 Final battle 5 Legacy 6 Military decorations and awards 7 See also 8 Notes 9 References 10 Further reading

[edit] Early years

Herman Bottcher was born in Landsberg, Germany and was a witness to the events surrounding his country during World War I. He trained as a cabinetmaker and in 1928, left Germany for Austria. In 1931, Bottcher emigrated to the United States and lived in San Francisco. During the Great Depression, Bottcher who was a student at San Francisco State College and applied for American Citizenship in 1935.^[1]

[edit] Spanish Civil War

In 1936, Bottcher dropped his college studies and joined the Abraham Lincoln International Brigade,^[2] which fought against Spanish General Francisco Franco, a fascist who revolted against the Spanish government (also known as Spanish loyalists) in what is known as the Spanish Civil War. Franco was an ally of Germany’s Adolf Hitler and Italy‘s Benito Mussolini. Bottcher was assigned with the rank of Captain to the Abraham Lincoln Brigade and during the 35 months that he served he was wounded twice, once in the Battle of Madrid and once at Aragon. Spanish prime minister Juan Negrin ordered the withdrawal of the International Brigades and on September 24, 1938, the Abraham Lincoln Brigade was replaced by Spanish loyalist troops. Bottcher, who was then a Major (United States) with three Spanish military decorations which included the Spanish Medal of Valour, and the rest of the men of the Brigade were sent home.^[1]

Bottcher, returned home to San Francisco and continued his college education in architecture. Bottcher's citizenship request was denied by the United States government because of his involvement in the Spanish Civil War.^[3]

[edit] World War II

Bottcher enlisted in the United States Army at the Presidio on January 5, 1942, just one month after the Empire of Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in December 7, 1941.^[4] He was assigned to the 32nd Infantry Division a Michigan-Wisconsin National Guard Unit. The 32nd Division was sent to the South West Pacific Theater.

[edit] The Battle of Buna

Bottcher's unit was sent to New Guinea in late 1942, as part of a US-Australian offensive against Japanese forces who had built extensive defenses around beachheads in the Buna area.

On November 16, 1942, Australian and US forces began to attack Buna, Sanananda and Gona. Bottcher was promoted to Staff Sergeant, and was appointed a platoon commander in G Company of the 126th Infantry Regiment. On December 5, 1942, when G Company was pinned down by enemy fire, Bottcher led a 31-strong detachment forward against the attacking force. Wading across a creek under constant mortar fire, Bottcher led twelve volunteers through to the Buna beach. He stood up and threw hand grenades at the enemy knocking out several pillboxes en route and was able to drive a wedge between Buna beach and Buna village. Bottcher, one eardrum broken by mortar blast, his hand cut by shrapnel, held that wedge. Bottcher ordered his men to dig in at once on the edge of the beach, which became known as "Bottchers Corner". He and his men fought against enemy attacks from both the village and the fortified beach which resulted in the death of over a hundred enemy soldiers. Bottcher's break-through completed the isolation of Buna village and is considered to be a turning point of the battle.^[5] According to a Time magazine article, by Australian war correspondent George Johnston, published September 20, 1943:

"The American, Herman Bottcher, led twelve volunteers into the Japanese positions, built fortifications on the beach. Constantly under fire, Bottcher provided a diversion that resulted in Allied victory. By a conservative count ... Bottcher and his twelve men ... killed more than 120 Japs."^[6]

Bottcher was awarded the battlefield commission of Captain and his first Distinguished Service Cross Medal.^[7]

On December 20, Bottcher led a detachment of his men in an attack and that was within 20 yards of the enemy, when he stood up to draw the enemy fire upon himself so that his men could move forward. He was wounded twice and awarded an oak leaf cluster in lieu of a second Distinguished Service Cross Medal. He was sent to Australia, for treatment to his three wounds.^[7]

[edit] Final battle

Bottcher, returned to his unit following the Battle of the Philippines in June 1944, with the rank of Major (United States). There he received the news that the US Government, by a special act of Congress, had granted him U.S. Citizenship.^[3] Bottcher's men had spent 43 days behind enemy lines during the Battle of Leyte when, on December 30, 1944, a group of Japanese soldiers encountered Bottcher's men and attacked them with small arms fire and mortar rounds, one of which fell directly into Bottcher's position.^[8] The next day, Bottcher's men sent the following radio message: "Bottcher dead. Recon troop withdrawing west..."^[8] Captain (later Major) Dick Tucker, sent the following message to the news wires: "Major Herman Bottcher, veteran soldier in the fight against Fascism, hero of the battle of Buna and reconnaissance-troop commander, whose exploits had become legend among the men who were fighting the Pacific war, lay dead on a hill overlooking Silad Bay."^[8]

Bottcher is buried in the Manila American Cemetery, Manila in Plot L Row 4 Grave 134.

[edit] Legacy

There is a memorial plaque at Buna today which is dedicated to Bottcher's role in the battle.^[9]

Lloyd Joseph Knutson, from Tacoma, Washington, is working on a project to honor Major Herman Bottcher.^[10]

In 1945, Sgt. John Rossen wrote an eloquent poem that pays tribute to Bottcher and the sacrifice he made in his fight against fascism. This poem went on to inspire the artist Pierre Daura to create a painting that commemorates Bottcher and captures the tone of the poem which was anti-fascist. In this work, found in the Art Museum of Western Virginia's permanent collection, a Filipino kneels beside Bottcher's grave, marked with a cross and his helmet and covered with a palm leaf, and looks toward Heaven. He clearly contemplates Bottcher's sacrifice as his eyes are closed.^[11]

[edit] Military decorations and awards

Among Major Bottcher's military decorations are the following:^[12]

•   Distinguished Service Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster,
•   Silver Star
•   Legion of Merit
•   Purple Heart with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters.
•   Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two Bronze Service Stars
•   Philippine Liberation Medal
•   World War II Victory Medal
•   Presidential Unit Citation

Badges:

•   Combat Infantryman Badge

Foreign decorations

•   Spanish Civil War Medal of the International Brigades
• Spanish Medal of Valour

[edit] See also

• 32nd Infantry Division

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Herman Bottcher at Find A Grave Retrieved on 2007-11-05

• Fisher, Harry (1998). Comrades: Tales of a Brigadista in the Spanish Civil War. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0803220065. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 

• Haydock, Michael D. (March 1998). "Personality: Born and raised in Germany, Herman J.F. Bottcher gave his life in battle for his adopted country". World War II Magazine. 

• Johnston, George H. (September 20, 1943). "The Toughest Fighting in the World". TIME Magazine. 

• Murdock, T/4 Charles P. (November 10, 1945). "The Red Arrow Pierced Every Line". Saturday Evening Post. 

[edit] Further reading

• Bergerud, Eric M. (1996). Touched with Fire: The Land War in the South Pacific. Viking Penguin. ISBN 0670861588. 

• Kenney, George C. (1997 (reprint, original published in 1949)). General Kenney Reports: A Personal History of the Pacific War. U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 0160613728. 

• (1995) Reporting World War II Vol. 1: American Journalism 1938-1944, compiled by Anne Matthews, Nancy Caldwell Sorel, and Roger J. Spiller, Library of America. ISBN 1883011043.