Marine Corps Marathon 2004: Team Lancers, In Memory of Salty and Boot
On April 7, 2003, my world changed forever. My brother, Lt. Col. William R. "Salty" Watkins died. In the wake of his death, I was directed to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. They were a life line to me at times and have helped me to make tremendous strides in my journey as I am learning to accept and move on in my life in the aftermath of William's death. On October 31, I will be running (and walking too) the 8K portion of the Marine Corps Marathon. I will be running in memory of William and his pilot, Capt. Eric B. Das, who also died in the crash. I will also be running to raise money for T*A*P*S so they can continue to help those of us who lose loved ones serving in the military. Help support T*A*P*S the way they have supported me.
William Watkins was more than a brother. Being 8 years older than me, he filled many roles in my life after our father died in 1981. William became a father figure as well as one of my closest friends.
William was also the person I looked up to most in my life. William set his mind on goals and he acheived them, while always looking after myself and everyone else in the family. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1989, and was able to fulfill his life long dream...to fly.
After attending flight school at NAS Pensecola, William (also known as Salty) served as a Naval Flight Officer in the A-6 Intruder with the VA-75 Sunday Punchers at NAS Oceana (flying off of the USS Kennedy and the USS Eisenhower). He then served as an exchange officer with the US Air Force and was a Weapons System Officer in the F-15 Strike Eagle, flying with the 335th Chiefs out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, NC.
While at Seymour, William met his wife. She is an Air Force Intelligence Officer. Once his tour with the Air Force was over, he went back to the Navy and was trained in the F-14 Tomcat. William and his wife did their next tours in Japan, with William flying with the VA-154 "Black Knights" out of NAS Atsugi (based on the USS Kitty Hawk).
After completing his F-14 tour with the Black Nights, William transitioned to the Air Force and he and his wife returned to where they met, Seymour Johnson AFB, in Goldsboro, NC. William attended Instructor Upgrade Training, and became an instructor with the 333rd Lancers at Seymour.
William and his wife had their first child, a son, shortly after returning to Goldsboro. Just before Christmas, 2002, they found out they were expecting a second child, a girl, due in late July/early Aug, of 2003.
Just after Christmas, the call came up for additional troops to respond for Operation Iraqi Freedom. William volunteered to go and deployed near the end of Feb 2003. Aside from his wife, who saw him off the night he deployed, I was the last member of our family to see William.
In the early morning hours of April 7, 2003, William and his pilot, Capt. Eric "Boot" Das, were flying an early morning strike in support of Special Forces who were preparing for the assault on Tikrit. Special Forces came under heavy fire from Iraqi Special Republican Guard Troops. William and Boot responded and began attacking the Iraqi troops, even in the midst of returning fire. On the 3rd pass of their strike, their plane was lost.
It took 10 days for the military to inform us that Boot had died in the crash. They were just unable to get into the crash site. A week after we found out the Boot had died, we also received word that William had died. My brother, father figure, and close friend was gone.
William was postumously premoted to the rank of Lt. Col. He and Boot also received the Destinguished Flying Cross for their actions on the morning of April 7th.
We all continue to move on with our lives. For me, finding TAPS was wonderful. I connected with wives, siblings, parents, and children, who all understood the impact of a military death on the family. I have made friends through TAPS, who I share my joys and sorrows with. They have become a second family to me. Because of this, I will be running the 8K portion of the Marine Corps Marathon, in memorry of Lt. Col. William "Salty" Watkins and Capt. Eric "Boot" Das, to raise money for TAPS.
Thank you for your support.
William Watkins was more than a brother. Being 8 years older than me, he filled many roles in my life after our father died in 1981. William became a father figure as well as one of my closest friends.
William was also the person I looked up to most in my life. William set his mind on goals and he acheived them, while always looking after myself and everyone else in the family. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1989, and was able to fulfill his life long dream...to fly.
After attending flight school at NAS Pensecola, William (also known as Salty) served as a Naval Flight Officer in the A-6 Intruder with the VA-75 Sunday Punchers at NAS Oceana (flying off of the USS Kennedy and the USS Eisenhower). He then served as an exchange officer with the US Air Force and was a Weapons System Officer in the F-15 Strike Eagle, flying with the 335th Chiefs out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, NC.
While at Seymour, William met his wife. She is an Air Force Intelligence Officer. Once his tour with the Air Force was over, he went back to the Navy and was trained in the F-14 Tomcat. William and his wife did their next tours in Japan, with William flying with the VA-154 "Black Knights" out of NAS Atsugi (based on the USS Kitty Hawk).
After completing his F-14 tour with the Black Nights, William transitioned to the Air Force and he and his wife returned to where they met, Seymour Johnson AFB, in Goldsboro, NC. William attended Instructor Upgrade Training, and became an instructor with the 333rd Lancers at Seymour.
William and his wife had their first child, a son, shortly after returning to Goldsboro. Just before Christmas, 2002, they found out they were expecting a second child, a girl, due in late July/early Aug, of 2003.
Just after Christmas, the call came up for additional troops to respond for Operation Iraqi Freedom. William volunteered to go and deployed near the end of Feb 2003. Aside from his wife, who saw him off the night he deployed, I was the last member of our family to see William.
In the early morning hours of April 7, 2003, William and his pilot, Capt. Eric "Boot" Das, were flying an early morning strike in support of Special Forces who were preparing for the assault on Tikrit. Special Forces came under heavy fire from Iraqi Special Republican Guard Troops. William and Boot responded and began attacking the Iraqi troops, even in the midst of returning fire. On the 3rd pass of their strike, their plane was lost.
It took 10 days for the military to inform us that Boot had died in the crash. They were just unable to get into the crash site. A week after we found out the Boot had died, we also received word that William had died. My brother, father figure, and close friend was gone.
William was postumously premoted to the rank of Lt. Col. He and Boot also received the Destinguished Flying Cross for their actions on the morning of April 7th.
We all continue to move on with our lives. For me, finding TAPS was wonderful. I connected with wives, siblings, parents, and children, who all understood the impact of a military death on the family. I have made friends through TAPS, who I share my joys and sorrows with. They have become a second family to me. Because of this, I will be running the 8K portion of the Marine Corps Marathon, in memorry of Lt. Col. William "Salty" Watkins and Capt. Eric "Boot" Das, to raise money for TAPS.
Thank you for your support.