Rico Botta, Rear Admiral, USN

Rico Botta was born in Melbourne, Australia, onNovember 2, 1890, son of Enrico and Lily Bagley Botta.He was educated. in Melbourne public schools, St. John’sPreparatorySchool, andMelbourneSchoolofEngineering.Entering theUnitedStates in 1908he enlisted in theU.S.Naval Reserve Force as a Petty Officer, second class, inDecember1917.HewasappointedEnsigninJune1918,waspromotedtoLieutenant(jg)October1,1918,andLieutenant,April 1, 1919. Transferred to the U. S. Navy in the latterrank in November 1921, he subsequently attained the rankofRearAdmiralonJanuary11,1946,todatefromJune30,1943. He was transferred to the Retired List of the U. S.NavyonDecember1,1952.

FollowinghisenlistmentintheNavalReserveForceinDecember 1917, during World War I, he had duty at theNaval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, until August 1918,when he reported as Officer in Charge of Instruction inEngines,NavalAviationDetail,FirstNavalDistrict,Boston,Massachusetts. In January 1919 he was assigned to theWright Aeronautical Corporation, and the following Junereturned to the PensacolaAir Station where he was desig-natedNavalAviatoronJune3,1919,beforehisreleasefromactivedutylaterthatmonth.

RecalledtoactivedutyinhisformerrankofLieutenantinAugust1920,heagainreportedtotheNaval,AirStation,Pensacola, where he was an instructor until April 1922.He was then assigned to the Bureau ofAeronautics, NavyDepartment, Washington, D. C. He served in the MaterialDivision of that Bureau organized in 1921, until October1924.OrderedtodutywithAircraftSquadrons,BattleFleet,he joined Scouting Squadron 2, attached to the aircrafttender Aroostook, and later served with Torpedo Bombing

Squadron2,andScoutingSquadron1,basedontheaircraftcarrier Langley. He was transferred in September 1926 totheLangleyandhaddutyaboardthatcarrieruntilDecember1927. Between January 1928 andAugust 1930, he again hadduty at the NavalAir Station, Pensacola, Florida. He nextjoined Patrol Squadron 9, attached to the Aroostook, andlater the USS Argonne, and as Executive Officer of thatSquadron until June, 1931 when he assumed command ofPatrol Squadron 7, also of the Argonne. In June 1932 hebecame Commanding Officer of Patrol Squadron 2, basedon Coco Solo, Canal Zone. Three years later he assumedcommand of Observation Squadron 1, aviation unit of thebattleship Texas, and in February 1936 was transferred tocommand of Observation Squadron 4, aviation unit of thebattleshipWest Virginia.HeremainedinthelatterassignmentuntilDecember1936.

He returned to the Bureau of Aeronautics, NavyDepartment, for duty from January 1937 until December1942, first in the Engineering Division Material Branch,and later as Head of the Power Plant Design Section. Forthis service he received a Letter of Commendation withauthorization to wear the Commendation Ribbon from theSecretaryofNavyasfollows:“Chargedwiththeresponsibil-ity for the design and development of power plants ofmaximumeffectivenessforfleetaircraftyouperformedyourdutiesinapositionofgreatresponsibilitywithoutstandingcompetence,technicalskill,andaggressiveleadership.ItwaslargelythroughyourkeenforesightandvigorousintelligentdirectionoftheaircraftenginesprogramthatNavalAviationenteredthewarwiththebestaircraftenginesintheworld...”

In December 1942 he reported for duty as Assemblyand Repair Officer at the Naval Air Station, San Diego,California. “For exceptionallymeritorious conduct (in thatcapacity)fromDecember31,1942toAugust14,1945...”hewasawardedtheLegionofMerit. Thecitationstatesinpart:“...By his outstanding technical knowledge and skill, (he)enabledhisdepartmenttomeettheeverincreasingdemandsof the Fleet Air Commands for combat aircraft of thelatest type and with the latest combat-improved changesinstalled...”

InFebruary1946,hebecameFleetAirandMaintenanceOfficer on the Staff of Commander Air Force, AtlanticFleet. He remained in that assignment until April 1949,whenhe reported asAssistantChiefofNavalMaterial andDirectoroftheProductionPolicyDivision,NavyDepartment,Washington, D. C. He continued serving there until June1950,andonJulyl,heassumedcommandoftheNavalAirMaterial Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On December1, 1952 he was transferred to the Retired List of the U.S.Navy.

In addition to the Legion of Merit and CommendationRibbon, Rear Admiral Botta has the World War I VictoryMedal;theAmericanDefenseServiceMedal;theAmericanCampaignMedal;andtheWorldWarIIVictoryMedal.

-Continued-

Married to the former Miss Elsa C. Ricks of NewOrleans,Louisiana,hehadadaughter,PhyllisR.Botta.