World War II Honoree

Stanley W. Watson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Seattle, Washington

Honored By

Betty Watson Borg & LTC Charles Borg, USA-Ret.

PUT PRE-MEDICAL STUDIES AT UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON ASIDE TO JOIN THE ARMY AIR FORCE; MARCH 1943. AFTER PRE-FLIGHT AND AIR CREW TRAINING, WAS ASSIGNED TO G SQUADRON, 1503TH ARMY AIR FORCE TRANSPORTATION GROUP AT HAMILTON FIELD, CALIFORNIA. AS FLIGHT TRAFFIC CLERK IN THE AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND, WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL CARGO, WEIGHT AND BALANCE CALCULATIONS, FLIGHT CLEARANCES, CUSTOM CLEARANCES, AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT OF PASSENGERS. AVERAGED 150 FLYING HOURS PER MONTH, DOING 19 TRANS-PACIFIC FLIGHTS, MANY TIMES BRINGING WOUNDED BACK TO THE STATES. SOME MISSIONS REQUIRED HIGH SECURITY WHEN TRANSPORTING VIP'S WHO INCLUDED PHILIPPINES PRESIDENT MANUEL QUEZON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL, AND BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY SIR ANTHONY EDEN. SURVIVED TWO CRASHES, ONE AT SEA AND ONE ON LAND. DISCHARGED IN NOVEMBER 1945 HOLDING THE RANK OF CORPORAL. AWARDS INCLUDED AIR CREW BADGE (WINGS), GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 3 CAMPAIGN STARS, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL.