US Air Force Academy Janitor won Medal of Honor in WWII

The attached URL documents the 1976 discovery, by US Air Force Academy students, that their squadron janitor, William “Bill” Crawford, received the Medal of Honor in WWII.

Enjoy

Stories -Ten things a janitor can teach you about leadership

 

Medal of Honor Recipients - World War II (A-F)​

And that article carried a great lesson in dignity for all. I will save it.​

 

Hi

Thanx for the compliment. Other threads I have posted or have contributed to:

Recovery of missing ETO WWII aircraft and crews

http://www.ww2f.com/battle-europe/26027-recovery-missing-eto-wwii-aircraft-crews.html

Recovery of missing PTO WWII aircraft and crews

http://www.ww2f.com/war-pacific/26026-recovery-missing-pto-wwii-aircraft-crews.html

Virginia team hopes to solve WWII mystery

Efforts to recover the remains of the Goettge patrol (he was my cousin)

http://www.ww2f.com/wwii-today/24847-virginia-team-hopes-solve-wwii-mystery.html

 

Thanks for the Crawford article. I shall make my sons read it as well! It provides some great life lessons.

 

I agree with the rest of you. Great story with supporting plugs. dgm, you might want to show this one to your father. Perhaps it would get him talking.

 

I just emailed the story to my son at college....I hope he reads it!

 

Alan, see what you did?

 

I know what I did and thanx for the compliment.

But Mr Crawford deserves all the credit.

Throughout my life, the people that I most admired and respected were the ones that did not accomplish by words, but by deeds.

I have already copied his points and will have them framed.

I wonder how many Crawfords are out there.

 

I enjoyed reading about Sgt Crawford. Thank you for posting and I too hope you post more good stuff.

 

Hi to all

I was looking at Crawford's 10 points on a piece of paper. It was missing an introduction. Through some cuts and pastes, I came up with the following introduction. Has anyone come up with a similar idea for an introduction ? Thanx in advance.

Ten Things a Janitor Can Teach You About Leadership.

On a fall Saturday afternoon in 1976, James Moschgat, a student at the United States Air Force Academy, was reading a book about World War II and the tough Allied ground campaign in Italy, and stumbled across an incredible story.

On Sept. 13, 1943, a Private William Crawford from Colorado, assigned to the 36th Infantry Division, had been involved in some bloody fighting on Hill 424 near Altavilla, Italy. The words on the page leapt out at me: “in the face of intense and overwhelming hostile fire ... with no regard for personal safety on his own initiative, Private Crawford single-handedly attacked fortified enemy positions.” It continued, “for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, the President of the United States ...”

"Holy cow,” was what I said to my roommate, “you’re not going to believe this, but I think our janitor is a Medal of Honor winner.”

We all knew Mr. Crawford was a WWII Army vet, but that didn’t keep my friend from looking at me as if I was some sort of alien being. Nonetheless, we couldn’t wait to ask Bill about the story on Monday.

We met Mr. Crawford bright and early Monday and showed him the page in question from the book, anticipation and doubt on our faces.

He starred at it for a few silent moments and then quietly uttered something like, “Yep, that’s me.” Mouths agape, my roommate and I looked at one another, then at the book, and quickly back at our janitor.

Almost at once we both stuttered, “Why didn’t you ever tell us about it?”

He slowly replied after some thought, “That was one day in my life and it happened a long time ago.”

A wise person once said, “It’s not life that’s important, but those you meet along the way that make the difference.” Bill was one who made a difference for me. While I haven’t seen Mr. Crawford in over twenty years, he’d probably be surprised to know I think of him often. Bill Crawford, our janitor, taught me many valuable, unforgettable leadership lessons. Here are ten I’d like to share with you.

1. Be Cautious of Labels. Labels you place on people may define your relationship to them and bound their potential. Sadly, and for a long time, we labeled Bill as just a janitor, but he was so much more. Therefore, be cautious of a leader who callously says, “Hey, he’s just an Airman.” Likewise, don’t tolerate the O-1, who says, “I can’t do that, I’m just a lieutenant.”
2. Everyone Deserves Respect. Because we hung the “janitor” label on Mr. Crawford, we often wrongly treated him with less respect than others around us. He deserved much more, and not just because he was a Medal of Honor winner. Bill deserved respect because he was a janitor, walked among us, and was a part of our team.
3. Courtesy Makes a Difference. Be courteous to all around you, regardless of rank or position. Military customs, as well as common courtesies, help bond a team. When our daily words to Mr. Crawford turned from perfunctory “hellos” to heartfelt greetings, his demeanor and personality outwardly changed. It made a difference for all of us.
4. Take Time to Know Your People. Life in the military is hectic, but that’s no excuse for not knowing the people you work for and with. For years a hero walked among us at the Academy and we never knew it. Who are the heroes that walk in your midst?
5. Anyone Can Be a Hero. Mr. Crawford certainly didn’t fit anyone’s standard definition of a hero. Moreover, he was just a private on the day he won his Medal. Don’t sell your people short, for any one of them may be the hero who rises to the occasion when duty calls. On the other hand, it’s easy to turn to your proven performers when the chips are down, but don’t ignore the rest of the team. Today’s rookie could and should be tomorrow’s superstar.
6. Leaders Should Be Humble. Most modern day heroes and some leaders are anything but humble, especially if you calibrate your “hero meter” on today’s athletic fields. End zone celebrations and self-aggrandizement are what we’ve come to expect from sports greats. Not Mr. Crawford-he was too busy working to celebrate his past heroics. Leaders would be well-served to do the same.
7. Life Won’t Always Hand You What You Think You Deserve. We in the military work hard and, dang it, we deserve recognition, right? However, sometimes you just have to persevere, even when accolades don’t come your way. Perhaps you weren’t nominated for junior officer or airman of the quarter as you thought you should - don’t let that stop you.
8. Don’t pursue glory; pursue excellence. Private Bill Crawford didn’t pursue glory; he did his duty and then swept floors for a living. No Job is Beneath a Leader. If Bill Crawford, a Medal of Honor winner, could clean latrines and smile, is there a job beneath your dignity? Think about it.
9. Pursue Excellence. No matter what task life hands you, do it well. Mr. Crawford modeled that philosophy and helped make our dormitory area a home.
10. Life is a Leadership Laboratory. All too often we look to some school or PME class to teach us about leadership when, in fact, life is a leadership laboratory. Those you meet everyday will teach you enduring lessons if you just take time to stop, look and listen.

I spent four years at the Air Force Academy, took dozens of classes, read hundreds of books, and met thousands of great people. I gleaned leadership skills from all of them, but one of the people I remember most is Mr. Bill Crawford and the lessons he unknowingly taught. Don’t miss your opportunity to learn. Bill Crawford was a janitor. However, he was also a teacher, friend, role model and one great American hero. Thanks, Mr. Crawford, for some valuable leadership lessons.

 

No need to respond

I just put the entire article on several pages. Now I will frame them

 

Here is his obituary

Obituary for William "Bill" Crawford

 

Janitor always buried himself in his work, moving about with stooped shoulders, a quiet gait, and an averted gaze. If he noticed the hustle and bustle of cadet life around him, it was hard to tell. So, for whatever reason, Bill blended into the woodwork and became just another fixture around the squadron. The Academy, one of our nation’s premier leadership laboratories, kept us busy from dawn till dusk. And Mr. Crawford...well, he was just a janitor.