World War II Honoree

John Wyman Crawford

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Albany, Georgia

Honored By

Richard E. Manzer

THE ARMY SENT HIM TO CAMP ROBERTS NEAR PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA FOR HIS BASIC TRAINING. HE WAS THEN SENT BY TRAIN TO FORT BLISS IN EL PASO, TEXAS FOR INFANTRY TRAINING. THE ARMY ISSUED HIM AN M1 CARBINE AND TOLD HIM TO GET ACQUAINTED WITH IT, CLEAN IT, GIVE IT A NAME AND SLEEP WITH IT. WHILE CLEANING IT THAT NIGHT, HE REASSEMBLED IT INCORRECTLY. THE NEXT MORNING AT THE RIFLE RANGE, HIS CARBINE WENT 'FULLY AUTOMATIC,' HIS SERGEANT RELIEVED HIM OF HIS WEAPON AND ESCORTED HIM TO THE MESS HALL WHERE HE REMAINED UNTIL HIS DISCHARGE.