George Watson (U.S. Army)

George Watson was a private in the United States Army who was killed in action during World War II. He was one of seven African-American soldiers to be awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions during World War II, and the only one of the seven to earn his medal while serving in the Pacific Theater.

A resident of Birmingham, Alabama, He had entered the Army 1 September 1942, and was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 29th Quartermaster Regiment. He was a passenger aboard the Dutch steamer USAT s'Jacob on 8 March 1943, which was near Porlock Harbor, New Guinea, when the ship was hit by Japanese bombers.

When the ship was abandoned, Watson remained in the water and, instead of trying to save himself, assisted soldiers who could not swim into life rafts.

Weakened by his exertions, he was dragged down by the suction of the sinking ship and drowned. His body was never recovered. (Other reports indicate that George Watson was brought onto HMAS Bendigo and was tried to be revived but could not. He was allegedly then buried at sea with full military honors.)

Awards and honors

Watson's military awards include: Medal of Honor (as of 23 September 1996); Purple Heart; Army Good Conduct Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal; and World War II Victory Medal.

• Watson had no known next of kin, so his medals are displayed in the U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum, Fort Lee, Virginia.
• A field at Fort Benning in Georgia is named in his honor.
• In 1997, the United States Navy named in Private Watson's honor. Watson is the lead ship of her class of large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off (LMSR) ships.
• The new Jefferson County Courthouse being built outside Birmingham in Bessemer, Alabama will be named "The Private George Watson Courthouse".

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients
• List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II
• List of African American Medal of Honor recipients

References

This article contains text in the public domain from the United States Army.

• Kelly, S.H. "Seven WWII vets to receive Medals of Honor", Army News Service, 13 January 1997. (URL accessed on 23 April 2006).

External links

• Jim Garamone Army Finally Recognizes WWII Black Heroes. DefenseLINK News. Retrieved on 2007-03-27..
• MSC: Medal of Honor Recipients. Retrieved on 2007-09-10..