Some heroes don’t wear capes, and some are so dedicated to a job that is needed to be done, they don’t even consider to come in the lime-light and show their heroism. They choose to stay low, and keep on serving their fellow beings without ever letting them notice their bright soul.
Such is the story of this janitor, Mr. Crawford, whom no one gave enough attention while he cleaned the floors and toilets in the cadet base. But once his truth got uncovered, everyone was stunned by the life and contribution of this brave-heart. He was no common janitor, but a hero in disguise.
Least Expected
William Crawford was born in Pueblo, Colorado in 1918. He was a true patriot and a devoted American who would always put everyone before himself, whatever the cost.
Crawford has been a humble and low-key man, never talking much with anyone, keeping to his work. No one could ever suspect that Crawford was a hero, a person of rare characters, until his old age when his secrets were discovered.
Home Is Where The Heart Is
Colorado had always been ‘home’ for Crawford. Though he travelled a lot throughout his life, but there was something about Colorado which always managed to bring him back every time. That may be the reason why, at retirement age, he chose to move back to Colorado and look for a laid back job.
Crawford got himself employed as a janitor in the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He was happy with what he did, and he did his job whole-heartedly. After all, it was therapeutic for him to work as a janitor and in peace after all the drama and horrors of the world he witnessed. He was really thankful for his occupation.
Cover Almost Blown
No one in the academy had any idea about Crawford who he really was, and he wanted to keep it that way. He was happy living an anonymous life and did a good job as a janitor. But this cover of anonymity did not stand for much long.
According to cadets at the base, Crawford was very shy who simply blended in the background. No one knows anything about his personal life, nor would he ever talk to anyone unless very important and job related. Many didn’t even know his real name, and referred to him just as Mr Crawford.
Just Another Janitor
Colonel Moschgat was the then-cadet, who discovered the real identity of Crawford. William Crawford was unaware of the fact that this cadet was going to blow his cover and reveal to the world who he actually was.
Moschgat wrote about Crawford: “Bill was shy, almost painfully so, seldom speaking to a cadet unless they addressed him first, always burying himself in his work. The Academy, one of our nation’s premier leadership laboratories, kept us busy from dawn till dusk. And Mr. Crawford… well, he was just a janitor. That changed one fall Saturday afternoon…”
Cleaning The Toilets
Colonel Moschgat was taken aback when he learnt more about Crawford. He justified why no one ever gave much thought about Crawford in the academy and he was seen as just another janitor cleaning toilets.
In his blog, Colonel Moschgat wrote: “For many years, few of us gave him much notice, rendering little more than a passing nod or throwing a curt, ‘G’morning’ in his direction as we hurried off. Why? Perhaps it was because of the way he did his job, always keeping the squadron area spotlessly clean. Frankly, he did his job so well, none of us had to notice or get involved. After all, cleaning toilets was his job, not ours.”
Unidentified Individual
In those days, there weren’t many ways in which one could contribute something to the society or their country. Crawford was a personality who was many things at once, most of those things contradicted with one another. He was seen as a shy and insecure person by many who weren’t familiar with his true characteristics.
It took many years for Crawford to break out of the shell he put up over the years. After that, it soon became quite evident of this man’s bravery, honesty and a rare personality.
Who Was He?
Moschgat said that he was reading a book about Second World War when he stumbled upon a great story and continued to read the book detailing WWII troops. He found Crawford’s name written in big, bold letters and he was curious to find out if it was the janitor Crawford who was being referred to.
The book was an elaborated document on the Allied advance through Italy and it had a strong mention of a former trooper named William Crawford. Soon after Moschgat found Crawford’s name in that book, the entire class made the connection between the janitor at the base and the hero in the book.
A Humble Individual
Moschgat decided not to beat around the bush and bluntly confront the janitor about his past, if he was the hero mentioned in the book. This straightforward approach took Crawford by surprise and made him uneasy to be put on the spot.
Crawford stared at his picture in the book that Moschgat showed him, and kept on weighing his options, contemplating if it was worth it to reveal his gallantry. After thinking for a while, he said, “That was a long time ago and one day in my life.”
The Truth Was Out
The other young cadets of the academy base kept on pressing Bill for more information. All they knew about him was his name, Mr Crawford. They were curious to know the whole story of what actually happened on the field that day, and if the book missed out on anything.
Finally, Bill agreed to relay the complete story. Everyone was quite surprised to know the other side of this quiet janitor, and their respect for Mr Crawford leaped up.
No Way To Escape
It was July of 1942 when Crawford joined the US Army. He was an infantry scout in the 142nd Infantry Division. In less than a year of enlistment, was sent on the front lines in southern Italy.
On September 13, 1943, he was put in the role of a squad scout when his company attacked Hill 424 near Altavilla Silentina. Intense machine guns pinned everyone in the company down and the fire and mortars made sure there was no escape for them.
Quick Feet
Private Crawford played a pivotal role against the German resistance. Being near the front, he could clearly mark the gun positions that pinned their entire company down to the ground. He had no time to wait for the order and decided to act quickly in the slightest time window he had.
