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name
BOTSIS, Nick - Date of
birth
7 July 1926 -
Age
19 - Place of
birth
Holland, Ottawa County, Michigan -
Hometown
Holland, Ottawa County, Michigan
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
36913165 -
Rank
Private -
Function
unknown -
Unit
E Company,
2nd Battalion,
406th Infantry Regiment,
102nd Infantry Division
-
Awards
Bronze Star,
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
27 April 1946 - Place of
death
Sandau, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Gus Botsis (father)
Bessie Botsis (mother)
Anna Botsis (sister)
Peter Botsis (brother)
Robert Botsis (brother)
More information
Pvt Nick Botsis attended Holland Christian High School in Holland, Michigan.He was part of a patrol which was to cross the Elbe River at Havelberg to pick up German prisoners on 26 April 1945. The patrol was enveloped by SS troops in armored cars and of the original total of twenty one men, records reveal that sixteen men were taken prisoner and later released.
Field investigations conducted in the area on 30 March, 22 November and 18 December 1948 failed in the recovery of the remains of two men, Pvt Nick Botsis and Sgt Lance who is also remembered at the Walls of the Missing at Margraten. Two other patrol members, Robert Bender and Kurtiss P. Holmquist are interred at Ardennes.
Pvt Botsis declared officially dead one day and one year after he was reported missing in action.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census, www.findagrave.com, IDPF
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Vicki Cassis (niece), www.ancestry.com - U.S. School Yearbook