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When Cadets At The US Air Force Academy Realized Their Janitor Was Medal Of Honor War Hero
War History Online ^ | Sep 28, 2016 | Jeff Edwards

Posted on 11/11/2024 7:01:44 AM PST by Leaning Right

Perhaps it was the way he carried himself in an unassuming and humble manner, but day after day hundreds of Air Force Academy cadets would pass this janitor in the hall oblivious to the greatness that was among them.

In the mid-1970s, William Crawford might spend one day sweeping the halls and another cleaning the bathrooms, but it was a day approximately 30 years prior that would create for him a special place in the history of war. In 1943 in Italy, the only thing Private William Crawford was cleaning out was German machine gun nest and bunkers.

(Excerpt) Read more at warhistoryonline.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: crawford; usafa; williamcrawford
A story for Veterans Day, and perhaps also a reminder of how unassuming the Greatest Generation was.
1 posted on 11/11/2024 7:01:44 AM PST by Leaning Right
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Crawford’s full biography is here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_J._Crawford


2 posted on 11/11/2024 7:04:43 AM PST by Leaning Right (It’s morning in America. Again.)
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To: Leaning Right

This is a story worthy of a movie.

In fact, MOST MOH stories are awesome and inspiring.


3 posted on 11/11/2024 7:14:56 AM PST by LeonardFMason
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To: Leaning Right

What an incredible man! As were the rest of “the greatest generation” who fought in WWII.

I read the story. He was even captured by Germans and held as a POW, and never was awarded his MOH until much later by President Reagan.

Happy Veterans Day to all of my brothers and sisters who served!


4 posted on 11/11/2024 7:20:32 AM PST by airborne (Thank you Rush for helping me find FreeRepublic! )
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To: Qiviut

Bkmk


5 posted on 11/11/2024 7:22:26 AM PST by Qiviut (The mountains are calling & I must go ..... John Muir )
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To: Leaning Right

Thanks for this reminder on Veteran’s Day. I’ve read this story several times before, and it always seems to be a bit blurry.


6 posted on 11/11/2024 7:39:28 AM PST by norwaypinesavage (Freud: projection is a defense mechanism of those struggling with inferiority complexes)
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To: Leaning Right

That was back in the days of the “non woke”, e.g. professional military USAF Academy. Today? Who knows what the cadets would do. First of all, they’d have to check with their “political officer” to see what they could say. Not kidding. It is THAT corrupt. Hopefully, the Trumpster will kick the woke assholes out of there that they’ll land in Russia - where they belong.


7 posted on 11/11/2024 8:10:41 AM PST by Da Coyote
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To: Leaning Right

Happy Veterans day to all.

To the People of Pueblo, CO.... that small Colorado town that most people never notice on I-25

https://www.pueblohomeofheroes.org/

One of your own.


8 posted on 11/11/2024 8:16:19 AM PST by Pete Dovgan
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To: Leaning Right; Jane Long; radu; Kathy in Alaska; Red Badger; Tilted Irish Kilt; fieldmarshaldj

When Cadets At The US Air Force Academy Realized Their Janitor Was Medal Of Honor War Hero

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqwK_xedi9U


9 posted on 11/11/2024 8:19:55 AM PST by ExTexasRedhead
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To: Leaning Right
Several previous threads about this:

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-vetscor/3474962/posts
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3959772/posts
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4108143/posts

10 posted on 11/11/2024 8:28:11 AM PST by ken in texas
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To: Leaning Right

This is a story you can post annually for me.


11 posted on 11/11/2024 8:31:16 AM PST by Retain Mike ( Sat Cong)
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To: Leaning Right
Crawford stared at the book for a while then simply said, “That was a long time ago and one day in my life.”
12 posted on 11/11/2024 8:44:45 AM PST by The Truth Will Make You Free ( )
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To: Leaning Right
PHENOMINAL!
13 posted on 11/11/2024 9:07:20 AM PST by P8riot (You will never know Jesus Christ as a reality in your life until you know Him as a necessity.)
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To: Pete Dovgan

Dave Packard was from Pueblo.
From WIKI:
He served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense from 1969 to 1971 during the Nixon administration. Packard served as president of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) from 1976 to 1981 and chairman of its board of regents from 1973 to 1982.[1] He was a member of the Trilateral Commission. Packard was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1988 and is noted for many technological innovations and philanthropic endeavors.


14 posted on 11/11/2024 9:22:29 AM PST by sasquatch (Do NOT forget Ashli Babbit! c/o piytar)
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To: ken in texas

I must be getting older. Two of those previous posts are mine. Yet I don’t remember them.

And on a perhaps related note, where did I put my car keys?


15 posted on 11/11/2024 9:24:22 AM PST by Leaning Right (It’s morning in America. Again.)
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To: Leaning Right

Check the refrigerator next to the cheese.


16 posted on 11/11/2024 9:59:09 AM PST by sasquatch (Do NOT forget Ashli Babbit! c/o piytar)
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To: P8riot

And even PHENOMENAL too.


17 posted on 11/11/2024 11:44:00 AM PST by xone ( )
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To: sasquatch

Wow!

Know the name, never knew he was from Pueblo. Centennial high school graduate.


18 posted on 11/11/2024 12:11:42 PM PST by Pete Dovgan
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To: Leaning Right

.


19 posted on 11/11/2024 12:56:28 PM PST by LouAvul
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To: xone

Yep. LOL!


20 posted on 11/11/2024 5:55:09 PM PST by P8riot (You will never know Jesus Christ as a reality in your life until you know Him as a necessity.)
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