WILLIAM H. CRAWFORD, JR., 2LT, USA
William Crawford, Jr. '43
William Hugh Crawford, Jr was admitted to the Naval Academy from Alabama on August 23, 1939 at age 19 years 3 months.
He left on February 10, 1940 because he was "Deficient in studies, first term's work. Recommended to be dropped. Permitted to resign."
Lucky Bag
William Hugh Crawford, Jr., is listed with 195 others below this inscription:
NOT ALL OF US who joined the Class of '43 stayed with us to that one broad stripe. Many fell at the end of plebe year, the casualty list mounted at the end of youngster year and a very few left us when the course was almost run. Reasons were varied and diverse: academic tangles, physical disabilities, civilian leanings.... Many went into civilian occupations, some were drafted, others became flyers and a few volunteered for foreign military service. Some left us early, many stayed for a long while, but none will be forgotten.
Photographs
From the Alabama Journal on June 28, 1945. Located by Kathy Franz.
From his college yearbook
Loss
William was killed in action with Japanese forces on June 13, 1945. He was a member of the 139th Field Artillery Battalion, 38th Infantry Division, which was engaged in cleanup operations on the island of Luzon at the time.
Other Information
From the Class of 1943 column in the April 1946 issue of Shipmate:
WILLIAM H. CRAWFORD, (Lt., USA, Deceased). We heard recently that Lt. Crawford had been killed on Luzon in June, 1945. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Silver Star.
From the "Last Call" section:
WILLIAM HUGH CRAWFORD, '43, Lieut, AUS. "Killed on Luzon 13 June, 1945 as a member of the 139th F. A. Bn., Btry. 6, of the 38th Infantry Division.
From the Alabama Journal on June 28, 1945:
Lieut. William H. Crawford, 25, was killed in action in the Philippines on June 13, 1945, according to War Department notification received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Will Crawford, of Nixburg.
The nephew of Dr. A. E. Thomas and Mr. Leonard Thomas of this city, Lieutenant Crawford was well known in Montgomery.
A graduate of Uniontown High School, young Crawford attended Auburn where he was a member of the graduating class of February, 1943. He was a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity.
Service with the armed forces began for Lieutenant Crawford upon entering Officer's Candidate School, Fort Sill, Okla. He received his commission as a second lieutenant in July, 1943, in the artillery branch of the service, later getting advanced training at Fort Bragg, where he was assigned to an armored division.
Leaving for overseas duty April 6, 1945, he was sent to the Philippines from where he wrote a letter to his parents recently saying that he had seen his first action. "I helped clean out a house full of Japs, and will probably see more action from now on," he wrote.
Lieutenant Crawford had one brother, Edwin, who made his home with Dr. and Mrs. Thomas while attending Lanier High School last year, and a sister, Mary Anne Crawford.
From researcher Kathy Franz:
After graduating from Auburn, William entered the Army on March 19, 1943, at Fort McClellan, Alabama.
His father was Will Crawford, a farmer of Nixburg, Alabama; mother Mary.
William is listed on the killed in action panel in the front of Memorial Hall. He is buried in Taguig City, Philippines.
Silver Star
Unable to find a citation for the Silver Star he was awarded.
Memorial Hall Error
William is listed in Memorial Hall as a LT, USN; he was a 2LT, USA.
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