March 22, 1918 - June 26, 1977
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John Paul Bott worked
from January, 1937 to November 1939 for Static Michrophone Corporation in
Youngstown, Ohio as an assembler and tester, assembling and testing crystal
microphones. He also attended college in Youngstown, Ohio, but quit college
to join The Army of the United States as a Private lcl
Specl. 4cl, 6987792, in the 1st Photo Group
on November 25, 1939 at Fort Hayes,
Columbus, Ohio.
On August 1, 1941 he was
promoted at Bolling Field, D.C. to Sergeant in
the
3rd Photo Squadron
1st Photo Group. From September
through December, 1941 he trained as an A.C.T.S. Advanced Aerial Photography
at Lowry Field, Colorado.
Working in photography, he was promoted to Staff
Sergeant in the 3rd Photographic Squadron, AFCC,
Army of the United States on January 1, 1942,
given at McDill Field, Florida.
John Bott received an honorable discharge as an enlisted man in
The Army of the United States on November 20, 1942
so he could apply for cadet training and
to accept a commission as Second Lieutenant in the
Army Air Corps (Air Reserve). He began bombardier-navigator training at the
Roswell Army Flying School, graduating from the Bombardier Class 42-16,
Training Squadron 2, Flight B Echilon 4 and was
assigned to the 391st
Bomber Group, 574 Bomb Squadron in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. His
final duty station was completed at Godman Field in Kentucky before he left with
the squadron for England where he was stationed.
From his base in England, performed 40 bomb runs (sorties) before
he was critically injured with flack over Ploesti, Romania
and was returned to Nichols General Hospital four days later for
recuperation.
Second Lieutenant John P. Bott, 0733137, Army Air Corps, received
a Purple Heart On June 9, 1944, John Paul
Bott was promoted to First Lieutenant. He was released
from the hospital on July 8, 1944. From June 5,
1944 to May 7, 1945, he was assigned to the 121st Station
Hospital, APO 69, located somewhere near Colchester, England) 65 Con Hosp, Eng. Nicholas General Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky,
then from AAF Regional Hospital, Buckley Field, Colorado.
Although the doctors said he might never walk unaided, a year after
his injury he was walking with only a small limp. The Air Force wanted to pension
him on a medical disability, however, he fought against retirement and was finally
assigned as Liaison Officer to those injured in the war. From June 20, 1945 to
June 30, 1945, he was assigned to HQ AAFPDC, Louisville, Kentucky. Later, he was
Assistant Hospital Liaison Officer, Fitzsimmons GH, Denver, Colorado from July 1,
1945 and Hospital Liaison Officer, Mayo General Hospital, Galesburg, Illinois.
On February 18, 1946 he was with
the 4020th AAFBU (HqAMC) Eng Div, Photo Lab, at Wright
Field, Ohio in the Color Unit to process color film and print and to test German
films, and take aerial photography. On February 28,
1946 he was promoted to Captain.
For his services during World War II, John Paul Bott earned the
American Medal John Bott was assigned to the photo laboratory as Chief Officer at
Yokota Air Force Base in Japan on August 16, 1946.
The 82nd Photo Reconnaissance Squadron was piloting
P38 photo reconnaissance planes during the occupation years under General MacArthur.
For his services in Japan he earned the Occuupation Medal
A background investigation was conducted on January 18, 1951, by
the 18th OSI District (ADC) and John Paul Bott
received a Top Secret clearance for his next assignment.
He became the Photo Lab Officer when transferred to Lake Charles
Air Force Base in Louisiana on June 29, 1951. On June 1,
1952, John Paul Bott was promoted
to Major and was assigned as the Cartographic Officer
when the 4109th Operations Squadron was redesignated
the 806th Operations
Squadron, IAW GO 35, SAC For services to date for his country, John Paul
Bott earned the National Defense Medal
After almost five long years, in 1956, John finally got an assignment
out of Louisiana at Ernest Harmon Air Force Base in Stephenville, Newfoundland with the
640th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron. The current mission of the 640th AC&W
Squadron is to conduct air defense operations within the area of assignment as outlined
in (ADC) (RCAF) ASI 3/4/3, and function as a NORAD Control Center within the Air Defense
System. This was an enjoyable tour with good friends and comfortable on-base housing.
Even though
his children attended school on-base, they left in the dark and returned in the dark.
The family enjoyed outings with friends sledding and clam digging. The negative part
of the Newfoundland tour was the hardship John endured. During heavy snows and drifts,
often the large van which took the men up to the top of the SAC Radar Base at Table
Top Mountain would stall and John would have to buffet two and three foot snow drifts
to get to the radar site to perform daily routines. He often never saw daylight and
endured 26 degrees below zero weather. After a year, the squadron was broken up and
John returned to the USA.
For his final military assignment, John was stationed in Madison,
Wisconsin at Truax Air Force Base. The family loved Madison, but was tired of cold
weather and snow. After 20 years of service, Major John Paul Bott retired from the
Air Force 30th Air Division (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment)
at Truax Field, Madison 7, Wisconsin. John received his retirement papers effective
October 23, 1959, and made his home in Harlingen, Texas.
John lived in Harlingen for seven years,
during which the orange crops froze, the air base closed, and the cotton crops failed.
John was selling stocks with Corporate Leaders
Trust Funds, but business was bad there. Searching for another career change, he
applied for insurance claims adjuster work in Houston, Texas and was hired. His family
stayed in Harlingen about a year, while John began his job and found housing and was then
joined by the rest of the family in June, 1968. He worked successfully as an insurance
claims adjustor until June 26, 1977 when he died.
Training Promotions
for wounds
received in action against an enemy of the United States on July
6, 1944, while serving as bombardier-navigator on a
B-26 Marauder airplane nicknamed "Mad Bull" on a
combat operational mission over enemy occupied territory.
with 6 oak leaf
clusters
,
American Defense Medal
,
the Good Conduct Medal
with 4
oak leav clusters
, the European, African, Middle East Medal
,
and the World War II Victory Medal 
.
. He left Japan on
February 1, 1949 for a new assignment as
Group Photo Officer at March Field in Fort
Mason, California.
.
