Chief Master Sergeant Norman Crawford, USAF (ret) passed away last Thursday, 16 June 2011, at the age of 83. Chief Crawford enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1945, and retired in 1978 after surviving the Korean War and Vietnam. He continued serving the United States as a civil servant, finally retiring in 1993. He was married for 60 years and had 5 children, 17 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren. At his funeral today, his family and friends gathered to celebrate his life, telling his story and reminiscing about his legacy. The church was filled to the rafters, and both tears and laughter flowed.
Chief Crawford is an American hero. He didn't win the Medal of Honor or become a household name--he just served his country, leaving his family for years at a time for duty in numerous shit holes around the world. He did what so many veterans do--quietly serve as long as they can, and then continue to give and lead until they pass from this side to the other. There are fewer and fewer Chief Crawfords in the world, whether they served in the U.S. military, Canadian Forces, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and so on. They were the sheepdogs, the 'rough men who stand ready in the night' as George Orwell called them. They stood the watch, fighting when necessary, so that others could live free. Others follow in their footsteps, using the examples of those before them to guide their way. To those who have gone before, to those currently in harm's way, and to those yet to come, we say 'Thank you."
God speed, Chief. You will be greatly missed.
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