On board the Dutch flagged
's Jacob (not a misspelling), QM Corps member, Private George Watson's troopship came under attack from Japanese bombers off the coast of Papua, New Guinea, 3/8/1943...
Ordered to abandon ship, Pvt. Watson joined others in the water, but refused to enter one of the rafts or lifeboats, choosing instead to repeatedly swim back to rescue others from the sinking wreck until he succumbed to exhaustion, and was pulled to the bottom with the doomed ship...His Medal of Honor citation reads:
Quote:
"The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Private George Watson, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action on 8 March 1943, while serving with 29th Quarter Master Regiment, in action at Porloch Harbor, New Guinea. 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."
Pvt. Watson became the only member of the QuarterMaster Corps to be awarded his nation's highest honor during WWII service...Having no known next of kin, his Medal and its citation, along with his Purple Heart, and other earned medals, rest in a place of honor in the US Army Quartermaster Museum in Fort Lee, Virginia...Private Watson was also one of only seven black US Army soldiers to receive the Medal of Honor for WWII service, the other six men all being cited for action with combat units...
