lest we forget

WATTS, WILLIAM SCOTT

Rank / Branch:

CAPTAIN, U. S. ARMY

Date Of Birth:

1944-08-17

Country Of Loss:

SOUTH VIETNAM

Status:

NON HOSTILE-ACCIDENTAL HOMICIDE

Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:

GROUND

Other:

MARRIED

Unit:

25TH INFANTRY DIVISION

Date Of Loss:

1968-11-21

Loss Coordinates:

TAY NINH

Catagory:

BODY RETURNED

Awards & Decorations:

SEE BIO

VETERAN HAGI0GRAPHY

WATTS, WILLIAM SCOTT, CAPTAIN, U.S. ARMY, SAN ANGELO, TOM GREEN COUNTY, TEXAS

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

COMBAT INFANTRYMANS BADGE, BRONZE STAR WITH V DEVICE AND OAK LEAF CLUSTER, NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM CROSS OF GALLANTRY WITH PALM, VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL

BIOGRAPHY

William Scott was born in Houston to Laura Utterbach Scott and Claude Demond Watts. He went by Scotty. The family moved to San Angelo before Scott started school. He graduated from San Angelo Central High School in 1962 and then attended San Angelo Junior College for two years.
Watts and Wilbert D. Downhour, both of San Angelo, enlisted in the Army under the "Buddy Program" on June 4, 1964. Following basic training at Fort Polk, LA, they were assigned to the Advanced Individual Training Program at Fort Knox, KY., to become Armored Crewmen. Watts then decided to apply for Officers Candidate School. Upon successful completion of OCS in March 1966, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in Infantry and after he completed the basic course, he was assigned as platoon leader with a basic training company at Fort Polk. Watts had two tours in Vietnam as an infantry officer, being promoted to 1st Lt.
Scotty won the Bronze Star for exposing himself to hostile fire while crossing an open field to rescue a wounded soldier during his first tour and was awarded a second Bronze Star when he was killed. He married Tangela Zane Hickman of DeRidder, Louisiana when he returned from his first tour on March 18, 1966. He was the father of a son, Scotty.
He returned to Vietnam and was assigned as a staff officer with HHC, 2nd Battalion, 27 Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. He was killed in a night defensive position when a soldier was attempting to load his weapon and it discharged and the bullet struck Captain Watts. Captain Watts was medevac'd to a facility near Long Binh where he passed away from the wound.
Downhour served two tours in Vietnam as a Tank Crewman. and retired from the Odessa Police Department after 23 years of service. Captain William Scott Watts was buried with full military honors in the Beauregard Cemetery in DeRidder, Louisiana.