Travis E. Watkins: Difference between revisions

Travis Earl Watkins
Travis Earl Watkins
	Medal of Honor recipient Travis Watkins
Born	September 5, 1920; Waldo, Arkansas
Died	September 3, 1950; Near Yongsan, Korea
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1939–1950
Rank	Master Sergeant
Unit	9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division
Battles/wars	World War II; • Guadalcanal Campaign; Korean War
Awards	Medal of Honor; Bronze Star; Purple Heart

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Travis Earl Watkins (September 5, 1920 – September 3, 1950) was a United States Army soldier and a posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Korean War. A veteran of World War II, Watkins was awarded the medal for his conspicuous leadership during a multi-day fight against superior numbers in 1950.

Early life and career

Watkins was born in Waldo, Arkansas, on September 5, 1920. His family moved to East Texas when he was a young child and he attended school in the city of Troup.^[1]

Enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1939, Watkins served in World War II and was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions during the Guadalcanal Campaign. He returned to Texas after the war and in 1948 married Madie Sue Barnett.^[1]

Korean War

In the Korean War, Watkins served as a master sergeant with Company H of the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. Near Yongsan, Korea, on August 31, 1950, he was among a group of 30 soldiers who were cut off and surrounded by a numerically superior enemy force. Watkins took command and directed the group's defense, exposing himself to hostile fire in order to lead and encourage his men. When ammunition became scarce, he crossed the defensive perimeter to collect weapons from the bodies of two enemy soldiers whom he had killed. Encountering three hostile soldiers, he was wounded but managed to kill the three men and took their weapons and ammunition as well before returning to friendly lines.^[2]

Later, six hostile soldiers gained a position which allowed them to throw grenades into the American defenses. Watkins rose from his foxhole and killed the six men with his rifle. Hit by machine gun fire in the process, he was rendered paralyzed from the waist down. Despite his severe injuries, he continued to encourage his soldiers and refused all food, preferring to save it for others. Realizing that the position was untenable, on September 3 he ordered the group to withdraw and leave him behind. He died of his wounds soon after. For these actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor six months later, on February 16, 1951.^[2]

Honors and legacy

Two days short of his thirtieth birthday upon his death, Watkins was buried at Gladewater Memorial Cemetery in Gladewater, Texas. Every year since 2008, a memorial ceremony has been held at his grave on the Saturday closest to National Medal of Honor Day.^[1] The transport ship USNS Watkins (T-AKR-315) was named in his honor.

Medal of Honor citation

Watkins' official Medal of Honor citation reads:

M/Sgt. Watkins distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. When an overwhelming enemy force broke through and isolated 30 men of his unit, he took command, established a perimeter defense and directed action which repelled continuous, fanatical enemy assaults. With his group completely surrounded and cut off, he moved from foxhole to foxhole exposing himself to enemy fire, giving instructions and offering encouragement to his men. Later when the need for ammunition and grenades became critical he shot 2 enemy soldiers 50 yards outside the perimeter and went out alone for their ammunition and weapons. As he picked up their weapons he was attacked by 3 others and wounded. Returning their fire he killed all 3 and gathering up the weapons of the 5 enemy dead returned to his amazed comrades. During a later assault, 6 enemy soldiers gained a defiladed spot and began to throw grenades into the perimeter making it untenable. Realizing the desperate situation and disregarding his wound he rose from his foxhole to engage them with rifle fire. Although immediately hit by a burst from an enemy machine gun he continued to fire until he had killed the grenade throwers. With this threat eliminated he collapsed and despite being paralyzed from the waist down, encouraged his men to hold on. He refused all food, saving it for his comrades, and when it became apparent that help would not arrive in time to hold the position ordered his men to escape to friendly lines. Refusing evacuation as his hopeless condition would burden his comrades, he remained in his position and cheerfully wished them luck. Through his aggressive leadership and intrepid actions, this small force destroyed nearly 500 of the enemy before abandoning their position. M/Sgt. Watkins' sustained personal bravery and noble self-sacrifice reflect the highest glory upon himself and is in keeping with the esteemed traditions of the U.S. Army.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Lane, Christina (March 24, 2012). "Ceremony today to recognize local Medal of Honor recipient". Longview News-Journal. Longview, Texas. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Medal of Honor Recipients - Korean War". Medal of Honor Citations. United States Army Center of Military History. January 5, 2012. Retrieved March 24, 2012.

