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Show DcT,of A by Col. 20, 2001 Commentary Janitor's 10 lessoos James Moschgat 12th Operations Croup commander William "Bill" Crawford certainly was an unimpressive figure, one you could easily overlook during a hectic day at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Mr. Crawford, as most of us referred to him back in the late 1970s, was our squadron janitor. While we cadets busied ourselves preparing for academic exams, athletic events, Saturday morning parades and room inspections, or leadership classes, Bill quietly moved about the squadron mopping and buffing floors, emptying trash cans, cleankids can leave ing toilets, or just tidying up the mess 100 college-agin a dormitory. Sadly, and for many years, few of us gave him much nonce, rendering little more than a passing nod or throwing a curt, "G'morn-ing!- " in his direction as we hurried off to our daily duties. Why? Perhaps it was because of the way he did his job he always kept the squadron area spotlessly clean, even the toilets and showers gleamed Frankly, he did his job so well, none of us had to notice or get never-endin- g e involved. After all, cleaning toilets was his job, not ours. Maybe it was his physical appearance that made him disappear into the background. Bill didn't move very quickly and, in fact, you could say he even shuffled a bit, as if he suffered from some sort of injury. His gray hair and wrinkled face made him appear ancient to a group of young cadets. And his crooked smile, well, it looked a little funny. Face it, Bill was an old man working in a young person's world. What did he have to offer us on a personal level? Finally, maybe it was Mr. Crawford's personality that rendered him almost invisible to the young people around him. Bill was shy, almost painfully so. He seldom spoke to a cadet unless they addressed him first, and that didn't happen very often. Our janitor always buried inn leadership himself in his work, moving about with stooped shoulders, a quiet gait, and an averted gaze. If he noticed the hustle and bustle ofcadet life around him, it was hard to tel So, for whatever reason, Bill blended into the woodwork and became just another fixture around the squadron. The academy, one of our nation's premier leadership laboratories, kept us busy from dawn till dusk. And Mr. Crawford Well, he was ju st a janitor. That changed one fall Saturday afternoon in 1976. 1 was reading a book about World War II and the tough Allied ground campaign in Italy, when I stumbled across an incredible story. On Sept 13, 1943, a Pvt William Crawford from Colorado, assigned to the 36th Infantry Division, had been involved in some bloody fighting on Hill 424 near Aitavilla, Italy. The words on the page leapt out at me: "in the face of intense and overwhelming hostile fire ... with no regard for personal safety ... on his own initiative, Private Crawford attacked fortified enemy positions." It continued, "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the caD of duty, the President of the United States ..." "Holy cow," I said to my roommate, "you're not going to believe this, but I think our janitor is a Medal of Honor winner." We all knew Mr. Crawford was a WWII Army vet, but that didn't keep my friend from looking at me as if I was some sort of alien being. Nonetheless, we couldn't wait to ask Bill about the story on single-handed- ly Monday. We met Mr. Crawford bright and early Monday and showed him the page in question from the book, anticipation and doubt on our faces. He stared at it for a few silent moments and then quietly uttered something like, "Yep, that's me." Mouths agape, my roommate and I looked at one another, then at the book, and quickly back at our janitor. Almost at once we both stuttered, "Why didn't you ever tell us about it?" He slowly replied after some thought, "That was one day in my life and it happened a long time ago." I guess we were all at a loss for words after that We had to hurry off to class and Bill, well, he had chores to attend to. However, after that brief exchange, things were never again the same around our squadron. Word spread like wildfire among the cadets that we had a hero in our midst-Mr- . Crawford, our janitor, had won the Medal! Cadets who had once passed by Bill with hardly a glance, now greeted him with a smile and a respectful, "Good morning, Mr. Crawford." Those who had before left a mess for the "janitor" to clean up started taking it upon themselves to put things in order. Most cadets routinely stopped to talk to Bill throughout the day and we even began inviting him t our formal squadron functions. He'd show up dressed in a conservative dark suit and quietly talk to those who approached him, the only sign of his heroics being a simple blue, lapel pin. Almost overnight. Bill went from being a in our squadron to one of our teammates. fixture simple Mr. Crawford changed too, but you had to look closely to notice the difference. After that fall day in 1976, he seemed to move with more purpose, his shoulders didn't seem to be as stooped, he met our greetings with a direct gaze and a stronger "good morning" in return, and he flashed his crooked smile more often. The squadron gleamed as always, but everyone now seemed to notice it more. Bill even got to know most of us by our first names, something that didn't happen often at the Academy. While no one ever formally acknowledged the change, I think we became Bill's star-spangl- cadets and his squadron. As often happens in life, events sweep us away from those in our past The last time I saw Bill was on graduation day in June 1977. As I walked out of the squadron for the last time, he shook my hand and simply said, "Good luck, young man." With that, I embarked on a career that has been truly lucky and blessed. M See Janitor's lesson, page 10 'How will you spend your Holiday vacation?' t' Hill Street t Views U 1". . ' . V; ; " V' r ' ? J ' 4 i - r ... ? C2 