Wilson Douglas Watson was a World War II Medal of Honor recipient whose actions on Iwo Jima demonstrated exceptional bravery.
Born on February 18, 1922, in Tuscumbia, Alabama, he was raised on a family farm as one of twelve children of Charles Graham Watson and Ada Bell Posey Watson. He completed seven years of schooling before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps Reserve on August 6, 1942, in Little Rock.
Watson’s parents, Charles and Ada, were hardworking farmers who instilled a strong sense of duty in their large family.
Charles, born in 1898, and Ada, born in 1899, managed a modest household in rural Alabama, later moving to Arkansas by 1940 to sharecrop in Crittenden County.
Charles lived until 1980, while Ada passed away in 1989, both outliving their heroic son. The couple raised eight sons—Charles Willard, Eugene Howard, James Thermon, Robert Belton, Felton Ray, Paul Ralph, Kenneth Irby, and Phil--and three daughters—Sarah, Ethel, and one who died young--alongside Wilson.
The family’s tight-knit nature was evident in their long lives, with many siblings surviving into their 80s and 90s, though Sarah died in 1940 at age 20.
Watson trained at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego and deployed to the Pacific on January 24, 1943. As an automatic rifleman with Company G, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, he saw combat at Bougainville, Guadalcanal, and Guam.
His defining moment came on February 26–27, 1945, during the Battle of Iwo Jima. His Medal of Honor citation states that he stood exposed, held off Japanese troops attacking with grenades and knee mortars, and killed 60 enemies over 15 minutes until his ammunition ran out, allowing his platoon to advance.
Wounded seven times by gunfire and mortar fragments, he kept fighting until a neck wound on March 2 forced his evacuation.
President Harry S. Truman awarded Watson the Medal of Honor on October 5, 1945, at the White House. After recovering, he joined the U.S. Army, served in the Korean War, and retired in 1966 as a Specialist 5. He also received a Purple Heart for his injuries.
Post-military, Watson returned to Arkansas, living quietly until his death on December 19, 1994, at age 72.
He is buried in Russell Cemetery in Ozone, Johnson County, where his headstone notes his Medal of Honor, Army service, and Purple Heart. His parents and most siblings are also buried in Arkansas, reflecting the family’s deep roots in the state.
