Jan 28 , 2026

William J. Crawford, Medal of Honor Hero in Normandy

Blood-soaked dirt beneath trembling hands. Enemy shells scream down the ridge. William J. Crawford crawls forward, dragging a wounded comrade through the mud. Bullets snap just overhead. His leg burns—a jagged wound, deep—but he won't stop. Not until every man is safe. Not until the line holds. There is no retreat here. Only the grit of a soldier’s soul.

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The Boy from Oklahoma: Faith Forged Early

Born in Clinton, Oklahoma, 1918, William J. Crawford grew up with the plains’ stark horizon pressing on his shoulders. Hard work was gospel; faith was backbone. A devout Christian, raised in prayer and discipline, he carried those lessons into the crucible of war. His moral compass pointed straight even when chaos reigned.

“Bear one another’s burdens,” he must have remembered from Galatians 6:2, as he rushed into hell to pull his fellow soldiers out.

He enlisted in the Army in 1941, joining the 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division—Arizona’s Thunderbirds. A unit forged in Southwestern grit, their training was brutal, their resolve harder.

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Normandy, July 1944: A Hellish Gamble

The date: July 24, 1944.

The place: Near La Haye-du-Puits, Normandy, France.

The night was thick with enemy fire. German forces launched an artillery barrage and infantry assault on Crawford’s platoon position. Explosions rocked the earth. Men were flung like rag dolls. A mortar shell tore into the ranks, wounding several soldiers.

Despite piercing pain—his own leg shattered—Crawford refused to yield to agony. Without hesitation, he took up an automatic rifle, standing alone between the enemy and his comrades.

Time and again, he fired. He moved forward through the chaos, dragging the wounded, rallying the still-standing. His voice broke through the storm, barking orders, urging men to hold the line.

Wounded a second time, Crawford still pressed on, replacing fallen comrades, repelling attack after attack as the enemy pressed harder. His action bought precious moments, saving lives.

The platoon held the ground that night—not because of numbers, but because of Crawford’s iron will.

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The Medal of Honor: A Soldier’s Testament

For his valor, William J. Crawford received the Medal of Honor on January 23, 1945, from General Alexander M. Patch, commander of the 7th Army.

His citation reads:

“He stood his ground against the enemy and by his fighting spirit and bravery saved the lives of his comrades and the positions of his platoon.”

General Patch later remarked:

“Crawford’s actions were the finest example of individual valor our forces saw during the Normandy campaign.”[1]

Crawford’s humility never faltered. He said later, “I was just doing my duty. Men were depending on me. That’s all that mattered.”

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Scars, Redemption, and Legacy

Crawford’s wounds were deep, but his spirit never broke. After recovering, he continued his service until 1945, eventually returning home to Oklahoma.

His journey did not end in medals or parades. It was carved into the lives he saved and the example he set: sacrifice without seeking glory, courage in the face of despair.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13.

His story teaches every generation about the raw price of freedom—the weight borne by those who shoot first, bleed last, and fight on. Veterans remember Crawford not as a distant hero, but as a brother who chose to stand when the world wanted to fall.

The battlefield may be silent now in that quiet French field, but Crawford’s shadow never fades.

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Some fight for honor, some for country, some for faith.

William J. Crawford fought for all three. His blood baptized the soil and his courage wrote the story of salvation through sacrifice.

Let us never forget the man who turned pain into purpose and carried his comrades through the storm with unmatched grit.

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Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients - World War II (M-S) 2. Robert Jordan, Thunderbird Battalion: The History of the 45th Infantry Division 3. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, William J. Crawford Citation

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