Otto was born in Germany on the 15th of October, 1873 and when he enlisted in the US Army, he was mustered with the 1st North Dakota Volunteer Infantry. He was a Private when he was deployed to the Philippines and he displayed actions with Young’s Scouts on the 16th of May, 1899, that would earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

With 21 other scouts charged across a burning bridge, under heavy fire, and completely routed 600 of the enemy who were entrenched in a strongly fortified position.

Otto received his Medal of Honor on the 17th of May, 1906 and he was married to Bernadine, with whom they had two sons: Charles and Frederick. Otto A Boehler died on his 37th birthday, on the 15th of October, 1910, and is buried in Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Breckenridge, Minnesota.