Captain Herman J. F. Bottcher
U.S. Army, 32nd Division

Background
Hermann Johann Friedrich Bottcher was born July 13, 1909 in Germany. During 1936, Bottcher served with the International Brigade against Franco in Spanish Civil War. Afterwards, he immigrated to the United States but the U.S. State Department had refused him U.S. citizenship because of his role in Spanish Civil War. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and during 1942 was assigned to the 32nd Infantry Division, 126th Infantry Regiment, G Company commander. He walked across the Kapa Kapa Trail with the 126th Regiment to the north coast of New Guinea.

Battle of Buna
After the December 5, 1942 assault by American troops, Bottcher volunteer to lead group to drive a wedge into Japanese flank towards the beach at Buna. With a dozen men, he crawled through a swamp and hours of combat using their Thompson submachine guns and throwing grenades, the group made it to the beach and dug in.

On the beach they, claimed to have killed 40 Japanese and wounded a dozen more. They fought off attacks for seven days, dragged back abandoned enemy machine gun to use. Bottcher was wounded twice. Before being relieved, his party claimed to have killed a total of 120 Japanese, the rest of the 32nd Division was able to advance to the beach, putting a wedge between the defending Japanese forces.

Wounded twice in the battle, his first wound put an arm in a sling. His second wound saw him relieved from combat. General Eichelburger crawled out to his position to congratulate him and awarded him the Distinguished Service Cross (DFC) and a field promotion to Captain. Later, he promoted to the rank of Major and assigned to the 32nd Reconnaissance Troop. Lt. General Robert L. Eichelberger later wrote of him: "He was one of the best Americans I have ever known."

Killed In Action
On December 31, 1944 Bottcher was Killed In Action (KIA) in the Philippines.

Memorials
Bottcher was officially declared dead on December 31, 1944 at age 35. He earned the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) with Oak Leaf Cluster, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart with three Oak Leaf Clusters (two wounds at Buna and the final posthumously). Postwar, Bottcher was permanently buried at Manila American Cemetery at plot L row 4 grave 134.

A memorial plaque at Buna today is dedicated to his role in the battle. The plaque reads:
"SSgt Herman L. Bottcher, USA Platoon Commander 'G' Company, 126th Infantry, 32nd Division Buna Campaign: July 1942 - January 1943 - With 18 men, one machine gun, and 'sheer guts under fire' SSgt Bottcher held off a Japanese force that flanked him on two sides and numbered in the thousands. Despite being out-gunned and out-numbered, Bottcher and his men so effectively fought the enemy that they were never able to launch a coordinated attack and secure the narrow beach of Buna, New Guinea. When the enemy finally grew impatient and attacked, Bottcher 'mowed them down like wheat in a field'. For bravery under fire, he was awarded the battlefield commission of Captain. Two year later, Captain Bottcher was killed in combat fighting in the Philippines. With grateful appreciation The American Legion remembers Capt. Herman J. Bottcher and 'G' Company Erected on behalf of the American Legion by Dominic D. Difrancesco National Commander April 1992."

References
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Hermann J. F. Bottcher
FindAGrave - Maj Hermann Johann Friedrich Bottcher (photo, grave photos)
Jungle Fighters: A G.I. War Correspondent's Experiences In The New Guinea Campaign
Our Jungle Road to Tokyo (1950) by Robert L. Eichelberger

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