Orville H. Gottsch
Son of William & Emma (Grimm) Gottsch
Married Alma Taylor of Nuckolls County, Nebraska, on February 5, 1944, at Los Angeles, California.

Orville served 20 years in the US Navy at various naval stations, retiring as Senior Chief Aviation Structural Mechanic.
He received the Good Conduct Medal, 6 medals, Accommodation Battle of Midway, Air Medal Battle of Guadalcanal.
He was a Pearl Harbor survivor.

Orville Henry Edward Gottsch

Orville Henry Edward Gottsch was born August 25, 1912, to William and Emma (Grimm) Gottsch in Manning Iowa. He was baptized by Pastor J.M. Ansorge on October 20, 1912. His folks were farmers, and like them, he became a farmer also. He worked on a dairy farm for his Uncle Hank and then discovered boxing. He was a welterweight boxer in a carnival in Iowa and Illinois. Fought all comers; and usually won.

The world was changing again with Germany muscling in on Europe. He was going to be drafted and didn't want to be in the Army. He knew the war was coming and joined the Navy in April 1941. He was stationed in Ford Island in the middle of the Bay. On the fateful morning of December 7, 1941 he was shipped to the USS Midway. They began evacuation proceedings. The plane to remove the personnel was overloaded. They needed two volunteers to deplane and remain on the ship. Orville chose to remain.

He went to a USO dance for entertainment and met a Nebraska woman there, Alma Taylor. He was a bit timid in pursuing a relationship. Upon discussing this with her family, they goaded her into calling him. They married in 1945 and that union lasted until her death in 2001.

Orville retired from the Navy in 1961 and went into Civil Service. He bought his house on Fifth Street in Imperial Beach at that time and became a member of St. James Lutheran Church. He continued his fitness routine, jogging and walking all of Imperial Beach until recently.

He was an active member of the Pearl Harbor Association and the Fleet Reserve, Branch 289 and the Imperial Beach Veterans of Foreign War.

Services will be at St. James Lutheran Church on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. He is survived by many nieces and nephews. The family requests donations to St. James Lutheran Church (Imperial Beach, CA) in lieu of flowers.

Manning Monitor article------ 1943

Orville Gottsch Writes
Mr. and Mrs. William Gottsch received a letter from their son, O. H. Goettsch from overseas the first part of the week in which he states that he is well and sends his regards to all the Manning folks.
He wishes to thank the American Legion and the Monitor for the paper which he has been receiving regularly and enjoys reading.
He states that he has just completed 12 weeks schooling and is now a bombardier in a plane crew.

Orville Gottsch A Bombardier

Orville Gottsch, stationed with the U. S. Air Corps in the far Pacific somewhere, writes to his mother, Mrs. Wm. Gottsch. He had just heard of his fathers death and sends a consolation note to his mother.

Orville is now on a mission and at best will not be back in the states again until the end of the year.
He writes that he will have many interesting things to tell when he comes back how the natives live, etc. He adds they get their share of coconuts but is awfully hard to get the husks off. Orville states he is flying as a bombardier on a crew plane and "sure likes it."
He says that they seldom get I much mail but the last ship had all the issues of the Monitor which he welcomed very much and for which he sends his thanks to the Legion and Monitor.
In closing he says he is fine and intends to stay that way until "we have them licked."