Demas Thurlow Craw MOH & Pierpoint M Hamilton MOH

 

 I hope y'all had a safe, fun and thoughtful Independence Day Celebration.  There are a lot of people who have paid a high price to get us and keep us free.  We should remember them.  Here are two.

This is an interesting story,  Demas Thurlow Craw Col US Army and his aide Pierpoint M Hamilton Maj US Army, up until Afghanistan, had received the only two Army Air Force Medal of Honor awards not involving air combat.

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Colonel Craw's Medal of Honor citation:

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.

Major Hamilton's Citation for the Medal of Honor

 The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Major (Air Corps) Pierpont Morgan Hamilton, United States Army Air Forces, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty while serving as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Western Task Force, in North Africa during the landings of Operation Torch. On 8 November 1942, near Port Lyautey, French Morocco, Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton volunteered to accompany Colonel Demas Craw on a dangerous mission to the French commander, designed to bring about a cessation of hostilities. Driven away from the mouth of the Sebou River by heavy shelling from all sides, the landing boat was finally beached at Mehdia Plage despite continuous machinegun fire from three low-flying hostile planes. Driven in a light truck toward French headquarters, this courageous mission encountered intermittent firing, and as it neared Port Lyautey a heavy burst of machinegun fire was delivered upon the truck from pointblank range, killing Colonel Craw instantly. Although captured immediately, after this incident, Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton completed the mission.

 

 *I had no knowledge of Port Lyautey, French Morocco, but Google came to the rescue.  The gap at the very top of the map is the Strait of Gibraltar to help with location.

 Sources

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demas_T._Craw#Medal_of_Honor_citation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierpont_M._Hamilton