In the Korean War, Watkins served as a master sergeant with Company H of the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. Near Yeongsan, Korea, on August 31, 1950, he was among a group of 30 soldiers who were cut off and surrounded by a numerically superior North Korean force.
During the Korean War, Watkins held the rank of master sergeant in Company H of the 9th Infantry Regiment within the 2nd Infantry Division. On August 31, 1950, near Yeongsan, Korea, he was part of a group of thirty soldiers who were isolated and surrounded by a larger North Korean army.