Demas Thurlow Craw
April 9, 1900(1900-04-09) – November 8, 1942 (aged 42)
Place of birth	Traverse City, Michigan
Place of death	near Port Lyautey, French Morocco
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army Air Forces
Years of service	1924 - 1942
Rank	Colonel
Battles/wars	World War II *Operation Torch
Awards	Medal of Honor

Demas Thurlow Craw (April 9, 1900 – November 8, 1942) was a United States Army Air Forces officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Medal of Honor citation 3 See also 4 References

[edit] Biography

Craw entered West Point from his birth state of Michigan and graduated in 1924. By November 8, 1942 had risen to the rank of colonel. On that day, he participated in Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of French North Africa. He volunteered to go behind enemy lines and meet with the French commander near Port Lyautey, French Morocco, to broker a cease fire. After landing on the beach under hostile fire, Craw, his interpreter Major Pierpont M. Hamilton, and a driver approached the French headquarters in a light truck. They came under machine gun fire, leaving Craw dead and Hamilton captured. Craw was awarded the Medal of Honor four months later, on March 4, 1943, for his part in the mission. Although imprisoned, Hamilton succeeded in persuading the French to surrender; he was also awarded the Medal of Honor in 1943.^[1]

[edit] Medal of Honor citation

Colonel Craw's official Medal of Honor citation reads:^[2]

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty. On November 8, 1942, near Port Lyautey, French Morocco, Col. Craw volunteered to accompany the leading wave of assault boats to the shore and pass through the enemy lines to locate the French commander with a view to suspending hostilities. This request was first refused as being too dangerous but upon the officer's insistence that he was qualified to undertake and accomplish the mission he was allowed to go. Encountering heavy fire while in the landing boat and unable to dock in the river because of shell fire from shore batteries, Col. Craw, accompanied by 1 officer and 1 soldier, succeeded in landing on the beach at Mehdia Plage under constant low-level strafing from 3 enemy planes. Riding in a bantam truck toward French headquarters, progress of the party was hindered by fire from our own naval guns. Nearing Port Lyautey, Col. Craw was instantly killed by a sustained burst of machinegun fire at pointblank range from a concealed position near the road.

[edit] See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients
• List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II

[edit] References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.

Persondata
NAME	Craw, Demas T.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	United States Army Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH	April 9, 1900
PLACE OF BIRTH	Traverse City, Michigan
DATE OF DEATH	November 8, 1942
PLACE OF DEATH	near Port Lyautey, French Morocco