From Kyle Defoor. I’d heard that Senior Chief Watson had suffered a heart attack late last week (thanks JL for the updates) but I was off the net yesterday and sorry to hear that he had passed away. Rest In Peace.
Senior Chief James “Patches” Watson passed away early this morning. Patches was a Plank Owner of the SEAL Teams and paved the way for the SEAL Teams of today. Please keep his family and friends in your prayers.
Jim “Patches” Watson is the Curator Emeritus of the UDT-SEAL Museum in Ft. Pierce, FL
An original plank owner of SEAL Team TWO, Jim served three tours in Vietnam as platoon chief earning sixteen combat decorations, four of which are Bronze Stars all with Combat “V”. Many people know him as “Patches”, the point man in Dick Marcinko’s popular Rogue Warrior books.
Patches came to my boot camp graduation when he worked at the museum just to see if any guys were heading to BUD/S. There was me and one other. He had us up to the museum and showed us all around and drank beers with a couple of 18 year old wet behind the ears meats. He later moved to just outside where our sniper school is and held parties at his place when I went through the course. Total crusher. Hell of a Frogman. Beers to you tonight Senior Chief. You lived well.
Respect,
KD
