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Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company F, 253d Infantry,
63d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Lobenbacherhof, Germany, 8
April 1945. Entered service at: Bowlegs, Okla. Birth: Golden, Okla. Citation:
He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life
above and beyond the call of duty on 8 April 1945 near Lobenbacherhof,
Germany. As his company was advancing toward the village under heavy fire,
an enemy machinegun and automatic rifle with rifle support opened upon
it from a hill on the right flank. Seeing that his platoon leader had been
wounded by their fire, S/Sgt. Crews, acting on his own initiative, rushed
the strongpoint with 2 men of his platoon. Despite the fact that 1 of these
men was killed and the other was badly wounded, he continued his advance
up the hill in the face of terrific enemy fire. Storming the well-dug-in
position single-handedly, he killed 2 of the crew of the machinegun at
pointblank range with his M 1 rifle and wrested the gun from the hands
of the German whom he had already wounded. He then with his rifle charged
the strongly emplaced automatic rifle. Although badly wounded in the thigh
by crossfire from the remaining enemy, he kept on and silenced the entire
position with his accurate and deadly rifle fire. His actions so unnerved
the remaining enemy soldiers that 7 of them surrendered and the others
fled. His heroism caused the enemy to concentrate on him and permitted
the company to move forward into the village.
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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