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Local man serves as bagpiper, invited to...
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Local man serves as bagpiper, invited to Veterans National Monument
April 18, 2010
By Maisie Rodenbaugh
Jody Watson
Tribune Photo / Linda Ahern
Joseph Watson, a native of Canada has an interesting story to tell. He was born in 1926 in Bathurst, Nova Scotia. Since Joseph is of Scottish descent he decided to take up learning to play the bagpipes At the age of 15 he joined the Merchant Navy and sailed the Atlantic for about a year and a half in convoy. When World War II ended, he received three medals from the Department of Veterans Affairs in Canada. He contacted the Veterans organization about some aid to further his education. They informed him that he was not entitled because he was not a veteran even though he had been awarded the medals. Jody, as he is known as to his friends, applied for papers to come to the U S immediately. This was in 1960. He made his home in Omaha, NE. In 1982 his wife was diagnosed with cancer and her wish was to become a citizen of the United States. She got her wish and Jody became a citizen also. After her passing, Jody moved to Independence, Mo. He continued to play the bagpipes in parades and also in Washington D.C.in the Halls of Congress in 2005, where an article appeared in an Associated Press release about his efforts to encourage the Legislators to take care of the older Veterans who had put their lives on the line while serving in the American Merchant Mariners. Our Mariners sailors lost 1 in 25 who served, which was the highest death rate of any branch of the services in WW II.
In September 2009, Jody was invited to a Merchant Navy reunion in Ottawa, Canada. On the third day of the reunion, the Veterans Affairs of Canada had a special day for the Veterans. Jody was asked to play the bagpipes at the National Monument. All Armed forces were represented. When Jody returned home he received a book about a ship called the S. S. Beaver that was the first steamship in the Pacific Ocean. This ship was bought by the Hudson Bay Company from England . She sailed from England in August of 1835 and reached the Falkland Islands on November 11, 1835.The ship continued its journey to the Sandwich Island in Hawaii on February 4,1836 and back to Fort Vancouver, WA on April 10. While there they installed steam engines in the ship. She burned 8 cords of wood a day and took part in the 1849 California gold rush. It finally shipwrecked in 1988 and laid there until 1892 when a Captain Cain and some of his crew went aboard and they salvaged 1100 pounds of copper and brass and made medals of the copper and gave to people for recognition of their personal talent and leadership.
Jody’s picture appeared in a magazine in Canada after the reunion and was seen by Robert Maxwell. Maxwell contacted the president of the Merchant Navy and asked about his performance at the National Monument. He decided that Jody should receive the Robert Maxwell S. S. Beaver Award and Jody received the award on February 17, 2010. He has an invitation to go to St John’s, Newfoundland later this year to pipe at the Veterans National Monument.
Jody is the Official Bagpiper of the K.C St Patrick’s Day parade and was Grand Marshall in 2005. He also appears in Martin City in their parades. His business card tells us that he is available for Weddings, Funerals, Parties and Parades. My visit with Jody was interesting and encouraging for this senior citizen.
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