United States. A Posthumously Awarded Purple Heart Medal to USS Reid Seaman 2nd Class James R. Ott

A posthumously awarded Purple Heart medal grouping to USS Reid Seaman 2nd Class James Roland Ott, consisting of:

1. A cased and named Purple Heart. Instituted August 7th 1782 by George Washington. (1945 issue). This Purple Heart is of two-piece construction in the shape of a heart in bronze gilt and with purple, red, white, and green enamels, the obverse with a gilded leftward facing bust of George Washington affixed onto purple-coloured and heart-shaped enamels with the Coat of Arms of George Washington, consisting of a white enameled shield with two horizontally positioned red enameled bars and three horizontally positioned side-by-side red enameled five-pointed stars within a sprig of green enameled laurel leaves, the reverse consists of a raised bronze heart with the words “For Military Merit” in relief below the bronzen coat of arms, and engraved with “James R. Ott S2C [Seaman Second Class] USN [United States Navy]) below, on a fixed horizontal ball and squared oval loop suspension from its ribbon with a horizontal pinback assembly for suspension, measuring 35.3 mm (w) x 47.3 mm (l) including its pierced ball suspension, weighing 38.67 grams inclusive of its ribbon and pinback suspension. 

Accompanied by its case of issue, constructed of a lightweight wooden frame with a textured black faux leather exterior, the exterior of the lid embossed with “Purple Heart” in capital letters as well as dual borders of golden wavy “crinkle crankle” lines on the top of the lid. The sides of the case are adorned with golden embossed lines on the top and bottom of the lid, the interior of the lid is lined in creamy off-white silk, with a partially torn silken hinge cover and a felted medal bed, with a functional metal barrel hinge on the back of the case, covered by a decorative strip of black faux leather, measuring 145 mm (w) x 80 mm (l) x 27 mm (h). 

With its award document to James Roland Ott for a Purple Heart, dated October 19th, 1945, awarded for military merit and for wounds received in action resulting in his death on December 11th, 1944. The document is signed in pen by Vice Admiral of the United States Navy, Louis E. Denfeld on the bottom left side, and by the Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal on the bottom right side, measuring 32 mm (w) x 248 mm (l). 

2. A World War II Victory Medal. Instituted by an Act of Congress July 6th, 1945. A circular bronze medal, the obverse with a rightward facing figure of Liberation standing on a war god’s helmet holding a broken sword with the inscription “World War II”, the reverse  inscribed with the Four Freedoms “Freedom from Fear and Want and Freedom of Speech and Religion” in capital lettering separated in the middle by a palm branch, all circumscribed by “United States of America 1941-1945”, on a horizontally-pierced ball and ring for suspension from its period original ribbon with horizontal pinback assembly for suspension, measuring 36.2 mm in diameter, weighing 27.14 grams inclusive of its ribbon and pinback suspension.

3. An American Campaign Medal. Instituted November 6th 1942 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. A circular bronze medal, the obverse depicting a Navy cruiser at sea with a B-24 Liberator bomber flying overhead along with a sinking enemy submarine in the foreground, circumscribed “American Campaign” in capital lettering, the reverse with an American bald eagle between the dates “1941-1945” and “United States of America” in capital lettering, on a horizontally-pierced ball and ring for suspension from its period original ribbon with horizontal pinback assembly for suspension, measuring 31.7 mm in diameter, weighing 19.11 grams.

4. An Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal. Instituted November 6th 1942 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. A circular bronze medal, the obverse depicting two American soldiers with two US Naval warships in the background, circumscribed “Asiatic-Pacific Campaign” in capital lettering,  the reverse with an American bald eagle between the dates “1941-1945” and “United States of America” in capital lettering, on a horizontally-pierced ball and ring for suspension from its period original ribbon with horizontal pinback assembly for suspension, measuring 32 mm in diameter, weighing 20.33 grams.

5. A framed American Legion Gold Star Citation, emblem of devotion to the highest duty of citizenship presented by the Legion of Fort Stevens (Post 32), awarded posthumously and presented to the next surviving kin of James R. Ott Seaman 2nd Class, with the seal of the American Legion near the bottom left corner along with the signatures of Edward Scheiberling (National Commander), Donald Glascoff (National Adjutant), James Luade (Post Adjutant), and Louis Goldberg (Post Commander), measuring approximately 290 mm (w) x 212 mm (l), contained in its post-war period frame designed to look like wood but constructed of magnetic metal with a glass pane protecting the document and a cardboard backer on the reverse.

Footnote: James Roland Ott (Jr.), Seaman 2nd Class of the United States Navy, was born on March 29th 1926, in Leon, in Madison County of Virginia, to farming parents Mary Olga Vehue, and James Roland Ott Senior. He completed 8 years of grade school and 1 year of high school, and enlisted into the United States Navy in Washington on March 21st 1944. James Ott (Jr.) enlisted in the United States Navy in the District of Columbia as a minor, with the permission of his mother after they moved to Washington in 1941 following the premature death of his father. He was stationed on USS Reid (DD-369) and was one of the 103 men who died on the sinking ship due to a kamikaze attack at Leyte, Philippines on December 11, 1944. He was first declared missing in action and later declared deceased due to enemy action. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, as well as the World War II Victory Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and a Gold Star Citation by the American Legion. He is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery, Philippines, as well as in the Fairview Cemetery, Culpeper Virginia, by his Mother with a brass and stone plot. Accompanying this grouping of medals and decorations is a file folder with excerpts of his military career.

USS Reid (DD-369) was a Mahan-class destroyer in the United States Navy assigned to the Pacific Fleet. Reid was laid down on June 25th, 1934, launched January 11th, 1936, and commissioned November 2nd, 1936. The ship was stationed at Pearl Harbour during the attack on December 7th, 1941 alongside the destroyer tender, USS Whitney, firing at Japanese planes and downing one. Following the attack, Reid served as a convoy escort and patrol vessel until she was sunk by kamikaze aircraft on December 11th, 1944. In the last two weeks before her early demise, she served at a state of near constant combat, being called to battle stations an average of 10 times per day. On December 11th, Reid was protecting a re-supply force of amphibious craft when twelve enemy planes approached the convoy. Although shooting down some, plane 7 approached the ship from the stern, crashing into the aft magazine located in the port quarter, thus blowing the ship apart. The stern opened up, causing the ship to roll violently, and sinking it within 2 minutes, killing 103 crewmen. The survivors were strafed in the water by Japanese planes before rescue. Her 150 survivors were picked up by landing craft in her convoy.