Charles Adam Ott Jr. (September 26, 1920 – December 9, 2006) was a
United States Army major general who served as commander of the
40th Armored Division and
40th Infantry Division, and director of the
Army National Guard
The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States A ...
.
Early life
Charles Adam Ott Jr. was born on September 26, 1920, in
Santa Barbara, California, the son of Charles Adam Ott Sr. and Leona Elizabeth (Theote) Ott. He attended the public schools of Santa Barbara and was a 1937 graduate of
Santa Barbara High School. Ott graduated from
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
with a
Bachelor of Arts degree in
economics in 1941 and was the Honor Graduate of his
Reserve Officers' Training Corps class.
World War II
Commissioned as a
second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
of
artillery, Ott completed the Artillery Officer Basic Course in 1941, the Artillery Officer Advanced Course in 1942, and the
United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1943.
Ott served in
Europe during the war, first with the 76th Field Artillery
Battalion, including assignments as
battery
Battery most often refers to:
* Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power
* Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact
Battery may also refer to:
Energy source
*Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...
commander, battalion operations and training officer (S-3), executive officer, and commander. He later served as operations and training officer for the 18th Field Artillery Group, and carried out an assignment in California on the staff of the
Sixth United States Army. He was a
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
when he was discharged in 1946.
Interbellum
After the war, Ott returned to Santa Barbara and pursued a business career as an executive of his family's business, Ott Hardware, and he became the company's president upon the retirement of his father. He also served as president of Sterling Supply Corporation and Channel Properties, Incorporated.
Ott continued his military career with the
California Army National Guard as commander of the 981st Field Artillery Battalion.
Korean War
In 1950, Ott was called to federal service with the 40th Infantry Division for the
Korean War. He served as commander of the division artillery, and received promotion to
colonel.
Senior command
In 1952, Ott was promoted to
brigadier general as commander of the 40th Armored Division Artillery.
Ott was assigned as assistant division commander of the 40th Armored Division in 1958. In 1960, he was promoted to major general and assigned as commander of the 40th Armored Division.
[National Guard Bureau]
General officers of the Army and Air National Guard
Volume 1, 1972, entry for Charles A. Ott Jr.
In August, 1965, Ott commanded the division when it was activated in response to the
Watts Riots.
Ott also served as commander of the California National Guard's Southern Emergency Operations Center and commander of the 79th Rear Area Operations Support Center.
In 1969 he commanded National Guard members activated in response to flooding in
Santa Barbara County and other areas of
Southern California.
In 1971, he was named deputy commander of the
California National Guard, and in January 1974, he received appointment as commander of the 40th Infantry Division.
In 1974, Ott was appointed director of the Army National Guard, serving until his 1978 retirement.
Ott's awards included the
Army Distinguished Service Medal
The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. Th ...
,
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...
,
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
Wh ...
,
Air Medal, and
Army Commendation Medal.
Later career
After retiring from the military, Ott served as director of the
Arizona Division of Emergency Services.
Ott died at
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital on December 9, 2006. He is buried at
Santa Barbara Cemetery
Santa Barbara Cemetery is a cemetery located at 901 Channel Drive in Santa Barbara, California. Founded in 1867, it serves as a nonsectarian cemetery.
Notable interments
* Heather Angel (1909-1986), actress
* Peter J. Barber (1830-1905), archite ...
, Summit Lot 683, Grave 03.
Family
In February 1943, Ott married Patricia Jane Parrish.
They were the parents of three children.
References
External links
Charles A. Ott Jr.a
Santa Barbara High School Alumni Association*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ott, Charles A., Jr..
1920 births
2006 deaths
United States Army generals
National Guard (United States) generals
United States Army personnel of World War II
United States Army personnel of the Korean War
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Recipients of the Air Medal
United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni
Stanford University alumni
Military personnel from Santa Barbara, California