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.

External links

"Travis E. Watkins". Hall of Valor. Military Times.
Texas Handbook Online
WWII Army Enlistment Records
"Cemetery Biography". Retrieved October 5, 2010.

Template:Persondata

[lnj20120324-1] Lane, Christina (March 24, 2012). "Ceremony today to recognize local Medal of Honor recipient". Longview News-Journal. Longview, Texas. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012.

[citation-2] "Medal of Honor Recipients - Korean War". Medal of Honor Citations. United States Army Center of Military History. January 5, 2012. Retrieved March 24, 2012.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Redirect|Travis Watkins|the Python programmer|Travis Watkins (computer programmer)}}
 {{Infobox military person
-|name= Travis E. Watkins
+|name= Travis Earl Watkins
 |birth_date= {{Birth date|1920|9|5}}
 |death_date= {{Death date|1950|9|3|1920|9|5}}
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 |allegiance= [[United States|United States of America]]
 |branch= [[United States Army]]
-|serviceyears= 1939 - 1950
+|serviceyears= 1939–1950
 |rank= [[Master Sergeant#United States|Master Sergeant]]
-|unit=Company H, [[U.S. 9th Infantry Regiment|9th Infantry Regiment]], [[2nd Infantry Division (United States)|2d Infantry Division]]
+|unit= [[9th Infantry Regiment (United States)|9th Infantry Regiment]], [[2nd Infantry Division (United States)|2nd Infantry Division]]
-|battles= [[Korean War]]
+|battles= [[World War II]]<br/>{{*}} [[Guadalcanal Campaign]]<br/>[[Korean War]]
 |awards= [[Medal of Honor]]<br>[[Bronze Star]]<br>[[Purple Heart]]
 }}
-'''Travis E. Watkins''' (September 5, 1920-September 3, 1950) was a soldier in the [[United States Army]] during the [[Korean War]]. He [[Posthumous recognition|posthumously]] received the [[Medal of Honor]] for his actions on August 31, September 1, September 2, and September 3, 1950.
+'''Travis Earl Watkins''' (September 5, 1920 – September 3, 1950) was a [[United States Army]] soldier and a posthumous recipient of the [[Medal of Honor]] for his actions in the [[Korean War]]. A veteran of [[World War II]], Watkins was awarded the medal for his conspicuous leadership during a multi-day fight against superior numbers in 1950.
+== Early life and career ==
-Watkins joined the Army from [[Texas]] in June 1939.<ref>[http://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&tf=F&q=travis+e+watkins&bc=&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=182576 WWII Army Enlistment Records]</ref> He served in the [[Pacific Ocean theater of World War II|Pacific Theater]] during [[World War II]], and also received a [[Bronze Star]] for actions during the [[Guadalcanal Campaign]].<ref>[http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fwatr Texas Handbook Online]</ref>
+Watkins was born in [[Waldo, Arkansas]], on September 5, 1920. His family moved to East Texas when he was a young child and he attended school in the city of [[Troup, Texas|Troup]].<ref name="lnj20120324"/>
+Enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1939, Watkins served in [[World War II]] and was awarded the [[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Star]] for his actions during the [[Guadalcanal Campaign]]. He returned to Texas after the war and in 1948 married Madie Sue Barnett.<ref name="lnj20120324"/>
-==Medal of Honor citation==
-Rank and organization: Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company H, [[U.S. 9th Infantry Regiment|9th Infantry Regiment]], [[2nd Infantry Division (United States)|2d Infantry Division]]
+== Korean War ==
-Place and date: Near [[Yongsan]], [[Korea]], August 31, through September 3, 1950
+In the [[Korean War]], Watkins served as a [[Master Sergeant#United States|master sergeant]] with Company H of the [[9th Infantry Regiment (United States)|9th Infantry Regiment]], [[2nd Infantry Division (United States)|2nd Infantry Division]]. Near [[Yongsan]], Korea, on August 31, 1950, he was among a group of 30 soldiers who were cut off and surrounded by a numerically superior enemy force. Watkins took command and directed the group's defense, exposing himself to hostile fire in order to lead and encourage his men. When ammunition became scarce, he crossed the defensive perimeter to collect weapons from the bodies of two enemy soldiers whom he had killed. Encountering three hostile soldiers, he was wounded but managed to kill the three men and took their weapons and ammunition as well before returning to friendly lines.<ref name="citation"/>