J i i Jason Johnson Mark Berry Age 5 Age 5 "I'm going to sled and my favorite thing to do is play games like And the presents are going hide-and-see- k. to come from Santa Claus." "I'll do shopping. I already went to the BX and looked for toys. I asked for Pokeman toys from my mom. And I put up my tree. I will play with my robots. And I'll probably go upstairs in my room." Byron Johnson Age 5 "I'm going to my Na Na's house in Arkansas. I want to eat at my Na Na's house. She makes good food like Qhicken and rice. Santa's going to bring me a Gameboy Advanced there. IH play the computer and my new game and throw Alicia Earwood Age 5 "I'll play dress ups Gabrielle Wilson Tristan Cooper Age 5 Age 5 "I don't know what with my friend Katy. Ill wait for Santa too. I I'm going to do. But in asked him for a Barbie Jeep. And then I'll play outside in the backyard and make a snowman." snowballs by rolling winter time I make good them and snowmen. Ill decorate it pretty with a hat, hands and a scarf" snowballs at my friends." "I'm going to have my first sleepover at Issac's. I'm going to sit in his room and go to sleep and play with his toys. Then I think I'll open presents like action figures. I think my dad is bringing me a dirt bike, remote control car and my own computer." Acttioiro Lime To all of Team Hill, I wish you all a wondrous Holiday Season and a Happy New Year. Please be safe in all of your holiday travels and come back ready for a challenging 2002. Your Action Line inputs have resulted in some very positive changes to our base-- so great that Hill recently was announced as the AFMC winner of the Installation Excellence Award. With all we do, reflection helps us all improve how we do our jobs. If there is one thing I can think of on how to improve the Action line program, it would be to work these at the lowest level first Give our commanders, first sergeants, and directors the opportunity to address your concerns whenever possible. We review every action line to seek ways to those sugimprove your base and work centers continues-kee- p gestions coming. May God bless America and each member of Colonel David Beecroft Team Hill. appreciation Security would like to my appreciation to the Hill AFB and their friendliness for Forces under courtesy Security the stress they must be experiencing in Bravo and Charlie. Even though they are under tremendous pressure, Security Forces are friendly, courteous and extremely efficient in moving people through the gates. A heartfelt thank you to the Security Forces for truly outstanding work. Our Security Forces are doing extremely well under tough conditions. I take great pride in the professionalism they display day in and day out I also appreciate the patience and understanding of the cooperation of Team Hill members the base community makes for a smooth commute on and off the base every day. Thanks for the good words. express 1 Ql A Track dogs about animals being allowed on the fl'm concernedtrack that goes by the duck pond and around the log cabin. I use the cinders to run in and I've seen at least on or adjacent to the track. Also, there have been two incidents where dogs, running on leash with their owners, have come at me. If it hadn't been for the very strong leashes, I would have been attacked. I think the track should be off limits to animals. No pets are allowed on the Hess Fitness Center track. Pet owners are reminded that they should be considerate of all trail users. They are responsible for cleaning up after their pets and controlling them at all times. We will post signs reminding everyone that that no pets, skateboards, scooters or bikes are allowed on the Fitness Center track at any time. For the outdoor trail, signs will be posted notifying pet owners to always clean up after their pets and keep them under control. Let the Hess Fitness Center staff know about any difficulties you experience on the track or trail, or call the director, Karen Wright, at Ext 12 "dog piles" either A jogging-walkin- g AJLt'Lisl yr Hilltop Times Published by MorMedia, Inc., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with Hill AFB. This commercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. mil '1 Col. David Beecroft 75th ABW Commander Phone numbers Slick walks Since the sidewalks from the open lot near the South Gate and Lot 1 won't be plowed until the runways and roadways are done, according to snow removal guidance, there seems to be a greater risk for pedestrians to fall on the Ice. Could a shuttle bus be provided or the snow removal system modified? We are concerned about the safety of our personnel and have established priorities for snow removal. On snowy mornings, the contractor starts at 5 am. plowing and salting the common sidewalks from the parking lots as a high priority especially since vehicles have to be parked farther from the worksite. The snow removal in these parking lots is also handled as a high priority after the main roads are cleared. Newcomers have reported how impressed they are with how well we keep the roads clear. People should take necessary precautions during the slick conditions caused by winter snow and ice, footwear. Unfortunately, it's not including the wear of proper feasible or cost effective to provide a shuttle service for this parking area. For more information, call the Grounds Section at Ext Q A non-ski- d "Air Force people building the world's most respected Air and Space Force Quality Systems for America's Air Force . ACTION LINE is your opportunity to make Hill AFB a better place to live, work and play. When you call Ext or send on Outlook to "HILL ACTION LINE," your comments will be recorded and staffed through the agency responsible for action. Please give your supervisor and chain of command the opportunity to work with you in answering questions and solving problems before calling ACTION LINE. This will help me better serve your interests. 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