Charles J. Watters
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| Charles Joseph Watters | |
|---|---|
| January 17, 1927 – November 19, 1967 (aged 40) | |
 Army Medal of Honor |
|
| Place of birth | Jersey City, New Jersey |
| Place of death | near Dak To Province, Republic of Vietnam |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1962-1964 (Air National Guard) 1964-1967 (USA) |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | 173rd Airborne Brigade |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War *Battle of Dak To |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Purple Heart |
Charles Joseph Watters (January 17, 1927 – November 19, 1967) was a Chaplain (Major) in the United States Army. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery exhibited while rescuing wounded men in the Battle of Dak To. He was killed in the battle in a friendly fire incident when a 500-pound bomb was dropped on American paratroopers near the triage area where he was working.
Chaplain Watters is one of seven chaplains to receive the Medal of Honor.[1]
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[edit] Biography
Charles Joseph Watters was born on January 17, 1927 in Jersey City, New Jersey. Watters attended Seton Hall Preparatory School and went on to graduate from Seton Hall University. He was ordained as a Catholic priest[2] in 1953 and served in parishes in Jersey City, Rutherford, Paramus, and Cranford, New Jersey.
Watters was an active private pilot, flying small single-engine planes as far as Argentina. In 1962, Watters became a chaplain with the New Jersey Air National Guard. In 1964, he entered active duty as a chaplain with the U.S. Army. He began his first 12-month tour of duty in Vietnam on July 5, 1966. During his first tour, he was awarded the Air Medal and a Bronze Star for Valor. At the end of his first twelve months, in July 1967, he voluntarily extended his tour for an additional six months.
On 19 November 1967, Chaplain Watters' unit was involved in close combat with the enemy. For his "conspicuous gallantry ... unyielding perseverance and selfless devotion to his comrades" on that day, Chaplain Watters was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Watters is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
[edit] Medal of Honor citation
The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to
MAJOR CHARLES JOSEPH WATTERS
United States Army
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Chaplain Watters distinguished himself during an assault in the vicinity of Dak To. Chaplain Watters was moving with one of the companies when it engaged a heavily armed enemy battalion. As the battle raged and the casualties mounted, Chaplain Watters, with complete disregard for his safety, rushed forward to the line of contact. Unarmed and completely exposed, he moved among, as well as in front of the advancing troops, giving aid to the wounded, assisting in their evacuation, giving words of encouragement, and administering the last rites to the dying. When a wounded paratrooper was standing in shock in front of the assaulting forces, Chaplain Watters ran forward, picked the man up on his shoulders and carried him to safety. As the troopers battled to the first enemy entrenchment, Chaplain Watters ran through the intense enemy fire to the front of the entrenchment to aid a fallen comrade. A short time later, the paratroopers pulled back in preparation for a second assault. Chaplain Watters exposed himself to both friendly and enemy fire between the two forces in order to recover two wounded soldiers. Later, when the battalion was forced to pull back into a perimeter, Chaplain Watters noticed that several wounded soldiers were lying outside the newly formed perimeter. Without hesitation and ignoring attempts to restrain him, Chaplain Watters left the perimeter three times in the face of small arms, automatic weapons, and mortar fire to carry and to assist the injured troopers to safety. Satisfied that all of the wounded were inside the perimeter, he began aiding the medics ... applying field bandages to open wounds, obtaining and serving food and water, giving spiritual and mental strength and comfort. During his ministering, he moved out to the perimeter from position to position redistributing food and water, and tending to the needs of his men. Chaplain Watters was giving aid to the wounded when he himself was mortally wounded. Chaplain Watters' unyielding perseverance and selfless devotion to his comrades was in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
[edit] In memory
The name Charles Joseph Watters is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial ("The Wall") on Panel 30E, Row 036.[3][4]
[edit] See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- List of Medal of Honor recipients: Vietnam War
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services
[edit] Notes
- ^ Misseck, 2005.
- ^ "The Army Chaplancy — Vietnam Remembered". U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School, Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.
- ^ Charles Watters, Major, Army. The Virtual Wall. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.
- ^ Arlington National Cemetery profile
[edit] References
- Chaplain Watters. U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School, Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.
- Charles Joseph Watters. mishalov.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.
- Charles Joseph Watters, Major (Chaplain), United States Army. Arlington National Cemetery. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.
- Charles Watters Army Medal of Honor. Home of Heroes.com. Retrieved on 2003-11-20.
- Chaplain Watters. ROTC History at SHU. Seton Hall University. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.
- Misseck, Robert E. (2005-05-19). "Tribute befitting a legend (Medal of Honor Recipient, Catholic Priest, Vietnam Veteran Remembered)". Newark Star Ledger. Retrieved on 2006-07-04.
