World War II Honoree

Lamar Smead Crawford, Sr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Union County, Arkansas

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENLISTED IN MILITARY SERVICE PRIOR TO THE WAR. AFTER COMPLETING MARINE CORPS BOOT CAMP AND INDIVIDUAL TRAINING, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE BATTLESHIP USS ARIZONA (BB-39) IN SEPTEMBER, 1940. ON DECEMBER 7, 1941, HIS SHIP WAS ONE OF SEVEN BATTLESHIPS MOORED ALONG THE EASTERN SIDE OF FORD ISLAND IN THE CENTER OF PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII. HE WAS CLEANING HIS RIFLE OUTSIDE THE MARINE COMPARTMENT ON THE USS ARIZONA WHEN THE JAPANESE BEGAN THEIR SURPRISE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR. HE HEARD THE SOUND OF AIRPLANE ENGINES, TOOK A LOOK AND SAW A JAPANESE DIVE BOMBER COMING DIRECTLY AT HIS SHIP. MACHINE GUN BULLETS BEGAN TO HIT THE GUN MOUNT NEARBY SO HE TOOK SHELTER BACK IN THE MARINE COMPARTMENT. HE THEN MADE HIS WAY TO HIS BATTLE STATION BUT DISCOVERED THAT ALL COMMUNICATIONS LINES WERE OUT. EXPLOSIONS AND FIRES RAGED THROUGHOUT THE SHIP AND THEN THE SHIP'S FORWARD MAGAZINE EXPLODED. THE SHIP RAISED OUT OF THE WATER, SETTLED BACK DOWN AND BEGAN TO SLOWLY SINK. THE ORDER TO ABANDON SHIP WAS GIVEN AND HE CLIMBED DOWN THE LADDERS TO THE MAIN DECK, TOOK OFF HIS SHOES AND DIVED INTO THE WATER. HIS INTENTION WAS TO SWIM TO NEARBY FORD ISLAND BUT HE WAS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY RESCUED BY A SMALL MOTOR BOAT. A PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR, HE WAS ONE OF ONLY 15 MARINES TO SURVIVE THE SINKING OF THE USS ARIZONA. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER DURING THE WAR. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL WITH 'FLEET' CLASP, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN 1946 AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.