He joined the Seabees on June 11, 1943 and went overseas at Christmas time.

Having been designated a naval aviator, he will go on active duty at one of the Navy's air operational training centers before being assigned to a combat zone.

Ensign Watts entered the service in March 1943 and received his training at the University of Texas, Austin, Texas; an airfield in California; Norton, OK; and Pensacola, FL.

His brother, Burton, Eau Claire, is a Petty Officer Second Class in the Seabees in New Guinea.

Four Eau Claire Seabees on Duty in Philippines
Four former Eau Claire residents were among the first Seabees to land in the Philippine Islands shortly after General MacArthur’s forces invaded the island of Leyte in October.

They are B. J. Watts, Machinist's Mate Second Class, 249 Main Street; E. G. Dachel, EM First Class, 215 Bellinger Street; J. C. Gorrel, BM Second Class; and Wayne Nimsger, EM Second Class, Forest Street.  All four men have been members of the 105^th Naval Construction Battalion for 18 months and had previously seen 10 months of overseas service in New Guinea, before moving on to the Philippines.

Four days after General MacArthur’s troops landed in Leyte, Seabees of the 105^th Battalion, with Commander A. J. Mackay, Officer in Charge, were already ashore and busily engaged in unloading supplies and equipment under enemy fire and bombing attacks. The 105^th was the first of several battalions ashore and the first Seabees ever to set foot on Philippine soil.

When the battalion landed, there were still Japs on the projected campsite of the Seabees. By the following day, the enemy had been driven off and, when the 105^th moved into camp later that same afternoon, the Japs were still but 600 yards away.

The battalion lived up to the Seabees’ reputation for, almost immediately after landing, they were at work on roads, warehouses, and installations to build the newly-won base up to maximum strength and efficiency for future American blows against the enemy.