Hosea Fain Crawford was born on September 9, 1922, in Shelburn, Indiana. He was the son of Hosea Harrison Crawford and Goldie Mae Elizabeth Crockett Crawford. He was married to Constance Ann "Connie" Virga Collins. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces on October 21, 1942. He served in the 364th Bomber Squadron, 305th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Radio Operator of the B-17 #42-3436 during World War II.

On October 14, 1943, the B-17F Flying Fortress #42-3436 joined a major Allied mission to bomb Schweinfurt's industrial targets. Known as "Black Thursday," the raid faced fierce resistance, with bombers lacking long-range fighter escorts. The aircraft came under heavy attack from German fighters, suffering critical damage, including hits to its number 2 engine. Around 13:45, the B-17 broke apart midair. The tail section, with two deceased waist gunners, fell near a Dutch coal mine, while the nose section crashed in Germany near Finkenrath. Five crew members survived but were captured; the co-pilot was never found.

SSgt Crawford was captured and held at Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikendorf Near Krems Austria until May 1945. Following his military service, Crawford worked as an air traffic controller with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), living in various states, including Washington, Massachusetts, Alaska, and Indiana. SSgt Crawford died in 1990 and is now buried in the Green Valley Cemetery, Sahuarita, Pima County, Arizona, USA.

Source of information: www.americanairmuseum.com