Medal of Honor Recipient: William John Crawford - Essay Example

Medal of Honor Recipient: William J. Crawford There is no doubt that America has had women and men who have endangered their lives for the service to the Nation. The value of Americans effort in defending their Nation cannot be overestimated. This explains why many exemplary women and men receive Medals of Honor for their distinguished display of courage and heroism. It is reported that many American women and men have received the Medal of Honor for recognition in displaying courage in various hostile environment though their ability to fight enemies at the expense of their lives (Willbanks 46). William J Crawford stands out as one of the distinguished American army personnel who received the Medal of Honor. Crawford’s service in the American Army allowed him to defend his company of soldiers in Italy where he fought the German soldiers by risking his life. The value of the lives of American men and women underscore the institutionalization of the Medal of Honor. There are many women and men in the United States army who go out of their way to defend their colleagues when faced with dangerous situations that call for selfless sacrifice. Therefore, the American Congress award of the Medal of Honor underscores the value of courage and selfless act of its army personnel. Among the Americans who have received this award includes Crawford who showed excellent example to highlight on given his experience and humility after receiving the award. Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor is an award instituted by the US congress and is given to women and men whose actions of heroism are documented by at least two witnesses. Since its inception, the American government has awarded many women and men with various Medals of Honor with many of the recipients being deceased (Bando 9). However, the Medal of Honor can also be offered to those persons who are still alive, but have demonstrated a well written account of heroism. This is the case of Crawford who was given the Medal of Honor in 1967 after people though that he was dead though he had just been captured as a prisoner of war. The congress awards the Medal of Honor as a motivation to those who risk their lives to protect the Interest of the American people. Today, the Medal of Honor stands out as the highest award that can is given to the military personnel by the American Congress through the president of the United States. Life of Crawford before Born in Pueblo, Colorado, Bill Crawford was one of the young men who joined the army and travelled to Europe to fight in the Second World War. At a time when the United States was helping its allies to fight the Nazis, Crawford travel to Europe presented him with an opportunity to defend his country. During the war, Crawford fought the enemies just like other soldier did, but he was unaware that his actions of heroism would transform his life completely. In a sheer display of courage, Crawford defeated a number of Germans manning a submachine gun post by allowing himself to the wounded, but was later captured by the Germans. In Italy where the attacks occurred, the company of Crawford was reported to under fire from German soldiers who had a number of machine gun post. In response to this threat, it is reported that Crawford charged towards the enemy position despite the hail of bullets that were fired towards him. Most important, Crawford struggled to stand up and eventually took over the command center making his soldiers move forward. Being that he been wounded, Crawford accepted to be left behind with another colleague who had also been wounded by enemy fire. While left behind, the two were captured by the Germany, who took them as prisoners of war. The capture of Crawford and his friend made his company believe that Crawford had been killed. With his act of heroism having been made known, Crawford’s father was given the Medal of Honor being that he was the next kin. Back in Germany, Crawford continued to demonstrate courage and even overpowered a Nazi guard. Later on, Crawford escaped after the Germans overran the Nazi releasing prisoners who have braved a winter expedition to Russia, Returning back to the American, Crawford retired to after receiving the Medal of Honor in 1985. Refusing to quit working, Crawford Joined the United States army as a janitor and served at the US Air force Academy (Owens 121). Before joining the Air Force as a janitor, President Reagan awarded Crawford with the Medal of Honor for Crawford’s heroic event in Italy that made them defeat the enemy. Life after the award Contrary to what many people expected, Crawford did not retire from the military. Instead, he joined the United States Air force Academy as a janitor in his new position, Crawford’s duty was to clean the barracks that was been used by new Air Force recruits. Notably, Crawford discharged his duty ensuring that the Air Force facility was clean as expected. To many of the new recruits who saw Crawford at work, some could not imagine that Crawford was actually a veteran of the Second World War and a recipient of the prestigious Medal of Honor. Whereas, some of the recruits saw him as a mere janitor, there was a, lot to be learnt from Crawford who had taken a low profile profession that many regarded as insignificant. With the award of the Medal of Honor to Crawford at the United States Air force Academy, a lot of significant changes took place in the life of Crawford. Soon, the entire Air Force academy came to the realization that someone important was in their midst and deserved their utmost attention. As recalled by some student who went to the academy where Crawford worked as a janitor, the attitude of student changed as they realized that Crawford was indeed a recipient of the esteemed Medal of Honor (Owens 33). On the other hand, Crawford also started giving talks to the students at the academy since he was regarded as someone special and an inspiration to those who emulated him. Before he retired from the Air force Academy as a janitor, Crawford demonstrated his love for success and commitment to achieve goals beyond the obvious. Many times, Crawford gave talks to the young students at the Academy inspiring them towards being a leader and service men ready to defend the interest of American people both at home and abroad. Even at his retirement, students who saw him not to mention those who interacted with him attested to Crawford’s unique personality. Clearly Crawford had demonstrated before the American people that one could receive the Medal of Honor and remain humble and keen in helping others succeed in the military echelons. Lessons learned from William J Crawford The life of William Crawford provides many significant lessons that people can glean from in the light of who he was and his ambition in life. While serving the American army, Crawford proved that he was a soldier who could go beyond the call of duty to protect the interest of America, as well as the lives of other soldiers. His heroic sacrifice in Italy, which almost claimed his life underscore his selfless service. Crawford’s heroism is indeed an inspiration to other military personnel to provide service through sacrifice when need arise (Bando 88). The life of Crawford also exemplified the value of humility in the society. Even as a recipient of the Medal of Honor, Crawford did not interest himself in power or high positions in the army. Instead he chose to serve his country as a janitor, a position that did not befit his title. Interestingly, Crawford showed that fame was not the apex of his goal, being rending service was more important to him. For students in Air Force Academy, Crawford provided the right inspiration that individuals could transcend their personal interest to serve the needs of their society. Most important, Crawford demonstrated the value of true leadership. While heading a company of soldiers during the Second World War and when working at the academy, Crawford painted himself as a leader in all he did. In all facets of societal life, Crawford’s message was loud and clear—service to the nation was much paramount that individuality. Conclusion The Medal of Honor represents one of the prestigious awards in the United States military levels. As a recipient of this award, Crawford demonstrated that serving his country was better than pursuing individual interests. His acceptance of a janitor’s role showed to many the value of humility, leadership and selfless. Certainly Crawford’s action and award will inspire many to achieve success in the military arena. Works Cited Willbanks, H, James. America's Heroes: Medal of Honor Recipients from the Civil War to Afghanistan. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. 2011. Owens, Ron. Medal of honor: historical facts & figures. Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company. 2004, Bando, Mark. 101st Airborne: The Screaming Eagles at Normandy. MN:Zenith Press. 2001. Read More