TBMflyer Posted November 30, 2007 Share #1 Posted November 30, 2007 The following are pictures of the medals and items of the late Maj. Louis Ottoman who was KIA on Jan. 21, 1945 on Poro Island in the Philippines. All of these items were found by Louis' granddaughter in a box at her mother's house and have been there since soon after the war. The 776th was a LVT Battalion and was attached to the 7th Inf. Div at some point. The granddaughter is dating a friend and he wanted me to see the Army memorabilia of her grandfather. Needless to say I was in awe. Enclosed were the named Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Armored Infantry, Armored and Infantry brass, the 776th patch shown in the patch section here, a stack of greenback 9th Armored patches, orders for the Bronze Star etc.. I carefully framed all the items in a wooden case and put the paperwork and photos into archive safe sleeves. Enjoy, Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBMflyer Posted November 30, 2007 Author Share #2 Posted November 30, 2007 Here is the back of the Bronze Star Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBMflyer Posted November 30, 2007 Author Share #3 Posted November 30, 2007 Back of the Purple Heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBMflyer Posted November 30, 2007 Author Share #4 Posted November 30, 2007 The Armored Infantry Insignia and the Numbered Armored brass, and a picture of the Major. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBMflyer Posted November 30, 2007 Author Share #5 Posted November 30, 2007 A picture of the entire grouping, I did add felt before closing up the frame, Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBMflyer Posted November 30, 2007 Author Share #6 Posted November 30, 2007 Lastly, the 776th's unit photo-Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captaxe Posted November 30, 2007 Share #7 Posted November 30, 2007 Very, very cool Mark. Seeing these KIA groupings never fails to inspire. God bless Maj. Ottoman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmshindy Posted November 30, 2007 Share #8 Posted November 30, 2007 That sure is one nice grouping Mark. It is good to see some one keep his memories alive. pmshindy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted November 30, 2007 Share #9 Posted November 30, 2007 Thats a great group Mark. I am glad to see its on good hands. The 776th patch is cool, because it looks like the 7-7-6 was hand stitched onto a standard armored patch. Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Baker Posted November 30, 2007 Share #10 Posted November 30, 2007 Excellent!! Thanks for posting this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIKyle Posted November 30, 2007 Share #11 Posted November 30, 2007 It is a beaut Mark- Was good of you to put everything together and protect it all for her. Quick question- What did you mean by 'adding felt' to the display case before closing it? Kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeeper704 Posted November 30, 2007 Share #12 Posted November 30, 2007 Beautiful grouping. I like the numbered collar insignia. Thanks for sharing this. Erwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBMflyer Posted December 1, 2007 Author Share #13 Posted December 1, 2007 Kyle, I put a piece of green felt between the insignia and the red foam of the display case, from what I have been told, that red foam can deteriorate and mess up what is in the case. Guys, thanks for the comments, His granddaughter was very pleased with the way the case came out and is going to give it all back to her mother, it is important that items like that stay in the family, Mark It is a beaut Mark- Was good of you to put everything together and protect it all for her. Quick question- What did you mean by 'adding felt' to the display case before closing it? Kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marineamtracer Posted June 19, 2009 Share #14 Posted June 19, 2009 I just thought that I would add as a side note that my grandfather Staff Sgt. E.R. Wilson Jr. served with Company D 776th Amphibian Tank Bn. at Angaur, Peleliu, Leyte, and Okinawa. Company D was the only element of the Battalion to serve at Angaur and Peleliu. The majority of the men who made up the 776th came from the troops of 2nd Cavalry Reg. 2nd Cav. in the imediate post Pearl Harbor time frame. My grandfather and his buddies were horse cavalry men and pre war draftees at Camp Funston and Fort Riley. They first deployed to Tuscon and Phoenix following the Dec. 7 attack with the worry that the Japanese would make a land invasion of the mainland. They were then mobilized as 776th Tank Battalion and were for a time part of the 9th Armored Division. The 776th was cut in half. With one half staying