Joshua Kaleb Watson, the 23-year old U.S. Navy officer who was killed in what the FBI is now saying was a terrorist act at the military base in Pensacola, Fla. was remembered today by his high-school English teacher as “wonderful young man” who was a talented writer with a promising future.
Watson, an Alabama native, attended the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport before going on to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. “I was fortunate to have him as a student,” said Richard Flinn, supervisor of the English department at the Newport school.
Watson was murdered along with two others by a Saudi air force lieutenant who was training at the naval base. The Saudi man, Lt. Mohammed Alshamrani, 21, had apparently gone on Twitter to blast U.S. policy for support of Israel and criticizing the U.S. for being anti-Muslim. He was killed by a sheriff’s deputy during his rampage at a classroom building on the base. Authorities are trying to figure out whether he acted along or was part of a terrorist network.
Flinn said Watson hailed from the small town of Enterprise, Ala. and that he wrote an insightful essay about his hometown. Watson also loved Shakespeare and wrote eloquently about Henry IV.
Watson, Flinn said, had such a keen writing talent that he envisioned him as perhaps another CJ Chivers, the U.S. Marine captain and war veteran who became the top war correspondent of his generation for the New York Times. Chivers, who lives in South Kingstown, is a Pulitzer Prize winner and author.
“He was a very thoughtful and insightful writer,” said Flinn. Watson’s confidence grew with each essay he wrote, Flinn said. After he left for the Naval Academy, Watson remained in contact with his high school teacher, Flinn said. “He would send me emails of his writing.”
“He was just a wonderful, wonderful kid,” said Flinn.