West TN soldier talks about receiving prestigous award
JACKSON, Tenn. — A National Guard soldier received a prestigious honor, and said he has learned a lot after an incident at the Millington Armory. Tuesday Major Jeff Crawford received the U.S. Army Soldier’s Medal. “The Lord’s not going to give you anything you can’t handle and at the same time, gives you strength to go through it all. I truly believe he was with me that day,” Maj. Crawford explained. Crawford went to the National Guard Armory in Millington to relieve a soldier of duty. That soldier, Amos Patton, has been charged with pulling a gun on Crawford and several others. “The first bullet he fired went through my leg as we were trying to take the gun away from him,” Crawford said. Nearly a year later, Crawford has nearly made a full recovery. This week he was given the prestigious Soldier’s Medal for his heroism. His family is proud of his accomplishment. “To me, that’s what being a soldier is all about, is to be willing to put your life before other people,” Phyllis Crawford, Major Crawford’s wife, said. Crawford kept the piece of sheet rock the bullet went through before it hit him. He said when your life is on the line, you realize what is most important. “You never take for granted those little things in life as you’re going through that life-changing event. You really appreciate those little things in life that make the big things better,” Crawford said. The U.S. Army Soldier’s Medal is an award that has been given to soldiers since 1926.
