First Lieutenant Watkins served as an air observer with the 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action while participating in aerial support over South Korea on 16 October 1950.

Watkins was awarded the Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.