World War II Honoree

James Dimitri Otto

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Los Angeles, California

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Corporal. On June 24, 1941, he entered the United States Marine Corps from California, receiving his Marine Combat Training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California. Served with Company-L as a Rifleman, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, a subordinate unit of the 2nd Marine ‘The Silent Second’ Division in the Central Pacific Theater of Operations. His division participated in the amphibious assault against the Imperial Japanese forces in the Battle of Tarawa, on the Island of Betio, located on the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands (Battle Dates: November 20–November 23, 1943) Code Name: Operation Galvanic. Reported missing in action Sunday, November 21, 1943 on the second day of the invasion, and in remembrance of the brave, his name is recorded in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at the Honolulu National Memorial cemetery of the Pacific ‘Punchbowl’ Hawaii. In June of 2015 the history flight, a private organization, discovered a collective burial grave on Betio Island. The remains were transferred to the defense prisoner of war/missing in action accounting agency in Hawaii where he was identified. The remains of this Marine were interred with Military Honors at the Arlington National Cemetery December 8, 2015 in Arlington, Virginia. Experienced combat in a previous combat operation: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands Campaign. He received the following awards and citation: Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Presidential Unit Citation, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one Bronze Star and the WWII Victory Medal. This Marine, an American Patriot, so gallantly gave his life for his country.