U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for March 8

WASHINGTON, March 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

SATURDAY, MARCH 8: PRIVATE WATSON DAY

Profile America -- Saturday, March 8th. This is Private George Watson Day in Alabama. Watson, from Birmingham, was a member of the 29th Quartermaster Regiment. On this date in 1943, near Porloch Harbor in New Guinea, his ship was badly damaged by Japanese aircraft. The crew abandoned ship, but many could not swim. Watson stayed in the water, helping soldiers reach life rafts, but when the ship sank, he was pulled under. Watson was the first black soldier to receive the distinguished service cross during World War II. In 1997, for his selfless actions, he was posthumously awarded the nation's highest medal, the Medal of Honor. Across the country, there are some 23.5 million veterans one-in-10 of them African-American. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau on the Web at http://www.census.gov/.

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments ready to air on a monthly CD or on Internet at http://www.census.gov/ (look under the "Newsroom" button). For further information, contact Rick Reed at +1-301-763-2812, fax at +1-301-457-3670, or e-mail at rreed(At)census.gov.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

CONTACT: Rick Reed of the U.S. Census Bureau, +1-301-763-2812

Web Site: http://www.census.gov/

2008-03-08 08:03:02 0307597 PRNEWSWIRE