WWII Hero Declared KIA, Later Found Alive—Honored 40 Years After His Medal of Honor

In 1943, amidst the fierce battles raging in Italy, Army Pvt. William Crawford exhibited remarkable bravery as he took on enemy machine gun nests, paving the way for his platoon to move forward. He was declared killed in action and received a posthumous Medal of Honor—but there was one issue. He existed in the world, breathing and aware.

After being taken prisoner by German forces, Crawford endured the remainder of World War II in a POW camp. In the aftermath of the war, he made a subdued return to civilian life, eventually taking on the role of a janitor at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

For years, cadets passed him by, oblivious to the heroism beneath the surface—until 1976, when Cadet James Moschgat discovered a book that illuminated Crawford’s remarkable bravery. When the cadets approached him, he responded calmly, “That was just a single day in my life, and it occurred quite some time ago.”

Even though his father had graciously accepted the Medal of Honor in 1944, Crawford had yet to experience the moment of receiving it himself. In 1984, a significant moment unfolded as President Ronald Reagan officially bestowed the medal upon him at the Air Force Academy.

Crawford’s journey from a disregarded janitor to a celebrated hero embodies the essence of humility, bravery, and genuine heroism.

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