BETHEL V. OTTER, LT, USN

Bethel Otter '37

Date of birth: September 12, 1914

Date of death: May 6, 1942

Age: 27

Lucky Bag

From the 1937 Lucky Bag:

BETHEL VEECH OTTER

Louisville, Kentucky

"Red"

A congenial Southerner to the last drop, Red trudged into Maryland from the Blue Grass region and proceeded immediately to forget about women and horses through absorption in the burning desire to become a hairy-chested, deep-lunged man-o'-warsman, and turned for inspiration to the weatherbeaten disciples of the deep-sea schools. Yet strangely inconsistent with this philosophy is his devotion at the altar of Terpischore. One glance at him in Dahlgren will dissolve all doubts—eyes closed in ecstasy, dreamy smile on his lips, wafting a comely brunette gently thither and about.

Football 4, 3. Lacrosse 4, 3, 2, 1. G.P.O.

BETHEL VEECH OTTER

Louisville, Kentucky

"Red"

A congenial Southerner to the last drop, Red trudged into Maryland from the Blue Grass region and proceeded immediately to forget about women and horses through absorption in the burning desire to become a hairy-chested, deep-lunged man-o'-warsman, and turned for inspiration to the weatherbeaten disciples of the deep-sea schools. Yet strangely inconsistent with this philosophy is his devotion at the altar of Terpischore. One glance at him in Dahlgren will dissolve all doubts—eyes closed in ecstasy, dreamy smile on his lips, wafting a comely brunette gently thither and about.

Football 4, 3. Lacrosse 4, 3, 2, 1. G.P.O.

Loss

From Corregidor:

Lieutenant Bethel V. "Butch" Otter, USN, had been gunnery officer aboard the USS Canopus and in the Naval Battalion on Bataan, which was transported to Corregidor. It made up a large part of 4/4, the Reserve Battalion of the 4th Marines. Otter was CO of Company T, and led an assault against a Japanese machine gun near one of the water towers about 0730 on 6 May. Otter, Ensign William R. Lloyd and four volunteers armed only with grenades and sidearms took out the machine gun, but the dead gun crew was quickly replaced. Otter and his men attacked again. The following account, from Ghosts of Canopus p. 123, is by squad leader BM1C Walter E. Portis:
"Mr. Otter rushed the machine gun with only a .45 and was hit several times before he died there. S1C Andy Henry from the Canopus had taken a bayonet away from a Nip and had rushed in with Mr. Otter. A Storekeeper 1C named Clark (SK2C Vernon F. Clark; chadhill)) was hit in the stomach with a burst from the machine gun. 'Somebody get over here and cut this god d**n thing out of my belly'. Conn, a Coxswain from the Canopus, started over to help him but before he could reach him, Clark had reached for his .45 and shot himself through the head. Conn said Clark could not possibly have lived as the whole machine gun burst was right in his abdomen". The machine gun remained in operation.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Attended Severn School May 1932.
His father died in January 1939. He was the former vice president of the United States Trust Company and was connected with Otter & Co., wholesale grocers. His mother was Elson, his brother was William M. Otter, Jr., and his sister was Anne.

From the Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky on March 26, 1942

Mrs. William N. Otter received a letter this week from her son, Lieut. Bethel Veech Otter, U.S.N., which constituted the first word she had had since his radiogram following Pearl Harbor. It came without stamp or postmark, just as mysteriously as if it had been slipped under the door, and told her the splendid news that although he was “a bit scratched up,” he hoped to be “up and jumping soon.” He added the spirited statement that despite war’s being a nasty mess, he and his fellow navy men are delighted to be able to have a go at the Japs.

His mother was listed as next of kin. His remains were recovered after the war; he is buried in the Philippines.

Navy Cross

From Hall of Valor:

The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Bethel Veech Otter (NSN: 0-78738), United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in action against enemy Japanese forces during the final assault on Corregidor, Philippine Islands, on 5 - 6 May 1942. Constantly exposed to the enemy's long-range shell fire and bombings during the siege of Corregidor, Lieutenant Otter consistently disregarded all personal danger as he directed his men with unfaltering skill and ingenuity in the defense of his assigned beach area. Tenaciously holding his ground in the final assault on Corregidor's beaches on 5 May, he boldly defied the increasing fury of Japanese rifle and machine-gun fire in a desperate effort to turn back the invading forces, repeatedly countering the enemy's landing attempts until struck down and fatally wounded during the bitter action. A fearless leader, Lieutenant Otter rendered valiant service during this historic engagement, and his personal courage, determination and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of opposition reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
General Orders: Board Serial 458 (April 19, 1946) - Upgraded from Silver Star previously awarded for this action.
Action Date: May 5 & 6, 1942
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant
Division: Corregidor Defense Forces

Silver Star

From Hall of Valor:

The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Bethel Veech Otter (NSN: 0-78738), United States Navy, for gallantry in action and distinguished service as Fire Control Officer of the U.S.S. CANOPUS (AS-9), in organizing and directing volunteer gun crews, and in controlling the gun fire against enemy Japanese heavy bombers, Mariveles Harbor, Bataan, Philippine Islands, on 5 January 1942. Despite the fact that the CANOPUS was moored and immobilized, nearly helpless against high altitude attacks, Lieutenant Otter volunteered for this hazardous duty and maintained a constant anti-aircraft fire until the ship was straddled by bombs, and, though suffering a painful fragment wound, he refused first aid for himself until assured that his Commanding Officer was safe and other wounded personnel attended. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Action Date: 5-Jan-42
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant
Division: U.S.S. Canopus (AS-9)

Namesake

USS Otter (DE 210) was named for Bethel; the ship was sponsored by his mother.

Defenders of the Rock

Carter is included in the book Defenders of the Rock, by Tim Deal, Spencer Huyck, and Ashley Deal.

Defenders of the Rock preserves the stories of twenty-four individuals who were in the Philippines on December 8, 1941, when war came to the island nation. Their island way of life was shattered in an instant, when the first Japanese bombs exploded. Each story provides a unique perspective on what was occurring to those who were defending the Philippines as they fought back the invaders. They prayed that help would come, but it never arrived. The surrender of the Philippines occurred at noon on Wednesday, May 6, 1942. Of the twenty-four, some would escape capture only to die later during the war, others would become prisoners of war and survive, and others would die in captivity. Some would be tortured and live, while one of them was executed. These twenty-four serve as ambassadors whose courage, honor, and sacrifice represent the thousands of other similar stories we could not include.

Eight of the men featured in the book are Naval Academy alumni; Francis Bridget '21 and Carter Simpson '39 are also in Memorial Hall.

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.

The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.

The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.