Beloved USS Yorktown veteran and museum volunteer Bill Watkinson celebrated his 95th birthday on Monday, January 23 on the hangar deck of his favorite aircraft carrier along with a large crowd of fellow volunteers and museum employees.
A veteran of World War II and the Korean War, the USS Yorktown was home to Watkinson for much of WWII. He joined the Navy in 1942 and by 1943 he was a Navy test pilot, certifying aircraft and delivering them to the U.S. fleet abroad. He was certified as a fighter pilot in 1944 and soon after joined a squadron aboard the USS Yorktown CV-10. During his time on the Yorktown, Watkinson was one of a select few who were designated radar night fighters, qualified to take off and land in complete darkness.
Watkinson recounts his many missions launched from aboard the USS Yorktown when he comes back to the ship as a volunteer. Though his permanent residence is in New Jersey, he lives in the Mt. Pleasant area much of the year and when he is in town, he is always coming to his beloved ship to share his stories with guests of all ages.
On Monday it was time to celebrate Bill Watkinson on the occasion of his 95th birthday. The celebration took place in front of the F6F Hellcat on display in the hangar bay. This was the type of aircraft he flew off the flight deck of the Yorktown more than 70 years ago.
The day was also a bit of a homecoming. Just before Christmas, Watkinson broke his hip and this was his first return to the USS Yorktown since his hip replacement surgery. It was great to see Bill again and we look forward to the day he returns to his normal volunteer schedule once he has fully recovered from his hip surgery.
Check out this gallery of photos of the birthday celebration on Monday:
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