Not Sure Where To Put This

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Bateluer
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Not Sure Where To Put This

Post by Bateluer »

This came to me on my DoD email from the 1st Sgt. Its a good read.





Good article...........

Too bad this class had to discover this before they changed the way they

treated this person. I wonder how many of the classmates changed they view

permanently about all people? Regardless of what you think, you never

know who you are talking to.

I think Chief Martinez sums this up best when he says...you have two ears

and two eyes but only one mouth. You'll go further and learn more if you

spend more time observing and listening and less time talking.





-----Original Message-----

From: Chandler Kenneth A CMSgt 56 CS/SCM

Sent: Friday, August 29, 2003 10:45 AM

To: 56 FW Chiefs

Subject: A Life Lesson



A Janitor's Lessons in Leadership

By Col. James Moschgat, 12th Operations Group Commander

Amazing story, unfortunately that's the way it works sometimes...enjoy!

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 never-ending

leadership classes, Bill quietly moved about the squadron mopping and

buffing floors, emptying trash cans, cleaning toilets, or just tidying up

the mess 100 college-age kids can leave in a dormitory.

Sadly, and for many years, few of us gave him much notice, rendering

little more than a passing nod or throwing a curt, "G'morning!" 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 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 himself in his work,

moving about with stooped shoulders, a quiet gait, and an averted gaze. If

he noticed the hustle and bustle of cadet life around him, it was hard to

tell.

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 just a janitor.

That changed one fall Saturday afternoon in 1976. I 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 Private William

Crawford from Colorado, assigned to the 36th Infantry Division, had been

involved in some bloody fighting on Hill 424 near Altavilla, 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 single-handedly attacked fortified

enemy positions." It continued, "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity

at risk of life above and beyond the call 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 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 starred 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

to 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, star-spangled lapel pin. Almost

overnight, Bill went from being a simple fixture in our squadron to one of

our teammates.

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 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.

Mr. Crawford continued to work at the Academy and eventually retired in

his native Colorado where he resides today, one of four Medal of Honor

winners living in a small town.

A wise person once said, "It's not life that's important, but those you

meet along the way that make the difference." Bill was one who made a

difference for me. While I haven't seen Mr. Crawford in over twenty years,

he'd probably be surprised to know I think of him often. Bill Crawford,

our janitor, taught me many valuable, unforgettable leadership lessons.

Here are ten I'd like to share with you.



1) Be Cautious of Labels. Labels you place on people may define your

relationship to them and bound their potential. Sadly, and for a long

time, we labeled Bill as just a janitor, but he was so much more.

Therefore, be cautious of a leader who callously says, "Hey, he's just an

Airman." Likewise, don't tolerate the O-1, who says, "I can't do that, I'm

just a lieutenant."



2) Everyone Deserves Respect. Because we hung the "janitor" label on Mr.

Crawford, we often wrongly treated him with less respect than others

around us. He deserved much more, and not just because he was a Medal of

Honor winner. Bill deserved respect because he was a janitor, walked among

us, and was a part of our team.



3) Courtesy Makes a Difference. Be courteous to all around you, regardless

of rank or position. Military customs, as well as common courtesies, help

bond a team. When our daily words to Mr. Crawford turned from perfunctory

"hellos" to heartfelt greetings, his demeanor and personality outwardly

changed. It made a difference for all of us.



4) Take Time to Know Your People. Life in the military is hectic, but

that's no excuse for not knowing the people you work for and with. For

years a hero walked among us at the Academy and we never knew it. Who are

the heroes that walk in your midst?



5) Anyone Can Be a Hero. Mr. Crawford certainly didn't fit anyone's

standard definition of a hero. Moreover, he was just a private on the day

he won his Medal. Don't sell your people short, for any one of them may be

the hero who rises to the occasion when duty calls. On the other hand,

it's easy to turn to your proven performers when the chips are down, but

don't ignore the rest of the team. Today's rookie could and should be

tomorrow's superstar.



6) Leaders Should Be Humble. Most modern day heroes and some leaders are

anything but humble, especially if you calibrate your "hero meter" on

today's athletic fields. End zone celebrations and self-aggrandizement are

what we've come to expect from sports greats. Not Mr. Crawford-he was too

busy working to celebrate his past heroics. Leaders would be well-served

to do the same.



