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MAYODAN — An Eden native who worked in his father’s corner drugstore in Mayodan in his youth admits he often is amazed when he looks back over his career in the Army.

From operating the first M1 tank in Europe to working with rocket scientists, retired Army Lt. Col. Kevin Watson reviewed his career recently at a meeting of the Combat Airmen/Joshua’s Troops in western Rockingham County.

Watson, who retired Sept. 30, 2006, teaches at the Command and General Staff College satellite campus at Fort Belvoir, Va.

“It’s a very important job, Watson said. “I’m humbled every day because I’m working with the soldiers out there serving.

“I have the privilege to work every day with American heroes who are making a difference around the globe.”

Watson’s wife, Alice, is a former MP and drill sergeant who works for the Department of Veterans Affairs. They have a son and daughter and one grandson.

He is the son of Emory and Catherine Watson, and his father opened Madison Drug Store in the 1960s and operated it until the 1980s.

“I started working behind the soda fountain in 1970, so if you came into the fountain area in the 1970s, I probably messed up your order at some point in time,” Watson told the group.

He went to N.C. State on an ROTC scholarship and was commissioned in 1981 at Fort Bragg.

That fall, he was one of 12 second lieutenants in the original M1 armor officer basic course. They were known as the “Mikey” test group.

Watson was stationed in Germany, where he signed up for the first M1 tank in Europe.

Two years later, Watson was selected as a patrol leader in the 1983 Canadian Army Trophy Competition, a competition considered to be the Olympics of NATO tank gunnery.

His group was the highest-scoring tank company, the first time a U.S. company placed first.

In March 1984, Watson became the aide-de-camp to then-Brig. Gen. Thomas H. Tait.

“Gen. Tait became a second father to me and remains a friend and life mentor,” Watson said. Later, while Tait was commanding general at Fort Knox, Ky., he chose Watson as chief of the gunnery training and doctrine branch. He was in charge of writing the Army tank manual.

“I was involved in every single aspect of the tank gunnery,” Watson said. “Literally working with rocket scientists was an incredible experience for a good ole boy from Eden and Madison, North Carolina.”

Next came Operation Desert Shield in August 1990, followed by Operation Desert Storm in January 1991.

“During troop buildup in the fall of 1990, tank crews noticed a problem with shooting in the desert,” Watson said. Because of environmental conditions, a phenomenon called “refraction” made targets appear in a different location than they actually were, he said. “If a tank crew missed the first round, it was difficult to re-engage.”

Watson spent three weeks in the California desert shooting at targets to replicate the conditions of fighting in the desert.

“Our challenge was to develop simple techniques a crew could use during a battle,” Watson said. “When someone is trying to kill you, there isn’t a lot of time to be reading a list of instructions.”

The team traveled to Europe in the summer of 1991 and interviewed gunners and tank commanders who told them that their techniques had worked.

Tait promoted Watson to major in September 1993, while he was attending the Army Command and General Staff College. He graduated in 1994. He later was assigned to the Pentagon, where he served for more than six years.

His job was to track personnel readiness issues for the deputy chief of staff personnel so the deputy chief could respond to any questions the chief had during monthly reviews.

“It was always an interesting and informative event,” Watson said. “My job was to make sure the (deputy chief of staff) could answer any questions.”

If the deputy chief of staff didn’t have a ready answer, Watson, who literally stood behind the officer, would whisper in his ear so he could respond.

“Those meetings could be high adventure,” Watson said. “I learned a lot about how the Army truly ran.”

In the fall of 2001, Watson was attending the Advanced Management Program at Fort McNair as part of his preparations for retirement.

On Sept. 11, he turned on a television and saw the second plane hit the World Trade Center tower in New York City. He turned to the next student and said: “Pam, they need to evacuate the Pentagon. That’s a target.”

Minutes later, a plane hit the Pentagon.

Since Watson was across the river from the Pentagon, he could see the smoke. He knew many who lost their lives.

Because of the events of 9/11, Watson decided to put off retirement a bit longer, taking a job as the military readiness officer for the assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs. His office was located in the center of the path Flight 77 had taken as it tore through the Pentagon.

“Every day I went to work, I looked at the photos of every Army member who died when Flight 77 hit the Pentagon,” he said.

Reidsville native Ann Fish has lived in Eden since 1979. Contact her at annsomersfish@yahoo.com.