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Watkins (T-AKR-315)

2000–

The first U.S. Navy ship named in honor of Master Sergeant Travis Earl Watkins, born on 5 September 1920 in Waldo, Arkansas, who enlisted in the Army in June 1939, served in the Pacific Theater of operations during World War II and was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions during the Guadalcanal Campaign.

On 3 September 1950, Watkins was serving with Company H, 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, on the Korean peninsula 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 numerous 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.

Afterwards, when the need for ammunition and grenades became critical, Watkins shot two enemy soldiers 50 yards outside the perimeter and went out alone for their ammunition and weapons. As he began gathering them, he came under attack by three others and wounded. Returning fire, he killed all three and picked up the weapons of the five enemy dead and then returned to his men. During a later assault, six enemy soldiers began to throw grenades into the perimeter making it untenable. Realizing the desperate situation and disregarding his wound, Watkins 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 the entire enemy force fell. With that threat eliminated, he collapsed, and despite being paralyzed from the waist down, encouraged his men to hold on. When it became apparent that reinforcements would not arrive in time to hold the position, Watkins ordered his men to escape to friendly lines. Refusing evacuation, he remained in his position and cheerfully wished them luck. His small force had killed nearly 500 enemy soldiers before retreating.

Travis Earl Watkins, posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions near Yongsan on 3 September 1950, is interred at Gladewater Memorial Cemetery, Gladewater, Texas.

(T-AKR-315: displacement 62,644; length 950'; beam 106'; draft 34'; speed 24 knots; complement 30 civilian and 5 active duty; class Watson)

Watkins (T-AKR-315) was laid down on 24 August 1999 at San Diego, Ca., by National Steel & Shipbuilding Company; and launched on 28 July 2000. She entered non-commissioned U.S. Navy service with the Military Sealift Command (MSC) with a primarily civilian crew on 2 March 2001. A non-combatant Large, Medium-Speed, Roll-on/Roll-off (LMSR) vessel, Watkins and other ships of her class are used to pre-position tanks, trucks, various wheeled vehicles and supplies needed to support an army heavy brigade. She is assigned to Afloat Prepositioning Ship Squadron Four at Diego Garcia.

Watkins participated in U.S. Transportation Command’s exercise Turbo Distribution 14-2, held 15-22 May 2014 at Joint Base Charleston Weapons Station, S.C. and it gave several units the opportunity to exercise their skills in a joint environment. The exercise scenario required a seaport opening, so a rapid deployable joint assessment team arrived in Charleston and began making arrangements to off-load her cargo and provide aid to the fictional disaster area. Watkins was the center piece for the exercise and was moored at Wharf Alpha on the weapons station. She was scheduled for a routine discharge before a maintenance period and provided the platform for the various units to work from.

Watkins (T-AKR-315) 140521-F-EV310-132
Sailors maneuver machinery on board Watkins on 21 May 2014 at Wharf Alpha on Joint Base Charleston, S.C. during exercise Turbo Distribution 14-2, a U.S. Transportation Command exercise held 15-22 May. (Airman 1st Class Clayton Cupit, USAF Photograph 140521-F-EV310-132)

Detailed history pending.

Paul J. Marcello

8 January 2016

Published: Wed Jan 13 09:18:10 EST 2016