Background
Private George Watson was from Birmingham,
Alabama. Attended basic training at Camp Lee, Virginia. Then to Charleston, South Carolina and departed overseas from Newport News, Virginia on December 27, 1942 aboard the USS Hermitage to Australia via the Panama Canal with 10,000 troops aboard that disembarked at Brisbane on January 31, 1943. Moving to Brisbane, he was assigned to the Dutch freighter, commandeered into American service, the s'Jacob. A member of the 29th Quartermaster Regiment. Watson
drowned rescuing others when his ship, the Dutch Steamer s'Jacob near Porlock
Harbor off Papua New Guinea,
on March 8, 1943, when the ship came under sudden attack by Japanese
bombers that sunk it.
African Americans in WWII
Around 1.2 million African-Americans served
in World War II, but none received the Medal of Honor during or
after that war. In the late 1990's the Army conducted a three year
long review of the records of 10 World War II black heroes to determine
if they met the standards for the Medal of Honor. Of these, seven
names were submitted to Congress and the President.
History
Watson's ship was badly damaged
by Japanese bombs and the crew ordered overboard. Watson remained
in the water and helped other soldiers who could not swim reach
the life rafts. It is thought that Watson was unable to get clear
of the turbulence when the ship went down, and he disappeared beneath
the waves.
Memorials
Watson is remembered on a memorial at the Manila American
Cemetery, a Memorial in the Philippines and by George Watson Memorial
Field at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Distinguished Service Cross
Private Watson was the first black solider
to receive the Distinguished Service Cross during World War II.
He was 28 years old, had been drafted into the Army and was assigned
to the 29th Quartermaster Regiment. George Watson is survived by
his daughter Kay Adams and many grandchildren. Ms. Adams lives in
the Cleveland, Ohio area. The Alabama Veterans Memorial Foundation
is honoring PGW with a special ceremony and commemorative plaque
to be place in the Grand Memorial courtyard memorial day, 2003.
Medal of Honor: 1997 Presentation
At a crowded White House ceremony on 13 January 1997, President
William J. Clinton bestowed the Medal of Honor on these seven African
American veterans of World War II. Only one of the recipients
was still alive to receive his award in person. The others had died
during the war or in the decades since, and were represented by next
of kin. Private Watson's Medal of Honor resides
in the U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum at Fort Lee, Virginia.
References
Honor Deferred: George Watson Sequence (Video Clip from documentary 4.4meg download)
Contribute
Information
Do you have photos or additional information to add?
