This interesting and unbelievable incident took place in Colorado. An unassuming Janitor who never talked to anyone and for the same reason wasn’t even noticed by anyone at a school left each and every student in the school with a stutter. It even made the headlines of top newspapers and was all over the Television. Take a look at this exciting and thrilling story!

An Unassuming Janitor

One cannot say that the officers and cadets staying in the US Air Force Academy situated in Colorado Springs were wrong in considering William “Bill” Crawford who worked as the janitor there as unimpressive. As hardly anyone tries to even care by looking at a man in such a low-key profession. But, William who was working in the Academy for years, was no ordinary janitor and had an unbelievable past.

Discreet and Diligent

Still, one thing that everyone praised William for was his dedication towards the work and the discipline he showed towards mopping the floors of the academy and collecting janitorial supplies. He was very silent and rarely could be seen talking to anyone. This was one of the major reasons for no one paying attention towards him. But, this was going to change completely soon. When asked about William, Retired Air Force Col. James Moschgat, who used to be in the academy at the same time as Crawford described as a man who was extremely shy with the age gap acting between him and the cadets being the major barrier of communication.“The Academy, one of the premier leadership lab in the USA, kept us busy from dawn till dusk. And Mr. Crawford … well, he was just a janitor,” recalled Moschgat.

Ordinary or Extraordinary

As already told before, Crawford hardly talked with anybody in the family. This intensified the mystery-shrouded with his personal life even more. Though, one could judge from his looks and body structure that he was “retired military”. William’s only desire was to work dutifully and add to the benefits of his pension package. It was the rare instances of a cadet initiating the talk that people would witness Crawford uttering words from his mouth. One thing which was clearly evident was the fact that Crawford felt proud to be associated with the academy even if it was by working as a Janitor. It was the year 1976 that would prove to be revolutionary for the Academy.

 

An Unsung Hero

It gave the cadet goosebumps to even think of any possible connection between the person talked about and the janitor. He was dead set to unravel the truth. He wanted to find it anyhow. Eventually, his doubt was clarified when he witnessed Crawford running with the book that had initiated everything. The cadet was able to get hold of the old janitor after a puzzled chase. Everyone present around the janitor was taken aback when he reluctantly replied, “Yep, that’s me” on being asked about the connection. He went on to say, “That was a long time ago and one day in my life”. Crawford was narrating the incident calmly but had no idea of it becoming the reason for increasing excitement in the hearts of the cadet.

Long Overdue Recognition

Crawford was surprised to see then-President Ronald Reagan in the ceremony along with the cadets, generals, alumni, and staff. The event took place in the year 1984, as the President praised Crawford and hailed him as an inspiration for the future generations and acknowledged the fact that Crawford had gone “above and beyond the call of duty” in order to protect his fellow soldiers. The President started by saying, “Now, there’s something I want to do that means a lot to me and, I’m sure, will mean a lot to you” and went on to describe the act of bravery, his service to the country while in Europe.