We honor men like Tech 5 Charles B. Crawford
- 43rd Infantry Division 169th Regiment Co F
- Feb 23
- 3 min read
Charles B. Crawford was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1919, and came of age during the hardships of the Great Depression. In 1939, as war spread across Europe and the world grew increasingly uncertain, Charles made the conscious decision to enlist in the Connecticut National Guard. He understood that by volunteering, he could serve alongside men from his own community and have a say in his unit, rather than risk being drafted later and sent wherever the Army required.
He joined Fox Company, 169th Infantry Regiment, part of the Connecticut National Guard’s historic 43rd Infantry Division — the “Winged Victory” Division.
Training for War
Following federal activation, Charles and his fellow Guardsmen began the difficult transition from citizen soldiers to full-time infantrymen. He trained at Camp Blanding, Florida, and later at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, where the division prepared for overseas deployment.
The training was rigorous and demanding, designed to prepare the men physically and mentally for the realities of combat. In these camps, the bonds of Fox Company were forged — friendships and loyalties that would endure through the war.
Into the Pacific
In 1942, Charles deployed overseas with the division, eventually arriving in New Zealand for additional jungle warfare training. There, the men prepared for the harsh and unfamiliar conditions they would soon face.
From New Zealand, the 43rd Infantry Division entered combat in the Solomon Islands, including operations connected to the struggle for Guadalcanal. The fighting introduced Charles to the brutal realities of jungle warfare — heat, exhaustion, disease, and an enemy determined to defend every position.
The Battle for Munda Airfield
Charles Crawford’s most defining combat came during the battle for Munda Airfield on the island of New Georgia in 1943.
The Japanese defenders were deeply entrenched, hidden in bunkers and camouflaged positions. The dense jungle limited visibility and made every advance dangerous.
As a member of Fox Company, Charles endured:
Constant enemy fire from concealed positions
Long nights in muddy foxholes under relentless rain
Tropical heat, exhaustion, and disease
The ever-present danger of ambush
The loss of fellow soldiers and close friends
Despite these hardships, the men of the 169th Infantry Regiment pressed forward. In August 1943, after weeks of brutal combat, Munda Airfield was captured — a critical victory that helped shift momentum in favor of Allied forces in the Pacific.
Charles was among the Connecticut Guardsmen who helped secure that hard-fought victory.
Home, Family, and a Life Well Lived
After returning home from the war, Charles began the next chapter of his life. Shortly after the war’s end, he married his wife, Barbara, and together they built a remarkable family.
They raised thirteen children to adulthood, instilling in them the same values of dedication, resilience, and service that had carried Charles through the war.
He returned to civilian life as a quiet member of the generation now known as America’s Greatest Generation — men who answered their country’s call and then returned home to build families, communities, and the nation itself.
Charles B. Crawford passed away in 2012 at the age of 93, leaving behind a legacy defined by service, sacrifice, and family.
Legacy
Today, his legacy lives on not only through his children and grandchildren, but in a deeply personal and meaningful way.
His youngest son, Douglas Crawford, now serves as Commander of the 43rd Infantry Division, 169th Regiment Re-enacted, the very unit in which Charles served more than eighty years ago.
Through this work, his son and fellow reenactors honor the memory, sacrifice, and spirit of Charles and the men of Fox Company — preserving their story and ensuring that their service is never forgotten.
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