Charles Hugh Crawford
Petty Officer Third Class
H&S CO, 3RD BN, 4TH MARINES, 3RD MARDIV, III MAF
United States Navy
Batavia, Ohio
December 11, 1940 to May 29, 1967
CHARLES H CRAWFORD is on the Wall at Panel 21E, Line 10

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Combat Action Ribbon
 
Charles H Crawford
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Hospitalman Third Class Charles H. Crawford, United States Navy, killed in action in Quang Tri Province on 29 May 1967, was the posthumous recipient of the Navy Cross.


Navy Cross

CITATION

FOR AWARD OF THE

NAVY CROSS

TO

HOSPITALMAN THIRD CLASS CHARLES HUGH CRAWFORD

For extraordinary heroism on 29 May 1967 while serving as a corpsman with Company "M", Third Battalion, Fourth Marines, Third Marine Division, during Operation PRAIRIE IV against elements of the North Vietnamese Army in Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam. While attacking the heavily fortified enemy bunker complex on Hill 174, the lead elements of Company "M" were pinned down by a heavy volume of automatic-weapons fire delivered from well-prepared enemy positions, and sustained numerous Marine casualties in the initial stage of the battle. Despite the concentrated fire which made it virtually impossible to reach the wounded who were trapped only a few feet from the main enemy bunker, Petty Officer Crawford immediately ran through the deadly hail of enemy fire to reach his injured comrades. After administering first aid to the most seriously wounded Marine, and while moving the casualty to a relatively safe area, Petty Officer Crawford himself was fatally wounded. Through his fearless courage and uncommon concern for his comrades, he inspired the other Marines, and undoubtedly saved the life of the wounded Marine he treated. Petty Officer Crawford's daring actions and unswerving devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
A memorial initiated by his cousin,
Gene Hansbauer
GHansbauer@aol.com  
24 Apr 2002

 

31 Aug 2002

After 35 years, I haven't lived one day without remembering HM3 Crawford. I was his platoon leader on the day he was killed. Never has any person impacted me the way his memory has. He was the best Corpsman anyone would want and the best person as a friend you would want to have. My respect for Corpsman has always been very high because of him.

From his friend and platoon leader,
James (Jim) Kight
116 Gettysburg Dr, Pensacola, FL 32503
kightad@earthlink.net

 
Visit John Dennison's
1st Cav Medic (Airmobile) - Medics on the Wall
memorial which honors the
Army Medics and Navy Corpsmen who died in Vietnam.

 

A platoon of Mike Company was ambushed by NVA regulars and the five men who were killed on Hill 174 west-southwest of Con Thien were

PO3 Charles H Crawford was predeceased by his parents, Loretta (Rausch) and Albert Thomas Crawford. They are buried in Saint Mary Cemetery, Saint Bernard, Ohio. He did not have any siblings.

Charles H Crawford


- - The Virtual Wall, June 27, 2014

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