Watson to keynote Black History Banquet

Wednesday, February 4, 2004

John W. Watson, Jr., a retired USAF master sergeant, will be the featured speaker at the 17th Annual Mountain Home Black History Committee banquet on Feb. 13.

The banquet will be held Feb. 13 at the Elk's Lodge in Mountain Home.

Tickets are $30 per person. For more information call Mildred McNeal at 587-3227.

Dress is  semi-formal. The social hour begins at 6:30 p.m. with dinner at 7:15 p.m.

The event annually recognizes the Mountain Home Black History Committee's Person of the Year, plus other honors for service by members of the community. It is considered one of the major community "dress up" social events of the year.

Watson served in the Seabees, the Navy combat construction battalions, during WWII.

After the war he enlisted in the Air Force Dental Corps, where he managed units at a large dental complex at Toichikawa Air Base in Japan, and Clark Air Base in the Phillipines.

He served as the administrative assistant to the Air Force Preventive Dentistry Officer at the School of Aerospace Medicine at Brooks AFB in Sant Antonio, Texas.

He was awarded three Air Force commendation medals for meritorious service as a noncommissioned officer.

He retired as a master sergeant, dental superintendent, at Mountain Home AFB in 1973, and was immediately employed by the Veteran's Administration as a veteran's benefits counselor, a position he served with distinction for 17 years.

Watson graduated from Pearl High School in Nashville, Tenn., where he was born and raised.

He is a graduate of the Air Force Academy, the Navy Dental Technician's School and the Air Force Advanced Dental Technician's School.

Upon retiring from active duty he also attended Boise State University.

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