William had to risk his life while he crawled forward under the heavy fire, to eliminate the threat single-handedly. Few yards away from the guns, he lobbed a grenade on the top of the three defenders and terminated the enemies.
No Time To Relax
There was literally no time to celebrate his act of bravery as in no time, his company was again under the attack. There were two additional machine gun nests, entrenched deep in a higher ridge, on the crest of the hill. It was a dangerous situation and everything was on stake.
Once again, without giving it a second thought, Crawford showed initiative and set out to destroy the threat. He crawled up and ducked with a watch-worthy skill and impeccable precision through the storm of bullets that couldn’t even put as little as a scratch on him.
The Big Blow
Heroically, Crawford crawled up the hill and reached near one of the two machine gun nests. He knew he might only have one shot at it. He pulled out a grenade, and with huge focus and precision, landed it right in the laps.
After the first gun was down, he moved to the second and disassembled the gun completely, rendering it unusable. Rest of the defenders were scared for their lives, thus they fled away from the man who single handedly destroyed three entrenched positions.
It was because of Crawford’s gallantry action that the Hill 424 was successfully captured and the Allied advance continued.
The Unimaginable
This audacity put Crawford into a great danger, as he stood at the frontline of the attack, nearest to the enemy lines. Being at the front of the assault, he was captured by Germans while the chaos of the battle was at its peak.
After getting abducted by the Germans, Crawford knew that his chances were very thin. The rest of the company believed that Crawford will suffer the same fate as his father did: death in action.
Presumed Dead
Crawford ended up being a German Prisoner of War while he was presumed dead by his company amidst the fog of war. No life signal was sent their way and there was nothing in the history that suggested that Crawford would be kept alive and could be released.
While Crawford serving as a Prisoner of War, his bravery put him on a heroic pedestal and was ‘posthumously’ awarded the nation’s highest military honor: the Medal of Honor.
End Of Captivity
According to the regulations of the US Army, in case of a fallen soldier, a prestigious award such as the Medal of Honor, is awarded to their family or the closest relative. In Crawford’s case, it was meant for his father who was due to receive this award on the behalf of his brave son in 1944.
But then, the unbelievable happened: a year later, a group of soldiers was rescued from German captivity, and William Crawford turned out to be one among those troopers.
Surprises
Crawford continued his service in the military even after WWII and later, on January 13, 1946, he married Eileen Bruce. It was one year after he was re-enlisted in the Army. Crawford served in the Army for 20 more years, and retired at the rank of master sergeant.
Throughout his long career, Crawford wore the Medal of Honor very reluctantly as he somehow felt unworthy of it. Many might see it as ‘degrading’ to work as a janitor after a distinguished and remarkable military career, but Crawford was some other kind of man. He had one more surprise on his way.
National Hero Mopping Floors
Mr Crawford was seen as a quiet janitor who moved around mopping and buffing floors, rubbing toilets and cleaning the mess of 100 college-aged kids in the dormitories. The book that cadet Moschgat found, described the unknown side of Bill. He was a war hero; but why was he hiding his story?
“In the face of intense and overwhelming hostile fire…with no regard for personal safety…on his own initiative…single-handedly attacked fortified enemy positions. …For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, the President of the United States…,” said Colonel Moschgat, after reading the book.
Worth A Lot More
A typical janitor in the US earns somewhere between $24,000-$33,000 a year. Bill honored himself and his job, however, he deserved much more than his salary.
This forgotten hero fought bravely and saved his entire unit single-handedly but his heroic act wasn’t celebrated enough. His war efforts demanded commending and he deserved more credit than he was given. Then, something unexpected happened.
Hard To Grasp
A janitor’s job doesn’t come with a lot of perks and the money is not enough to cover every need of a person, especially when that person is an elderly war veteran. This was true in Bill’s case too.
Though Bill never had any complaints about his job, he still struggled to grasp the fact that his contributions were forgotten. He served his country and his country was no longer serving him.
Unappreciated But Grateful
Bill was very grateful for his life, though he didn’t get all the appreciation he deserved. But he was a true hero and he never let it ride on his nerves.
This war hero undoubtedly deserved much more than a simple life of a janitor. But something was about to happen, which changed his life forever after that.
Well Deserved Honor
Crawford, who worked as a janitor at the US Air Force Academy, also served as director of the Lucretia Vaille Museum in Palmer Lake. Once, while he was in the Air Force Academy, he did mention to some friends how he never received the Medal of Honor from the President, as he was mistaken for dead. The highest military honor is meant to be received from the president.
In the year 1984, his wish came true when he was invited by the academy. He was asked to attend the graduation ceremony which was held there, and he had no idea what was coming.
This Changed Everything
President Reagan was the chief guest of that graduation ceremony. Amongst cadets, general officers and the President himself, Master Sergeant Crawford finally and formally received his Medal of Honor. President Reagan cited leadership lessons that one can learn from Mr Crawford.