+Later, six hostile soldiers gained a position which allowed them to throw grenades into the American defenses. Watkins rose from his foxhole and killed the six men with his rifle. Hit by machine gun fire in the process, he was rendered paralyzed from the waist down. Despite his severe injuries, he continued to encourage his soldiers and refused all food, preferring to save it for others. Realizing that the position was untenable, on September 3 he ordered the group to withdraw and leave him behind. He died of his wounds soon after. For these actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor six months later, on February 16, 1951.<ref name="citation"/>
-Entered service at: Texas. Birth: [[Waldo, Arkansas]]
+== Honors and legacy ==
-G.O. No.: 9, February 16, 1951
+Two days short of his thirtieth birthday upon his death, Watkins was buried at Gladewater Memorial Cemetery in [[Gladewater, Texas]]. Every year since 2008, a memorial ceremony has been held at his grave on the Saturday closest to National Medal of Honor Day.<ref name="lnj20120324"/> The transport ship {{USNS|Watkins|T-AKR-315}} was named in his honor.
+==Medal of Honor citation==
-'''Citation:'''
+Watkins' official Medal of Honor citation reads:
-<blockquote>M/Sgt. Watkins distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. When an overwhelming enemy force broke through and isolated 30 men of his unit, he took command, established a perimeter defense and directed action which repelled continuous, fanatical enemy assaults. With his group completely surrounded and cut off, he moved from foxhole to foxhole exposing himself to enemy fire, giving instructions and offering encouragement to his men. Later when the need for ammunition and [[grenade]]s became critical he shot 2 enemy soldiers 50 yards outside the perimeter and went out alone for their ammunition and weapons. As he picked up their weapons he was attacked by 3 others and wounded. Returning their fire he killed all 3 and gathering up the weapons of the 5 enemy dead returned to his amazed comrades. During a later assault, 6 enemy soldiers gained a defiladed spot and began to throw grenades into the perimeter making it untenable. Realizing the desperate situation and disregarding his wound he rose from his foxhole to engage them with rifle fire. Although immediately hit by a burst from an enemy [[machine gun]] he continued to fire until he had killed the grenade throwers. With this threat eliminated he collapsed and despite being paralyzed from the waist down, encouraged his men to hold on. He refused all food, saving it for his comrades, and when it became apparent that help would not arrive in time to hold the position ordered his men to escape to friendly lines. Refusing evacuation as his hopeless condition would burden his comrades, he remained in his position and cheerfully wished them luck. Through his aggressive leadership and intrepid actions, this small force destroyed nearly 500 of the enemy before abandoning their position. M/Sgt. Watkins' sustained personal bravery and noble self-sacrifice reflect the highest glory upon himself and is in keeping with the esteemed traditions of the U.S. Army.<ref name=AMOHW>{{Cite web
+<blockquote>M/Sgt. Watkins distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. When an overwhelming enemy force broke through and isolated 30 men of his unit, he took command, established a perimeter defense and directed action which repelled continuous, fanatical enemy assaults. With his group completely surrounded and cut off, he moved from foxhole to foxhole exposing himself to enemy fire, giving instructions and offering encouragement to his men. Later when the need for ammunition and [[grenade]]s became critical he shot 2 enemy soldiers 50 yards outside the perimeter and went out alone for their ammunition and weapons. As he picked up their weapons he was attacked by 3 others and