Peters Presents Family of WWII Veteran With Medals and Awards
CLARE, MI– U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) presented on Tuesday five medals and honors to the family of U.S. Army Sergeant Norman Ott, a World War II veteran. Ott, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 90, was a lifelong Michigan resident and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in the Pacific Theater. Peters’ office helped secure the commendations after being contacted by Mr. Ott’s family to ensure his contributions to our nation were properly honored. The awards presented included the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four Bronze Service Stars, World War II Victory Medal, U.S. Army’s Good Conduct Medal, World War II Honorable Service Lapel Button and American Campaign Medal.
“I am honored to present these commendations to Mr. Ott’s family in recognition of his service and sacrifice during World War II. Sergeant Ott is a true American hero, who was willing to lay his own life on the line to save his fellow servicemembers,” said Senator Peters. “The bravery, courage, and selflessness of servicemembers like Sergeant Ott is why our nation stands as a beacon of democracy and freedom for the world.”
Norman Walter Ott grew up in Detroit and enlisted in the Army in 1943 at the age of 18. Sergeant Ott served in Guam and Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands as a munitions worker loading B-29 Superfortress bombers with the 61st Bombardment Squadron. He fought in the Eastern Mandates Campaign, Western Pacific Campaign, Ryukyus Campaign and the Japan Air Offensive Campaign.
Under heavy fire during an attack on the islands, Sergeant Ott put himself in harm’s way to save his friend and fellow servicemember who was seriously injured. While successfully transporting Corporal Lutz to a Medic Station for help during the attack, Sergeant Ott received irreparable damage to his hearing, which left him completely deaf later in life.
After his service, Mr. Ott returned home to Michigan, eventually settling in Muskegon County, where he worked at the Alcoa Howmet casting facility in Whitehall and raised a family.
Senator Peters, the son of a World War II veteran and a former Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, has been a strong voice in Congress for our nation’s veterans. The Senate recently passed Peters’ amendment to help veterans erroneously discharged from the military due to behavior linked to mental traumas, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
