Private Geoge Watson, US Army

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.

Medal of Honor Citation (March 8. 1943 Posthumous, awarded 1997)
For extraordinary heroism in action on 8 March 1943. Private Watson was on board a ship which was attacked and hit by enemy bombers. When the ship was abandoned, Private Watson, instead of seeking to save himself, remained in the water assisting several soldiers who could not swim to reach the safety of the raft. This heroic action, which subsequently cost him his life, resulted in the saving of several of his comrades. Weakened by his exertions, he was dragged down by the suction of the sinking ship and was drowned. Private Watson's extraordinarily valorous actions, daring leadership, and self-sacrificing devotion to his fellow-man exemplify the finest traditions of military service.