War heroes discovered
Scott AFB, IL --
Several years ago, there was a janitor in one of the dorms at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs named Mr. Crawford. Mr. Crawford was a simple, quiet-man who routinely kept the floors and the bathrooms of the dormitory clean and shining brightly.
To most of the cadets, consumed with their own interests and activities,
Mr. Crawford was "just the janitor;" a quiet, wrinkled old man who walked with a limp and basically minded his own business. With the high tempo of cadet activities and the shy personality of Mr. Crawford, both the cadets and Mr. Crawford became transparent fixtures in each other's world.
One day, one of the cadets was doing research for a paper about World War II and was reading a citation for the awarding of a Congressional Medal of Honor. The citation read: "in the face of intense and overwhelming enemy fire...with no regard for his own safety...on his own initiative...Private Crawford single-handedly attacked a fortified enemy position."
The cadet's eyes widened and wondered, could this be "our" Mr. Crawford, after all, he was in WWII. The cadet could hardly wait to ask the quiet janitor if he was the Private Crawford who had received the Medal of Honor.
When the cadet asked Mr. Crawford, the answer was a humble, matter of fact statement, "yep, that was me."
"Why didn't you tell us," asked the cadet?
Mr. Crawford shyly smiled and said, "that was just one day in my life and it happened a long time ago." The news spread like wildfire that Mr. Crawford wasn't just a quiet, janitor, but the recipient of the nation's highest award.
From that day on, Mr. Crawford was no longer transparent, but a person of significance. Cadets respectfully greeted him each day with "Good morning Mr. Crawford, how are you today?" Mr. Crawford in turn, smiled and engaged these young cadets with new life in his smile and renewed energy in his walk. The cadets had discovered a great treasure that had now enriched their life, because one curious cadet had stopped to ask a question.
We at Scott AFB have treasures walking all around us all the time. Every time I go to the BX or the Commissary, I see men wearing ball caps and sweatshirts indicating their service in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Each time I see one, I might ask appropriately, "where did you serve in WWII?"
Two things always happen. First, an extraordinary smile bursts on to their face, because someone recognized them and their service. The second thing that occurs is that I discover great treasures of history.
I have met people who served on the USS Yorktown when she was sunk; veterans of Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and Iwo Jima, Japan; pilots who flew missions over Ploesti; veterans of Pearl Harbor, Normandy, North Africa, and Bastone; as well as members of the Tuskegee Airmen.....all right here at Scott AFB.
By taking advantage of this great treasure trove of history, we all become more connected to a long heritage of people who have "answered the call" and humbly served this great nation. We have become one with history.
Seek out these treasures. It will bless those you meet as well as enrich your life.
Manus of Frater,
To most of the cadets, consumed with their own interests and activities,
Mr. Crawford was "just the janitor;" a quiet, wrinkled old man who walked with a limp and basically minded his own business. With the high tempo of cadet activities and the shy personality of Mr. Crawford, both the cadets and Mr. Crawford became transparent fixtures in each other's world.
One day, one of the cadets was doing research for a paper about World War II and was reading a citation for the awarding of a Congressional Medal of Honor. The citation read: "in the face of intense and overwhelming enemy fire...with no regard for his own safety...on his own initiative...Private Crawford single-handedly attacked a fortified enemy position."
The cadet's eyes widened and wondered, could this be "our" Mr. Crawford, after all, he was in WWII. The cadet could hardly wait to ask the quiet janitor if he was the Private Crawford who had received the Medal of Honor.
When the cadet asked Mr. Crawford, the answer was a humble, matter of fact statement, "yep, that was me."
"Why didn't you tell us," asked the cadet?
Mr. Crawford shyly smiled and said, "that was just one day in my life and it happened a long time ago." The news spread like wildfire that Mr. Crawford wasn't just a quiet, janitor, but the recipient of the nation's highest award.
From that day on, Mr. Crawford was no longer transparent, but a person of significance. Cadets respectfully greeted him each day with "Good morning Mr. Crawford, how are you today?" Mr. Crawford in turn, smiled and engaged these young cadets with new life in his smile and renewed energy in his walk. The cadets had discovered a great treasure that had now enriched their life, because one curious cadet had stopped to ask a question.
We at Scott AFB have treasures walking all around us all the time. Every time I go to the BX or the Commissary, I see men wearing ball caps and sweatshirts indicating their service in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Each time I see one, I might ask appropriately, "where did you serve in WWII?"
Two things always happen. First, an extraordinary smile bursts on to their face, because someone recognized them and their service. The second thing that occurs is that I discover great treasures of history.
I have met people who served on the USS Yorktown when she was sunk; veterans of Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and Iwo Jima, Japan; pilots who flew missions over Ploesti; veterans of Pearl Harbor, Normandy, North Africa, and Bastone; as well as members of the Tuskegee Airmen.....all right here at Scott AFB.
By taking advantage of this great treasure trove of history, we all become more connected to a long heritage of people who have "answered the call" and humbly served this great nation. We have become one with history.
Seek out these treasures. It will bless those you meet as well as enrich your life.
Manus of Frater,
