Richard Brand Otte PhD

Born on Feburary 9, 1922, Richard B. Otte was the first son of Dr. Joseph and Aldine Otte. He was raised in Littleton, Colorado, and was the older brother to his sister Dusty and brother Joe. After graduating from the Littleton public school system, Dick was attending Colorado State University when he decided to put his education on hold and enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps on June 23, 1941.

He completed boot camp at the Marine base in San Diego. Dick was a proud member of the 2nd Division 8th Marines, which was assigned to the Pacific theater of operations during World War II. On November 4, 1942, his company was promptly deployed to join the battle for Guadalcanal. They departed Guadalcanal on February 9, 1943, and were transferred to New Zealand for training in preparation for the next battle.

Along with the brave men of the 2nd Division 8th Marines, Dick stormed the beach in the bloody battle of Tarawa from November 20, 1943, to November 24, 1943. This was one of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history and the location where Dick received the first of two Purple Hearts. After his assignment to recover at the Pearl Harbor Hospital in Hawaii, he and the 2nd Division 8th Marines were deployed to the battle of Saipan on June 15, 1944. On July 8, 1944, while pinned down in a foxhole, Dick suffered a severe shrapnel wound in his back. This injury ended his tour and thus saved his life. For this injury, Dick received his second Purple Heart.

After Dick received an honorable discharge on September 17, 1945, he returned to college at the University of Denver where he graduated with a PHD in Psychology. He spent most of his career working for the Department of Education. He fathered three children and was married to Barbara Ann Otte for over 50 years.

Above all of the accomplishments Dick achieved in his lifetime, nothing compared to the pride he felt for his service in the U.S. Marine Corps and the honor Dick felt for his part in defending the freedom of thc United States of America—the country he loved.