William J. Crawford's Valor at Leyte Hills Won the Medal of Honor

Jan 17 , 2026

William J. Crawford's Valor at Leyte Hills Won the Medal of Honor

Bullets tore the night apart. His squad faltered. The enemy pressed forward like a tide hell-bent on swallowing them whole. William J. Crawford, clutching a machine gun, refused to yield. Wounded, bleeding, exhausted—he stood like a man made of iron and fury. This night in the Leyte Hills was more than combat. It was a crucible that shaped a soldier’s soul forever.

The Roots of Resolve

Born in Piedmont, South Dakota, Crawford grew up steeped in hard labor and honest faith. His days were measured in sweat and scripture. The small-town ethos was clear: serve with honor, defend the weak, stand fast in the storm.

The Bible wasn’t just a book to him. It was a battlefield manual:

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” — 2 Timothy 1:7

Before the war, Crawford worked as a carpenter—building, creating, sustaining. The same hands that crafted homes would one day wield weapons to protect comrades. His faith was quiet but firm, grounding his every action in the chaos of war.

The Battle That Defined Him

October 27, 1944. Leyte, the Philippines. The 34th Infantry Division was pinned down by fierce Japanese forces. American troops were outnumbered, caught in a brutal jungle ambush. Amid this hellscape, Crawford’s unit faced annihilation.

The enemy launched wave after wave. When his squad’s machine gunner fell, Crawford grabbed the weapon. Then a bullet tore across his legs, shattering bone and sinew. Most men would have crumpled. Not him.

With shattered knees, he crawled on his belly to his station.

He fired relentless bursts.

Every pull of the trigger delayed death—for his brothers, for the entire company. Despite bleeding, the pain screaming like thunder, he held off the enemy until reinforcements arrived.

The citation for his Medal of Honor states:

“He boldly defended his position against overwhelming enemy forces, enabling his unit to reorganize and counterattack.”¹

Crawford’s courage wasn’t born from glory or medals—it was born from a warrior’s heart that refuses to abandon his post, no matter the cost.

Recognition Forged in Blood

The Medal of Honor arrived not as a trophy, but as testament to sacrifice.

General Douglas MacArthur once said about the Leyte campaign:

“The bloodied men who stormed ashore here provided the hope and the victory for the entire Pacific.”²

Crawford's name joins those hallowed ranks—a man who bled for every inch of ground, whose grit and faith refused to break under fire.

He was celebrated not just for valor, but for embodying the soldier’s creed: integrity, selflessness, and unwavering courage.

Fellow veterans recall his quiet humility. He never saw himself as a hero, only a man who did what had to be done. His Medal of Honor was pinned to his chest by a grateful nation, but the real battle scar was etched on his soul.

Legacy Written in Blood and Grace

William J. Crawford’s story is a lesson burned into the bones of every warrior who walks into the jaws of combat.

Redemption is found not in surrender, but in sacrifice.

His ordeal in Leyte speaks to something deeper than war—it speaks to the price of standing firm when the world wants you to fall.

The scars he bore, physical and spiritual, remind us that courage requires more than strength. It demands faith—in God, in country, in comrades.

In a world too eager to forget, his legacy rings clear:

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

He bled so others might live. He stood, wounded but unbroken. He carried the burden of battle with a soldier’s honor and a pilgrim’s hope.

William J. Crawford’s name is not just etched in military history; it is a beacon for all who face dark valleys—those who dare to fight on, beyond fear, beyond pain.

Because sometimes, the fiercest battle is surviving yourself. And sometimes, that survival is the greatest victory of all.

Sources:

1. Center of Military History, United States Army, “Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II” 2. MacArthur Memorial Archives, “Leyte Campaign Reports and Dispatches”