Troy F. Crawford
Private, Battery A, 53rd Field Artillery
United States Army, Pre-World War II
Died Non Battle
August 17, 2015 - Born September 2nd, 1914 to parents James Henry (1890-1952) and Mary Ora Crump (1895-1989), Troy Crawford grew up in the Stockton Community with four brothers, Royce, Alonzo, Wallace and O’Neill. He attended Stockman School graduating from high school and had the occupation of salesman in the 1940 census. He lived with his parents on Stockman Raceville Road where his father owned a farm.
Troy joined the US Army on July 8th, 1941 in Houston, Texas just before his 27th birthday. He began his training at the newly opened Camp Roberts that is located on US Highway 101, 12 miles north of the California town of Paso Robles or half-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Named after Corporal Harold W. Roberts, a World War I tank driver who was awarded the Medal of Honor, the camp began operation in March 1941 as one of the world’s largest training sites featuring a parade field the length of 14 football fields.
About a month into the 17 week training program Private Troy Crawford was a passenger in a car with four other soldiers traveling in the late evening hours of August 13th, 1941 when their vehicle struck a heavy truck in the rear that was partly off the right side of highway 101 north of Camp Roberts. Troy was killed in the collision along with Sergeant G. F. Shell, Sergeant Robert G. Johnson and Private William H. Hanke. Private Anthony Romalho survived with two broken legs. The driver of the truck, Sterling Quill Cox also a soldier was unhurt. It is not known which of the soldiers was driving when the accident occurred.
On Tuesday, August 19th, 1941 the body of Troy F. Crawford arrived in Center, Texas and final rites were held at Mt. Olive the following afternoon. His survivors included his parents and four brothers. Robert, Forrest and Royce all served in World War II that began less than four months later and returned home at wars end. The driver of the truck Sterling Cox also survived the war and passed in 1995.
I am not sure what impelled Troy to enlist in the Army at the age of 27 but I can guess that with the winds of war in the air, patriotism and love of country came into play. As we approach the 101st anniversary of his birth, he will be “forever young” in our minds.
(Sources: Book, The Men & Women in World War II from Shelby County, undated; Camprobertshistoricalmuseum.com, August 2015; Bakersfield Californian (Bakersfield, California, 8/14/1941, page 5; The Times (San Mateo, California), August 14, 1941, page 2; The Champion (Center, Texas), 8/21/1941; Newspapers.com, August, 2015; FindAGrave.com, August, 2015; Ancestry.com, August, 2015).
