Watkins, Joshua Charles
Male
Verified Corporal Joshua Charles Watkins, 25, of Jacksonville, Florida, was a U.S. Marine assigned to H Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division. He was killed in hostile action in Balad, Iraq, on October 21, 2006.
Their Story
Joshua Charles Watkins was a 25-year-old Marine corporal from Jacksonville, Florida. He served with H Company, 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
On October 21, 2006, Corporal Watkins was killed by enemy action in Balad, Iraq, north of Baghdad. The Department of Defense announcement did not specify the exact nature of the hostile incident, which was a common term for deaths resulting from enemy fire, improvised explosive devices, or other combat engagements.
His death occurred during Operation Iraqi Freedom, a major conflict that began with a U.S.-led invasion in March 2003. By late 2006, the war was characterized by intense sectarian violence and a potent insurgency against coalition and Iraqi government forces.
Following his death, Watkins was posthumously promoted to the rank of corporal. His funeral was held in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida.
Corporal Watkins is memorialized on the Iraq War Memorial in Jacksonville and on online veterans' remembrance pages. He was one of over 100 U.S. service members killed in Iraq during the month of October 2006.
Explore Further
Corporal Watkins was killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003–2010). The conflict concluded in August 2010. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Kennedy, Brian Matthew, Beaupre, Ryan Anthony, Gutierrez, Jose, Waters-bey, Kendall Damon.