7) Life Won't Always Hand You What You Think You Deserve. We in the

military work hard and, dang it, we deserve recognition, right? However,

sometimes you just have to persevere, even when accolades don't come your

way. Perhaps you weren't nominated for junior officer or airman of the

quarter as you thought you should-don't let that stop you.



8) Don't pursue glory; pursue excellence. Private Bill Crawford didn't

pursue glory; he did his duty and then swept floors for a living.



9) No Job is Beneath a Leader. If Bill Crawford, a Medal of Honor winner,

could clean latrines and smile, is there a job beneath your dignity? Think

about it.



10) Pursue Excellence. No matter what task life hands you, do it well. Dr.

Martin Luther King said, "If life makes you a street sweeper, be the best

street sweeper you can be." Mr. Crawford modeled that philosophy and

helped make our dormitory area a home.



Life is a Leadership Laboratory. All too often we look to some school or

PME class to teach us about leadership when, in fact, life is a leadership

laboratory. Those you meet everyday will teach you enduring lessons if you

just take time to stop, look and listen. I spent four years at the Air

Force Academy, took dozens of classes, read hundreds of books, and met

thousands of great people. I gleaned leadership skills from all of them,

but one of the people I remember most is Mr. Bill Crawford and the lessons

he unknowingly taught. Don't miss your opportunity to learn.

Bill Crawford was a janitor. However, he was also a teacher, friend, role

model and one great American hero. Thanks, Mr. Crawford, for some valuable

leadership lessons.
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Bateluer
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Re: Not Sure Where To Put This

Post by Bateluer »

No one has any comments. :(
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Re: Not Sure Where To Put This

Post by Skye »

DoD emails do nothing but spam my inbox. Bah!
HelpingTeens.org:

I can't think of a better use of server resources...I really can't.
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Re: Not Sure Where To Put This

Post by Bateluer »

Originally posted by Skye@Sep 5 2003, 12:50 PM

DoD emails do nothing but spam my inbox. Bah!


You don't have a DoD email address. *slap* :P
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Re: Not Sure Where To Put This

Post by Hara-Kiri »

I refuse to read all that.
To feel the wind tearing at my clothes, the elements.

The only truth left in a world of lies and hypocrisy.

The beauty of the abyss.

The anticipation, like anticipating the greatest sex, an existential foreplay.

Looking down into oblivion and voidness.

The ground far, far away as it seems from here, but in reality only a couple of seconds away.

Standing there.

Feeling eternity in a restricted world.

Feeling a decision in a prefabricated existence.
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Re: Not Sure Where To Put This

Post by Skye »

Originally posted by Bateluer+Sep 5 2003, 01:01 PM--<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'<tr<tdQUOTE (Bateluer @ Sep 5 2003, 01:01 PM)</td</tr<tr<td id='QUOTE'<!--QuoteBegin-Skye@Sep 5 2003, 12:50 PM

DoD emails do nothing but spam my inbox. Bah!


You don't have a DoD email address. *slap* :P[/b][/quote]

Says who? :P
HelpingTeens.org:

I can't think of a better use of server resources...I really can't.
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Bateluer
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Re: Not Sure Where To Put This

Post by Bateluer »

Originally posted by Skye+Sep 5 2003, 04:09 PM--<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'<tr<tdQUOTE (Skye @ Sep 5 2003, 04:09 PM)</td</tr<tr<td id='QUOTE'
Originally posted by Bateluer@Sep 5 2003, 01:01 PM

<!--QuoteBegin-Skye
@Sep 5 2003, 12:50 PM

DoD emails do nothing but spam my inbox. Bah!




You don't have a DoD email address. *slap* :P
Says who? :P[/b][/quote]



Because I have access to every DoD email address. :P
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Re: Not Sure Where To Put This

Post by sweet_robin »

:) Thanks for sharing that with us. It makes you think. I like the stories that you read, and they teach you a lesson, so that in the future, you make think twice before you make a mistake.
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Re: Not Sure Where To Put This

Post by iAmAStreaker »

I could not read all of that. Bah. But I read a few..kinda funny..heh.
<span style="font-family:Arial"i'm sveta; pleased to meet you.
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