Demas Craw
| Demas Thurlow Craw | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Nick, "Nicodemus" |
| Born |
April 9, 1900 Traverse City, Michigan |
| Died | November 8, 1942 (aged 42) near Port Lyautey, French Morocco |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch |
United States Army United States Army Air Forces |
| Years of service | 1918 - 1942 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held | 19th Pursuit Squadron |
| Battles/wars |
World War II *Operation Torch |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Demas Thurlow "Nick" 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. Craw and Maj. Pierpont M. Hamilton were the first Army Air Forces recipients of the Medal in the European-Mediterranean theater of World War II and the only AAF members to be awarded that decoration for valor not involving air combat.
Craw was born in Long Lake Township, Michigan, to Mark Craw, a game warden, and his wife Clara. He was twin brother to Theron Craw, who died in a hunting accident in 1927. A younger sister, Jane, became a registered nurse and served in the Army Nurse Corps during World War II. The twins attended Traverse City public schools, but dropped out of Traverse City Central High School during World War I to enlist in the United States Army on April 18, 1918, at Columbus Barracks, Ohio. Craw was sent to Camp Stanley, Texas, for training with the 12th Cavalry, then transferred to Columbus, New Mexico, on the border with Mexico. He was promoted to private first class in November 1918 and sent to Machine Gun School at Camp Hancock, Georgia. There he applied for and was selected to attend the Central Officer’s Training School at Camp Gordon, Georgia.
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