Served in World War II as a truck driver that carried diesel fuel to the front lines and bodies back. He was with the First Armored Division, the first to go overseas before Pearl Harbor and the last to come home. He was with Patton in the North African campaign then through Italy and stopping in Germany to let Russia finish. He saw Mussolini shortly after he was hung in the street. Frederick Decker Family by Debbie O'Conner (daughter)

Pfc. Otto E Decker is a member of the 4th Tank batallion which is jabbing German defenders in the most northerly Apennine mountains in Italy. His outfit poised below the crest of the last Apennine barriers in one of those on which high hopes are placed for a thrust across the Po valley. The 4th Tank battallion, as such, is a new outfit, its elements, the first and third battalions of the 13th Armored regiment and the 1st battalion of the old first Armored regiment, have been fighting Germans since the first day American forces were committed to battle against the European enemy. These units sailed for northern Ireland may 10, 1942, trained in England and landed in North Africa on African D-Day Nov 8, 1942. After playing a leading role in the taking of Oran, Northern Algeria, they moved into Tunisia where they learned bitter stories at Fald pass and Kasserine pass as the Germans drove men of the 4th battallion made a sensational comeback as a chief factor in the "mousetrap" maneuver at Mateur and in the capture of Ferryville. The 4th took up positions along the Rapido river in readiness for a drive through the Liri Vally but when the Germans held at Cassino the tankers were shifted to the beachhead around Anzio from there they jabbed the enemy front and kept the Jerries guessing. They broke out of the Anzio front last May 23 and in quick succession smashed Nazi forces in Cisterna, Cori, Vellatri, Lenuvio, Albano, and Rome. Pfc Decker serves as a truckdriver with the battallion. He has been overseaqs with the unit since May of 1942. The local serviceman, son of Otto Deccker of Garden Prairie, was formerly employed by the National Sewing machine company, making his home here on North State Street.

Transcribed by Debbie O'Connor(daughter) from the Belvideere paper he saved.