Pvt. Almon David Watkins - World War II Veteran

In basic training, David met a buddy who was to remain his best friend through training and on to the field of battle.  He and Walt Joyce (on David’s right in the picture) trained at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and Camp Maxie, Texas. They were shipped overseas on Dec. 1, 1944 and, with their company, captured the Belgian town of Spinenx from the Germans. David and Walt promised each other that if one of them was killed he would be buried in France.  David was wounded in January, 1945 in the Battle of the Bulge and died two months later of his wounds.  Walt kept his promise, and David’s ultimate resting place was the American Military Cemetery of Rhone, France where he was buried with 860 comrades.

JoAnne P. Miller