Newton woman becomes first female commander at Dothan VFW

When most people think of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, they probably don’t think of C.J. Watson.

Watson, a 42-year-old Newton woman, is the first female commander in the 74-year history of Dothan’s VFW post.

For Watson, who served 21 years in the U.S. Navy and fought in the Persian Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom, her election in June marked a milestone moment.

“It means a lot, because it’s like being in the military and breaking through some barriers,” Watson said. “At first, it was difficult. (Other veterans) would ask me if I’ve fought in a war. I’ve been in two. Then it was, ‘Well, were you actually on a ship,’ and yeah, I was. But I’ve proven I’m here for the VFW and their families.”

Watson isn’t just breaking ground because of her gender. Her age, too, is against the norm when it comes to VFW commanders.

“The most important thing that (former state VFW commander) Ed Pritchard tried to instill is we’ve got to get young veterans in,” Watson said. “We’re here to help veterans who are in need, and current veterans need to know that.”

According to Watson, women have always fought alongside men, and society is just beginning to catch on.

“We need to remember it’s men and women dying, not just men,” Watson said. “It’s been going on since the beginning of time, and the sooner society
recognizes it, the better.”

Her gender has forced some veterans to break old habits, while Watson has made a deal with some of them.

“The older veterans broke me of saying bad words, since I’m a sailor, and they can’t say ‘men’ anymore,” Watson said. “I have to pay them a dollar every time I use a bad word, and they pay me a dollar every time they refer to the veterens as ‘the men.’ It’s worked out pretty well so far.”

Despite the uniqueness of her situation, Watson said she has a legacy to fulfill.

“I don’t think I’m any better or different than any other commander, and they’ve left me quite the shoes to fill,” Watson said.