William J. Crawford's Valor on Luzon Earned the Medal of Honor

Dec 07 , 2025

William J. Crawford's Valor on Luzon Earned the Medal of Honor

William J. Crawford’s guts tore through the quiet night. Bullets shattered the earth around him. Wounded, bleeding, but unyielding—he stood like iron. Against the overwhelming Japanese assault, he held the line. Alone. His body broke, but his soul never cracked.

Background & Faith

Born in 1918, William J. Crawford was no stranger to hard work. Kansas soil under his nails, tough as rawhide. The kind of man shaped by honest toil, the Midwest’s unforgiving seasons forging grit in his bones. Enlisted in 1942. Assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division, 30th Infantry Regiment—“Old Hickory.”

Faith was his backbone. Raised in a devout home, Scripture was his refuge. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid...” (Joshua 1:9) whispered in the darkest nights. His confidence wasn’t blind—it was anchored in something eternal. Not just a soldier, but a warrior walking with God.

The Battle That Defined Him

October 24, 1944. The rugged hills of Luzon, Philippines. Enemy forces swarmed like fire up a dry brush. The 3rd Infantry had orders—hold the position at all costs. Crawford’s squad dug in, guts raw, hopes thin.

An enemy grenade landed near his foxhole. Then another. Without hesitation, Crawford grabbed one, pressed it to his body, and hurled it back. A second grenade came. Without pause, he pushed it from the trench with his knee, throwing himself on top to shield comrades from the blast.

Wounded. Blood seared his flesh. Pain tried to break him. But he kept firing his Browning Automatic Rifle, pouring hell down on the attackers. His rifle jammed. He fought it with one hand, held his ground with the other.

Hours later, leg riddled with shrapnel, he refused evacuation. He stayed, pinned down, protecting his unit. His courage wasn’t reckless—it was deliberate sacrifice. Blood spilled for brothers. Every heartbeat a prayer.

Recognition

For valor beyond measure, William J. Crawford received the Medal of Honor on June 23, 1945.[1] His citation lauds “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty.” General Alexander M. Patch called him “a man who faced death with calm courage.”

Comrades remembered him as rock-steady, a symphony of resolve in chaos. His medals didn’t mark glory—they marked survival through sheer will and love for his fellow soldiers.

Legacy & Lessons

Crawford’s story is etched in the scars of war and the spirit of redemption. Not every hero wears a spotless uniform; his was bloodied but unbeaten. War strips men down to bones and beliefs. What remains tells the real story.

His faith and fearless heart remind us: courage is not the absence of fear but the command to move forward despite it. Sacrifice is the shadow where freedom breathes. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

Today, William J. Crawford speaks beyond history books—he speaks to anyone who stands guard over what matters, who fights unseen battles with honor intact. The battlefield never truly leaves a man; it carves purpose into the marrow.

“He saved his unit... by sheer determination and steel nerves. No man gave more than William J. Crawford.” – Medal of Honor citation[1]

Sources

1. Department of Defense – Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II (Army) 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History – William J. Crawford Biography 3. “Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty,” Peter Collier & David Horowitz