Watson was born in Laurel, Mississippi but subsequently moved to Birmingham, Alabama. He attended Colorado A&M (Colorado State University) and graduated in 1942. He was married with one daughter. Watson was drafted and entered into the U.S. Army on September 1, 1942. After basic training at Camp Lee, Virginia, he was sent to Charleston, South Carolina. Next, he was sent to and arrived at Newport News, Virginia, where he embarked on the USS "Hermitage" (AP-54) which departed on December 27 for the Pacific Theatre. He was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 29th Quartermaster Regiment as a bath and laundry specialist. On January 31, 1943, after arriving at Brisbane, Australia, he embarked on the " 's Jacob", a U.S. Army controlled chartered Dutch steamer.