George Watson

George Watson (March 24, 1914 – March 8, 1943) was a United States Army private who died trying to rescue several soldiers from drowning at sea during World War II. In 1997, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration for valor, for his actions on March 8, 1943, near Porlock Harbor, New Guinea. Watson and six other Black Americans who served in World War II, were awarded the Medal of Honor on January 12, 1997. The Medal of Honor was posthumously presented to Watson by President Bill Clinton on January 13, 1997, during a Medals of Honor ceremony for the seven recipients at the White House in Washington, D.C. The seven recipients are the first and only Black Americans to be awarded the Medal of Honor for World War II. Biography Watson was born in Laurel, Mississippi but subsequently moved to Birmingham, Alabama. He attended Colorado A&M (Colorado State University) and graduated in 1942. He was married with one daughter. Watson was drafted and entered into the U.S. Army on September 1, 1942. After basic training at Camp Lee, Virginia, he was sent to Charleston, South Carolina. Next, he was sent to and arrived at Newport News, Virginia, where he embarked on the USS Hermitage (AP-54) which departed on December 27 for the Pacific Theatre. He was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 29th Quartermaster Regiment as a bath and laundry specialist. On January 31, 1943, after arriving at Brisbane, Australia, he embarked on the 's Jacob, a U.S. Army controlled chartered Dutch steamer. On March 8, 1943, the Army transport Jacob was near Porlock Harbor, New Guinea, when it was attacked by nine high-flying Japanese bombers. The bombers scored three direct hits on the Jacob causing a large fire which could not be extinguished, so the order was given for all to abandon ship. After 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. The minesweeper which had been escorting the Jacob, rescued 158 men. Watson's body was never recovered. On June 13, 1943, he was awarded posthumously the Army's second-highest medal for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for extraordinary heroism. He was the first Black American serviceman in World War II to receive this decoration.