Otto F. Huebscher
"United in this determination and with unshakable faith in the cause for which we fight, we will, with God's help, go forward to our greatest victory."--General Dwight D. Eisenhower (1944)

The days between October 23-27, 1944, were some of the longest ever for many families, especially Otto Frederick Huebschers'. He was a MMM-3 in the Navy and died of fatal wounds caused by the sinking of the destroyer, Johnston, in the Pacific Theater of war during the Phillippine Sea battle. He entered the Navy in March, 1943, and hadn't even served a year and a half before he met his end in the middle of the ocean. He was only twenty-one years old, born on August 3, 1923. He left behind both his parents and his four sisters. Now we need to ask ourselves, who is this man and what did he do for our country and our freedom?

Otto F. Huebscher was born in Bakerville, Wisconsin, attended Riverview School there, and graduated from Marshfield High School. Two years later he enter the Navy. Otto was not married nor did he have any kids. He was a mere twenty-one years old when he died; he had a very short but quite possible full life.

Otto was a Motor Machinist Mate, Third Class, in the Navy. His work took place mainly in a submarine. His job was to maintain and operate steam turbines and reduction gears, used for ship force and back up machinery, such as turbo generators, pumps, and oil purifiers. The duties that Otto may have performed would be maintaining refrigeration plants, air conditioning, and galley equipment, aligning piping systems for oil, water, air and steam are just a few jobs that motor machinist mates do.

Otto fought and died for our freedom. Without him and all the other soldiers, our country could be a very different place today. Otto may have only been one man, but he was among those men who allow us to have all the freedoms and privileges we have in America. Our men fought hard and gave their lives for peace, as in the words of Dwight D. Eisenhower, "We are going to have peace even if we have to fight for it."

Scout Inman, Student
Marshfield Junior High