Fort Benning Historic Trail Site

Fort Benning Historic Trail

Historical Site 42. PVT George Watson Field and Monument.

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George Watson Field and monument are located between Dixie Road, Eckel Street and the Stewart Field running track. They were both dedicated on July 4th, 1944 at their original location – the baseball field on the grounds of the WWII era black reception center PVT Watson processed through, located 700 meters NW of the present field. The field and monument were relocated alongside Stewart Field about a decade later when the original field was consumed by infrastructure expansion.

PVT George Watson was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his life-saving actions when the enemy sank his troop ship on March 8, 1943, near New Guinea. Watson continuously swam to move fellow Soldiers to life boats until his strength was depleted and he drowned. He was the first black Solider to receive the DSC in WWII. This award was upgraded to the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1997.

George Watson Field Memorial Plaque

Watson’s Medal of Honor at the U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum.

PVT George Watson