Demas T. Craw

Demas Thurlow "Nick" Craw 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's distinguished military career spanned from his service during the Mexican Border conflict and World War I to his ultimate sacrifice during World War II. Serving in the air arm of the military, he attained the rank of Colonel and performed critical missions in the European-Mediterranean theater.

On November 8, 1942, during the Allied landings in French North Africa, Colonel Craw volunteered for a hazardous mission behind enemy lines to deliver a peace proposal to the French commander. Despite encountering heavy machine-gun fire, he pushed forward until he was mortally wounded. His bravery and self-sacrifice earned him the Medal of Honor, which was awarded posthumously.