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William John "Bill" Crawford (May 19, 1918 – March 15, 2000) was a United States Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during World War II. He was also a career U.S. Army enlisted soldier and later a janitor at the United States Air Force Academy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_J._Crawford
Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy near Altavilla, Italy, 13 September 1943. When Company I attacked an enemy-held position on Hill 424, the 3d Platoon, in which Pvt. Crawford was a squad scout, attacked as base platoon for the company. After reaching the crest of the hill, the platoon was pinned down by intense enemy machine gun and small-arms fire. Locating 1 of these guns, which was dug in on a terrace on his immediate front, Pvt. Crawford, without orders and on his own initiative, moved over the hill under enemy fire to a point within a few yards of the gun emplacement and single-handedly destroyed the machine gun and killed 3 of the crew with a hand grenade, thus enabling his platoon to continue its advance. When the platoon, after reaching the crest, was once more delayed by enemy fire, Pvt. Crawford again, in the face of intense fire, advanced directly to the front midway between 2 hostile machine gun nests located on a higher terrace and emplaced in a small ravine. Moving first to the left, with a hand grenade he destroyed 1 gun emplacement and killed the crew; he then worked his way, under continuous fire, to the other and with 1 grenade and the use of his rifle, killed 1 enemy and forced the remainder to flee. Seizing the enemy machine gun, he fired on the withdrawing Germans and facilitated his company's advance.
http://www.homeofheroes.com/moh/citations_living/ii_a_crawford.html
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/air-force-academy-janitor-medal-of_honor-x.html
@ col mikel COL Mikel J. Burroughs @ ltc Stephen LTC Stephen C. @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen F. @ capt marty Maj Marty Hogan @ sfc joe SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL @ sfc george SFC George Smith @ tsgt joe TSgt Joe C. PO2 (Anonymous) PO2 Robert M. @ sgt david SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth @ sp5 mark SP5 Mark Kuzinski
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_J._Crawford
Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy near Altavilla, Italy, 13 September 1943. When Company I attacked an enemy-held position on Hill 424, the 3d Platoon, in which Pvt. Crawford was a squad scout, attacked as base platoon for the company. After reaching the crest of the hill, the platoon was pinned down by intense enemy machine gun and small-arms fire. Locating 1 of these guns, which was dug in on a terrace on his immediate front, Pvt. Crawford, without orders and on his own initiative, moved over the hill under enemy fire to a point within a few yards of the gun emplacement and single-handedly destroyed the machine gun and killed 3 of the crew with a hand grenade, thus enabling his platoon to continue its advance. When the platoon, after reaching the crest, was once more delayed by enemy fire, Pvt. Crawford again, in the face of intense fire, advanced directly to the front midway between 2 hostile machine gun nests located on a higher terrace and emplaced in a small ravine. Moving first to the left, with a hand grenade he destroyed 1 gun emplacement and killed the crew; he then worked his way, under continuous fire, to the other and with 1 grenade and the use of his rifle, killed 1 enemy and forced the remainder to flee. Seizing the enemy machine gun, he fired on the withdrawing Germans and facilitated his company's advance.
http://www.homeofheroes.com/moh/citations_living/ii_a_crawford.html
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/air-force-academy-janitor-medal-of_honor-x.html
@ col mikel COL Mikel J. Burroughs @ ltc Stephen LTC Stephen C. @ ltc stephen LTC Stephen F. @ capt marty Maj Marty Hogan @ sfc joe SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL @ sfc george SFC George Smith @ tsgt joe TSgt Joe C. PO2 (Anonymous) PO2 Robert M. @ sgt david SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth @ sp5 mark SP5 Mark Kuzinski
Medal of Honor
WWII World War Two
Honor
Military History
Posted 7 y ago
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Thanks for honoring WWI Army veteran PVT William John "Bill" Crawford who was awarded the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy near Altavilla, Italy, 13 September 1943 SGT John " Mac " McConnell
Kudos to William John "Bill" Crawford for all that he did!
He was a tremendously humble man who ended up being a shy, shuffling janitor at the USAF Academy.
"Retired Air Force Col. James Moschgat shared Medal of Honor recipient William “Bill” Crawford story last Friday night with about 200 people gathered at the annual Pueblo Medal of Honor Foundation Golf Tournament Dinner.
Moschgat was a cadet at the Academy when, one day in the fall of 1976, he was reading a book about individual experiences from World War II.
Moschgat said he was reading about a Colorado man named William Crawford, an Army private who, in September 1943 in Italy, raced through intense enemy fire — three times and on his own initiative — to detonate hand grenades on enemy gun sites.
After the battle, Crawford later was captured by the Germans and was presumed dead. In 1945, the Medal of Honor was presented to his father, but later that year, Crawford was found alive when a group of soldiers were rescued from German control.
Crawford re-enlisted in 1947 and retired in ’67 as a master sergeant. After the Army, he went to work at the academy where, according to Moschgat, he blended in and developed a reputation for being a shy, shuffling janitor.
Moschgat said he wondered if this war hero was the same man who cleaned his squadron’s quarters.
“I looked at my roommate and said, Jim, you’re not going to believe this, but I think Bill our janitor is a recipient of the Medal of Honor.”
The next day, Moschgat said he showed Crawford the book and asked if it was him. “He looked at it a moment and said it was him. He said, ‘That was a long time ago and one day in my life.’
