Born in 1922 in Pickton, Hopkins County, Texas. Enlisted at Tyler, Smith County, Texas on 16 Oct 1942. 2 weeks til he had to report for duty. 2 years of HS, Ht:66, Wt: 121. Married before he left for the military to Miss Grace Edwards on 26 Oct 1942. After training stationed at Bury St Edmund near Rougham with the 94 bomber Group, 333 Bomber Squadron. Mission to bomb Ball Bearing factories on the Seine [Ivry] near Paris France on 26 November 1943 in B-17 #4237815 'Miss Lace. AC shot down by German fighter AC and crashed in Plessis-au-Boisi NE of Belville section of Paris. Ottis was mortally wounded by German cannon fire. He was waist gunner. Ten men in crew. 5 Killed in Action (KIA) including Sgt Alford. 3 POWS, and 2 were rescued by French underground and returned to England. Ottis was buried for the war at Clicky France and was returned to his home town after the war. A French lady saw the AC go down, and saw the Germans take the bodies off the plane and she attended his funeral and wrote a letter to his mother in Texas describing what she had seen, and told mother she would look after his grave. She said she had a son in the France military. Not sure how she got the mother's address. Buried at Winterfield Cemetery, Pickton, Hopkins County, Texas. Listed on Findagrave. MACR #1124.

Service

Events

Event	Location	Date
Born	Pickton, TX 75471, USA	18 May 1922
Enlisted	Tyler, TX, USA	16 October 1942
Killed in Action (KIA)	Paris, France	26 November 1943
Died	Paris, France	26 November 1943