134th Infantry Regiment Website
"All Hell Can't Stop Us"
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134th Infantry Regiment Website"All Hell Can't Stop Us" |
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Oreste F Bottari, the only child of Henry and Kathryn Bottari, was born in Coal City, Illinois on August 4, 1918. He attended Assumption parochial school, graduated from Coal City High School, and attended Illinois State Normal university in 1937 - 1938. Prior to entering the service he was employed at the Atlas Wall Paper Mill. He registered for the draft on October 16, 1940. His draft card lists him as 5' 11" tall, 185 pounds, with blue eyes, brown hair, and a light complexion. He was inducted into the Army in Chicago, Illinois on June 19, 1941 and trained at Camp Wolters, Texas. While on furlough, he married Norma Flori on August 25, 1942.
Sgt. Oreste F Bottari was a squad leader in the First Platoon, Company C, 134th Infantry Regiment. He was Killed in Action on July 15, 1944 during the battle for St. Lo, France. He was posthumously awarded a Silver Star Medal for gallantry for his actions during that battle. Sergeant Bottari is buried at Braceville-Gardner Cemetery, Braceville, Illinois.
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Silver Star Medal (posthumous) Citation |
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Sergeant Oreste F Bottari 36038590, Infantry, United States Army, for gallantry
in action on 15 July 1944, near St Lo, Normandy, France. In the action on Hill
Number 122, in the operation against St Lo, Sergeant Bottari's platoon was
pinned down by enemy machine gun fire from a hedgerow to its front. Sergeant
Bottari, a squad leader, voluntarily crossed an open field to the enemy position
and destroyed the enemy machine gun position with a hand grenade. While crawling
back to rejoin his squad, he was killed by an enemy artillery shell. The
silencing of the enemy machine gun by Sergeant Bottari enabled the platoon to
advance. The gallantry in action, disregard for personal safety and the
unselfish loyalty for his comrades as displayed by Sergeant Bottari, reflects
credit upon the military service of the United States. Entered military service
from Illinois. General Orders No. 18, Headquarters 35th Infantry Division, 12 August 1944 |
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