Wonderful Surprise

Unbeknownst to Crawford, President Ronal Reagan was invited as well. The cadet was able to contact the president through the connections he made. The president went about his speech and talked about how brave the veteran was and how everyone could emulate him and be like him. And decades after that fateful day, Crawford was formally awarded the Medal of Honor. The simple man was embarrassed but Reagan said that this was what a true hero was: humble, selfless, and brave.

True Leader

Until the very last days of his life, Crawford showed the world what a true leader was because no job was beneath him. He happily cleaned the school after the war and he never uttered a single word of complaint. He passed away at the age of 81 in 2000, but in the years since the students and the people around learned about him, they learned something from Crawford, and that is to never underestimate or to make assumptions about the people you meet. He finally got the honor he deserved, even in death. More importantly, the people who met him will always remember him for his self-sacrificing ways. He was not just a hero, he was also a role model.