Read the rest of the story: War hero’s modest demeanor recalled The Pueblo Chieftan Nick Bonham
The original story on the Home of Heroes website:
A Janitor’s Ten Lessons in Leadership By Col. James Moschgat, 12th Operations Group Commander
William “Bill” Crawford
September 13, 1943, Crawford was serving as a private with the 36th Infantry Division in southern Italy. On that day, he was acting as a squad scout when his company attacked Hill 424 near Altavilla Silentina. During the battle, Crawford twice moved forward through continuous fire and, using hand grenades and his rifle, destroyed machine gun nests which were holding back his platoon’s advance.
After the battle, he was captured by the Germans and presumed dead. So in 1945, the Medal of Honor was presented to his father. Later in the year, he was among a group of soldiers rescued from German captivity.
He retired from the Army after 23 years of service and later worked at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and as director of the Lucretia Vaille Museum in Palmer Lake.
Crawford and Reagan
While working at the Air Force Academy, he mentioned to friends that he had never received the Medal from the president. In 1984, during that year’s graduation ceremony, President Ronald Reagan formally presented him with the Medal.
Crawford died at age 81 on March 15, 2000, in his residence at Palmer Lake. Upon his death Governor Bill Owens authorized all Colorado flags to be lowered to half staff in his honor. He is buried at the United States Air Force Academy Cemetery in Colorado Springs.
http://www.medalofhonornews.com/2011/05/story-told-of-medal-of-honor-recipient.html
LTC Stephen C. LTC Greg Henning Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown CW5 Charlie Poulton SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSgt (Join to see) TSgt Joe C. SP5 Mark Kuzinski SPC (Join to see) SrA Christopher Wright SP5 Robert Ruck
CPT (Join to see)SCPO Morris RamseyCPL Eric Escasio
PO2 Tom BelcherSPC William Weedman
Kudos to William John "Bill" Crawford for all that he did!
He was a tremendously humble man who ended up being a shy, shuffling janitor at the USAF Academy.
"Retired Air Force Col. James Moschgat shared Medal of Honor recipient William “Bill” Crawford story last Friday night with about 200 people gathered at the annual Pueblo Medal of Honor Foundation Golf Tournament Dinner.
Moschgat was a cadet at the Academy when, one day in the fall of 1976, he was reading a book about individual experiences from World War II.
Moschgat said he was reading about a Colorado man named William Crawford, an Army private who, in September 1943 in Italy, raced through intense enemy fire — three times and on his own initiative — to detonate hand grenades on enemy gun sites.
After the battle, Crawford later was captured by the Germans and was presumed dead. In 1945, the Medal of Honor was presented to his father, but later that year, Crawford was found alive when a group of soldiers were rescued from German control.
Crawford re-enlisted in 1947 and retired in ’67 as a master sergeant. After the Army, he went to work at the academy where, according to Moschgat, he blended in and developed a reputation for being a shy, shuffling janitor.
Moschgat said he wondered if this war hero was the same man who cleaned his squadron’s quarters.
“I looked at my roommate and said, Jim, you’re not going to believe this, but I think Bill our janitor is a recipient of the Medal of Honor.”
The next day, Moschgat said he showed Crawford the book and asked if it was him. “He looked at it a moment and said it was him. He said, ‘That was a long time ago and one day in my life.’
Read the rest of the story: War hero’s modest demeanor recalled The Pueblo Chieftan Nick Bonham
The original story on the Home of Heroes website:
A Janitor’s Ten Lessons in Leadership By Col. James Moschgat, 12th Operations Group Commander
William “Bill” Crawford
September 13, 1943, Crawford was serving as a private with the 36th Infantry Division in southern Italy. On that day, he was acting as a squad scout when his company attacked Hill 424 near Altavilla Silentina. During the battle, Crawford twice moved forward through continuous fire and, using hand grenades and his rifle, destroyed machine gun nests which were holding back his platoon’s advance.
After the battle, he was captured by the Germans and presumed dead. So in 1945, the Medal of Honor was presented to his father. Later in the year, he was among a group of soldiers rescued from German captivity.
He retired from the Army after 23 years of service and later worked at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and as director of the Lucretia Vaille Museum in Palmer Lake.
Crawford and Reagan
While working at the Air Force Academy, he mentioned to friends that he had never received the Medal from the president. In 1984, during that year’s graduation ceremony, President Ronald Reagan formally presented him with the Medal.
Crawford died at age 81 on March 15, 2000, in his residence at Palmer Lake. Upon his death Governor Bill Owens authorized all Colorado flags to be lowered to half staff in his honor. He is buried at the United States Air Force Academy Cemetery in Colorado Springs.
http://www.medalofhonornews.com/2011/05/story-told-of-medal-of-honor-recipient.html
LTC Stephen C. LTC Greg Henning Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown CW5 Charlie Poulton SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSgt (Join to see) TSgt Joe C. SP5 Mark Kuzinski SPC (Join to see) SrA Christopher Wright SP5 Robert Ruck
CPT (Join to see)SCPO Morris RamseyCPL Eric Escasio
PO2 Tom BelcherSPC William Weedman
Story told of Medal of Honor recipient who lived modest life as janitor – Medal of Honor News
William “Bill” Crawford Retired Air Force Col. James Moschgat shared Medal of Honor recipient William “Bill” Crawford story last Friday night with about 200 people gathered at the annual Pueblo Medal of Honor Foundation Golf Tournament Dinner. Moschgat was a cadet at the Academy when, one day in the fall of 1976, he was reading
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