Charles Maurice Crawford was born and raised in Stockton, California. Charles and his older brother Harley where the two children of Bess and Stanley Crawford.

Maurice, as Charles M Crawford was known, graduated from Lottie Grunsky Grammar School and then Stockton High School in 1943.

While in school he delivered the local newspaper for several years. He was an excellent student in high school and was very interested in the sciences. While in high school he learned everything he could about photography. He had many photos in his class yearbook. He also had a small hand printing press that he used to print small business sized cards for his friends.

He never learned to drive a car because of gas rationing and during the summer of 1943 Maurice worked in a cannery canning peaches before going into the Army later in the year.

Maurice as his brother Harley both joined the ranks ... Maurice joined the Army, Harley went to the Navy ...Maurice went to basic training in the Army and then to Arkansas State College for ASTP (Army Special Training Program). This program was closed down and all the students were sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, for infantry training.

Maurice was asigned to the 99th Infantry Division, where he was attached to the First Battalion of the 395th Infantry Regiment, Company A.

Early December of 1944 the 99th Infantry Division was fighting in the vicinity of Elsenborn (Belgium), trying to crack the Siegfriedline. On a ("succesful") mission to locate minefields and pillboxes near Wahlerscheid, Maurice was killed on patrol, on 2 December 1944. Living just four months short of twenty years, Maurice Crawford accomplished a lot.

In May 1946 Maurice's parents received a letter from a close friend of Maurice, Howard Dahlgren from Minnesota ... The first part of the letter describes when and where Maurice and Howard became friends ...

Further on in the letter, Howard Dahlgren explains to Maurice's parents the circumstances of Maurice's death ...

Harley Crawford lost his brother in the war, but he met his wife Shirley in the Navy. These days Harley and Shirley Crawford reside in Santa Rosa, California.

These days Maurice Crawford rests in the beautiful American Military Cemetery at Henri-Chapelle ... He is remembered and honored by his brother Harley and Harley's wife Shirley, the Crawford family and the Woolley family.