wounded. Returning their fire he killed all 3 and gathering up the weapons of the 5 enemy dead returned to his amazed comrades. During a later assault, 6 enemy soldiers gained a defiladed spot and began to throw grenades into the perimeter making it untenable. Realizing the desperate situation and disregarding his wound he rose from his foxhole to engage them with rifle fire. Although immediately hit by a burst from an enemy [[machine gun]] he continued to fire until he had killed the grenade throwers. With this threat eliminated he collapsed and despite being paralyzed from the waist down, encouraged his men to hold on. He refused all food, saving it for his comrades, and when it became apparent that help would not arrive in time to hold the position ordered his men to escape to friendly lines. Refusing evacuation as his hopeless condition would burden his comrades, he remained in his position and cheerfully wished them luck. Through his aggressive leadership and intrepid actions, this small force destroyed nearly 500 of the enemy before abandoning their position. M/Sgt. Watkins' sustained personal bravery and noble self-sacrifice reflect the highest glory upon himself and is in keeping with the esteemed traditions of the U.S. Army.<ref name="citation"/></blockquote>
-  |accessdate=2007-12-31
-  |url = http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/koreanwar.html
-  |title = "TRAVIS E. WATKINS" entry
-  |work = Medal of Honor recipients: Korean War
-  |date = June 8, 2009
-  |publisher= [[United States Army Center of Military History]]}}</ref></blockquote>
 ==See also==
 {{Portal|Biography|United States Army}}
-*[[List of Medal of Honor recipients]]
 *[[List of Korean War Medal of Honor recipients]]
-*{{USNS|Watkins|T-AKR-315}}
-==Notes==
-{{Reflist}}
 ==References==
+{{Reflist|refs=
+<ref name="lnj20120324">{{Cite news
+  | last       = Lane
+  | first      = Christina
+  | title      = Ceremony today to recognize local Medal of Honor recipient
+  | newspaper  = [[Longview News-Journal]]
+  | location   = Longview, Texas
+  | date       = March 24, 2012
+  | url        = http://www.news-journal.com/news/local/ceremony-today-to-recognize-local-medal-of-honor-recipient/article_6f0e25c9-99ac-5b90-b437-c0e9b6c77905.html
+  | archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/66Q492I8r
+  | archivedate= March 24, 2012 }}</ref>
+<ref name="citation">{{Cite web
+  | url         = http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/koreanwar.html
+  | title       = Medal of Honor Recipients - Korean War
+  | work        = Medal of Honor Citations
+  | publisher   = [[United States Army Center of Military History]]
+  | date        = January 5, 2012
+  | accessdate  = March 24, 2012 }}</ref>
+}}
 :{{ACMH}}
+== External links ==
+* {{Hall of valor|3055}}
+* [http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fwatr Texas Handbook Online]
+* [http://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&tf=F&q=travis+e+watkins&bc=&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=182576 WWII Army Enlistment Records]
 *{{Cite web |accessdate=October 5, 2010 |url=http://www.cemetery.state.tx.us/pub/user_form.asp?step=1&pers_id=11205 |title=Cemetery Biography}}
-*{{Cite web
- |accessdate=2007-12-31
- |url = http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/koreanwar.html
- |title = "TRAVIS E. WATKINS" entry
- |work = Medal of Honor recipients: Korean War
- |date = June 8, 2009
- |publisher= [[United States Army Center of Military History]]}}
 {{Persondata
@@ Line 72: / Line 84: @@
 |PLACE OF DEATH= Near [[Yongsan]], [[Korea]]
 }}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Watkins, Travis E.}}
+[[Category:1920 births]]
 [[Category:1950 deaths]]
-[[Category:Army Medal of Honor recipients]]
-[[Category:American military personnel killed in the Korean War]]
 [[Category:People from Waldo, Arkansas]]
+[[Category:United States Army soldiers]]
+[[Category:American military personnel of World War II]]
+[[Category:American military personnel killed in the Korean War]]
+[[Category:Army Medal of Honor recipients]]
 [[Category:Recipients of the Purple Heart medal]]
-[[Category:1920 births]]
 [[Category:Recipients of the Bronze Star Medal]]