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Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, 36th Infantry Division.
Place and Date:
Near Altavilla, Italy, 13 September 1943. Entered service at:
Pueblo, Colo. Birth: Pueblo, Colo. G.O. No.: 57, 20 July 1944. Citation:
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 attacked an enemy-held position on Hill 424, the 3d
Platoon, in which Pvt. Crawford was a squad scout, attacked as base platoon
for the company. After reaching the crest of the hill, the platoon was
pinned down by intense enemy machinegun and small-arms fire. Locating 1
of these guns, which was dug in on a terrace on his immediate front, Pvt.
Crawford, without orders and on his own initiative, moved over the hill
under enemy fire to a point within a few yards of the gun emplacement and
single-handedly destroyed the machinegun and killed 3 of the crew with
a hand grenade, thus enabling his platoon to continue its advance. When
the platoon, after reaching the crest, was once more delayed by enemy fire,
Pvt. Crawford again, in the face of intense fire, advanced directly to
the front midway between 2 hostile machinegun nests located on a higher
terrace and emplaced in a small ravine. Moving first to the left, with
a hand grenade he destroyed 1 gun emplacement and killed the crew; he then
worked his way, under continuous fire, to the other and with 1 grenade
and the use of his rifle, killed 1 enemy and forced the remainder to flee.
Seizing the enemy machinegun, he fired on the withdrawing Germans and facilitated
his company's advance.
This data was extracted from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1863-1973 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1973)
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