with the 9th AD the other half remaining 776th although now designated Amphibian Tank Bn. Just a little more info for anyone who was interested. Since the forum has been up and running I have posted many of my grandfathers items but I'm sure they have now rotated off the boards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OD MAN Posted June 19, 2009 Share #15 Posted June 19, 2009 TBM- Fantastic group and display! Mareinemtracer- Thanks for that extra info, very interesting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FightenIrish35 Posted June 19, 2009 Share #16 Posted June 19, 2009 this is such a GREAT grouping....take care of this group...this is a "keeper" :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBMflyer Posted June 19, 2009 Author Share #17 Posted June 19, 2009 Thanks for the comments, actually the grouping is back in hands of the family. I'm still doing research on it but is back where it belongs, with his daughter. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btdyer Posted September 18, 2011 Share #18 Posted September 18, 2011 Hello! My grand uncle, 1st Lt. Charles E. Dyer was also in the 776th Amphibious Tank Battalion. He was also killed on Poro Island January 21, 1945. Do you still have contact with your friend or his girlfriend? Would be interested to see if Charles and the Major died in the same incident. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firstsonsofthenation Posted September 24, 2011 Share #19 Posted September 24, 2011 awesome patch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deddygetty Posted May 12, 2017 Share #20 Posted May 12, 2017 The armored brass with "2" on it is from 2d Armored Regiment, 9th Armored Division. This unit was formed from the old 2d Cavalry Regiment horse soldiers on 15 July 1942. The 2d Armored Regiment was broken up on 9 October 1943 with the following units being formed from the Regiment: 1st Battalion became 776th Amphibious Tank Battalion, which was relieved from attachment to the 9th Armored Division and later sent to the Pacific Theater as an independent battalion; 2d Battalion became 2d Tank Battalion, 9th Armored Division, and fought in the European Theater, earning a Presidential Unit Citation and Belgian Croix de Guerre, both embroidered BASTOGNE, for participating in the defense of that city; 3d Battalion became 19th Tank Battalion, 9th Armored Division, and fought in the European Theater, capturing the Ludendorff Bridge in Remagen; Recon Company became Company D, 89th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop, 9th Armored Division, and fought in Europe. The unit histories and battle credits of all these units except D/89 were consolidated with the lineage of the 2d Cavalry Regiment on 8 January 1951. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atb Posted May 12, 2017 Share #21 Posted May 12, 2017 Insignia minutia- The crossed rifles with WW1 tank insignia is for "Infantry-Tanks." Before the Armored Force was established and they adopted the WW1 tank insignia in 1942, the tank and rifles was the branch insignia for tankers. Armored Infantry were not tankers; they wore Infantry Branch of Service insignia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfcmac Posted August 19, 2020 Share #22 Posted August 19, 2020 I am researching a soldier who served in the 776th Amphibious Tank Bn and was killed on 21 Jan 1945. His name was Silas Victor King and according to the family, he was a driver for some officer. Have any of you ran across his name? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BelgianUScollector44 Posted March 29, 2023 Share #23 Posted March 29, 2023 Very nice grouping you have there! Don't see them quiet often about the 776th! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMT04 Posted April 16, 2023 Share #24 Posted April 16, 2023 On 3/29/2023 at 3:59 AM, BelgianUScollector44 said: Very nice grouping you have there! Don't see them quiet often about the 776th! This! Very rare , 776th is very collectible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tredhed2 Posted April 16, 2023 Share #25 Posted April 16, 2023 Here are a couple of standard US made armor triangles w/ added #s, for this battalion. The patch in post #1 of this thread is unusual in that it is smaller and has an uncommon embr weave than the standard US made triangles and many collectors think they are German made. The Oct-Dec 21 Trading Post depicted a number of these. Because so many of the battalion patches were for amphibian tractor battalions, which trained on the West Coast, and tank battalions, which trained at the Desert Training Center, an argument can be made the smaller patches were all US made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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