Staff Sergeant Watkins was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. On October 7, 1952, he led his platoon in an successful assault on an entrenched enemy. As he and his men entered the trenches an enemy hand grenade fell among them. Warning his comrades, he grabbed the grenade and tried to throw it away. It exploded and mortally wounded him. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. For his leadership and great valor, Staff Sergeant Watkins was awarded the Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
Fold3_Team · Apr 8, 2013
Staff Sergeant Watkins was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. On October 7, 1952, he led his platoon in an successful assault on an entrenched enemy. As he and his men entered the trenches an enemy hand grenade fell among them. Warning his comrades, he grabbed the grenade and tried to throw it away. It exploded and mortally wounded him. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. For his leadership and great valor, Staff Sergeant Watkins was awarded the Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.