March 7, 2023 The Brightest Stars Don't Need a Spotlight

The Liberty Gazette

March 7, 2023

Ely Air Lines

By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely

Linda: We celebrated my mom’s 90th birthday with a banquet hall full of people. I asked her if she would share some words of wisdom, but instead, she wanted to take the opportunity to express her love, mentioning something special about each person in turn. The evening proved our abundant fortune. Mom is a hero to me, but she never looks for attention. Humble and full of grace, energy, love, and laughter. 

She grew up in the shadow of the Greatest Generation, many of her uncles and older cousins serving in WWII. She remembers her mother keeping a world map on the wall at home, with pins marking family members’ last known location. All of those close kinfolks came home – not all without injury, but alive. We like to pass these family stories down the generations, and I imagine Bill Crawford’s family does likewise. 

Bill was 24 years old when he joined the Army and fought the Axis powers in Italy. When his company faced heavy enemy fire, Bill boldly attacked back. No one thought he survived, so his Medal of Honor was awarded “posthumously.” His citation reads, in part: 

“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 … was pinned down by intense enemy machine-gun and small-arms fire, locating one of these guns … Pvt. Crawford, without orders and on his own initiative, moved over the hill under enemy fire to within a few yards of the gun emplacement and single-handedly destroyed the machine-gun and killed three of the crew with a hand grenade, thus enabling his platoon to continue its advance. When the platoon … was once more delayed by enemy fire, Pvt. Crawford again, in the face of intense fire, advanced directly to the front, midway between two hostile machine-gun nests, one located on a higher terrace, the other in a small ravine. Moving first to the left, with a hand grenade, he destroyed one gun emplacement and killed the crew; he then worked his way under continuous fire to the other, and with one grenade and his rifle, killed one enemy and forced the remainder to flee. Seizing the enemy machine gun, he fired on the withdrawing Germans and facilitated his company’s advance.”

Bill was captured and held for 19 months, but not killed. After his rescue, he re-enlisted and served another 20 years, but no one realized the mistake. In retirement, he worked as a janitor at the USAF Academy in Colorado, and it was there that a cadet discovered the error. Bill simply responded, “That was one day in my life, and it happened a long time ago.”

But word spread, and Bill Crawford was invited to attend the graduation of the Academy’s Class in 1984. Finally, among generals and VIPs, President Ronald Reagan presented the Medal of Honor to Bill.

Real heroes don’t crave the spotlight. They lead by serving, with integrity.

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