The cadets never looked at their janitor as a war hero. They had a newfound respect for their janitor and they managed to coax the deeply introverted individual into sharing his experiences and epic stories with leaders of tomorrow. Everything changed for a lowly janitor that day; President himself awarded his long due Medal of Honor and he was no longer a common janitor.
Embarrassed By The President’s Speech
President Reagan cited some important leadership lessons that he learnt from this brave janitor. The first lesson was of caution from labels. Labels placed by one on people may define their relationship with them, and there would be very little room to learn about the person.
Reagan said, “Sadly, and for a long time, we labeled Bill as just a janitor, but he was so much more. Therefore, be cautious of a leader who callously says, ‘Hey, he’s just an Airman’. Likewise, don’t tolerate the 0-1, who says, ‘I can’t do that, I’m just a lieutenant.'”
This Was Not Anticipated
“Everyone deserves respect,” said Reagan next. Moschgat explained that, “Because we hung the ‘janitor’ label on Mr. Crawford, we often wrongly treated him with less respect than others around us. He deserved much more, and not just because he was a Medal of Honor winner. Bill deserved respect because he was a janitor, walked among us, and was a part of our team.”
Saying good things about someone is one thing, but actually taking action to bring to a person what he/she truly deserves, speaks a lot louder. Crawford did not even anticipate that Moschgat was about to change his ways and do something worth the wait for him.
A Cringe Of Discomfort
Reagan emphasized that courtesy makes a difference. Moschgat added, “Be courteous to all around you, regardless of rank or position,” as he referred to both military customs as well as common courtesies.
Reagan also emphasized how important it is to take time to know your people. Moschgat added: “For years a hero walked among us at the Academy and we never knew it. Who are the heroes that walk in your midst?” Crawford never felt more on the spot than this point of time.
Waiting For His Response
According to former President Reagan, anyone could be a hero, and Mr Crawford did not fit in the definition of a “hero”. Also, he was a private on the day of winning the Medal.
Moschgat also said, “Don’t sell your people short, for any one of them may be the hero who rises to the occasion when duty calls. On the other hand, it’s easy to turn to your proven performers when the chips are down, but don’t ignore the rest of the team.” All eyes turned to Crawford, and he was not used to this much attention. Crawford was visibly red as he was nervous when he noticed all the eyes have turned to him.
Treating Him Like Everyone Else
“No job is beneath a leader,” was the ninth point Reagan pointed out. “If Bill Crawford, a Medal of Honor winner, could clean latrines and smile, is there a job beneath your dignity?” As the great Dr. Martin Luther King once said, ‘no matter what task life hands you, do it well.’ ”
Lastly, Reagan explained that : "Life is a leadership laboratory. Those you meet everyday will teach you enduring lessons if you just take time to stop, look and listen.”
Moschgat also explained how everything changed on base after that incident.
The Anticipated Change
Moschgat wrote that things were never the same again after the graduation ceremony, as it was inevitable when the word about the gallantry award winning janitor spread like forest-fire. The cadets started seeing this ordinary janitor with respect; he was an unsung hero, after all.
Moschgat also wrote: “Mr. Crawford, our janitor, had been bestowed the Medal! Cadets who had once passed by Bill with hardly a glance, now greeted him with a smile and a respectful, ‘Good morning, Mr. Crawford.'” All the troops at the base, not only changed their attitude towards him, but they made a self note to watch their own actions as well from then-on.
Overnight Change
Earlier, the college-aged cadets would leave a lot of mess in the dormitories, as they knew their hard working janitor, who hardly speaks up or talks with anyone, would take care of all that. But after the graduation ceremony, they realized that they have been making this brave war-veteran do unnecessary work, which was much below what he deserved already. So they decided to make a change in their attitudes.
That day onwards, instead of slacking off, everyone started to clean up their own mess and cadets took it upon themselves to put things in order. Just in a night, Bill became more like a teammate in their squadron and not just a simple janitor. He was a hero with humility, he was the consummate hero and did not want a lot but little more than to be a part of something bigger than himself.
Enormous Change
Crawford was overwhelmed with all the words of praise and the amount of appreciation he received. It was long due appreciation, and well deserved for his brave heroic act. “Mr Crawford changed too,” wrote Moschgat.
Colonel Moschgat also said that Crawford “seemed to move with more purpose, his shoulders not as stooped, met our greetings with a direct gaze and a stronger ‘good morning’ in return, and flashed his crooked smile more often. While no one ever formally acknowledged the change, I think we became Bill’s cadets and his squadron.”
Final Goodbye
Bill Crawford passed away in March of 2000, when he was 81 years old. Governor of Colorado ordered that all Colorado flags be lowered to half-staff, in the honor of this war veteran. Crawford also had the honor to be buried at the USAF Academy Cemetery in Colorado Springs, being the only non-USAF enlisted man of the US Army.
A Trooper Forever
Crawford was very modest with his remarks about the most important event of his life. He said, “I was just glad that I was doing my part, and I figured it was just a normal call of duty. I happened to be at the right place at the right time.”
Moschgat put it best in his blog when he concluded, “From storming machine gun nests half a world away from home to becoming a janitor to be closer to the military, he always placed the whole above himself.”
