Truman Crawford Dies; Led Marine Bugle Corps

[thedrifter]

By Graeme Zielinski
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 6, 2003; Page B06


Col. Truman W. Crawford, 68, commander of the Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps from 1973 until retiring in 1998, died March 3 at a hospital in Hershey, Pa. He had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

He lived in Washington from 1953 to 1963 and again from 1967 to the 1990s, when he moved to Stafford. He moved to Orrtanna, Pa., in 1998.

Charismatic and exacting, Col. Crawford was credited with transforming "The Commandant's Own," based at the historic Marine barracks at Eighth and I streets SE, into a professional organization and a spectacular recruiting tool that blasted audiences the world over with a rousing wall of sound.

"We were pretty much a bunch of hack musicians before he came around," said the bugle corps' current commander, Maj. Brent Harrison.

Col. Crawford's influence extended well beyond the Marines. At points in the 1960s and 1970s, virtually every championship drum and bugle corps in the country was playing one of the hundreds of arrangements he made.

"For a drum and bugle corps, he was our John Philip Sousa," said Michael H. Gardner, who had been the corps' drum major under Col. Crawford.

Drum and bugle corps gained in popularity after World War I, when veterans began using bugles as musical instruments instead of for their primary purpose, to signal troops. The Marine version was formed in 1934.

Col. Crawford became enamored of the form as a high school student in his native Endicott, N.Y., where he heard a performance of the U.S. Air Force Drum and Bugle Corps. Shortly after graduation in 1953, he auditioned for the group and was accepted as a baritone bugler.

In short order, he became the corps' musical director and senior noncommissioned officer. But the unit was disbanded in 1963, and he moved to Chicago to run a music store.

He continued to arrange and consult with civilian drum and bugle corps. Based on his reputation, he was asked to join the Marines in 1967 as a chief music arranger.

During his tenure there, he jazzed up the playlist with show tunes and other popular music, and instituted a "slide-and-glide" style of marching that was a cool display of military efficiency. He also was influential in persuading manufacturers to produce bugles with two valves instead of one, allowing a greater range of notes.

Rangy and bespectacled, Col. Crawford was a picture of ease when he was directing, seeming to will the music out of his scarlet-clad troops as he rolled back and forth on his heels. He performed before nine presidents, many of whom he knew on a first-name basis.

In 1979, he was given a scant two weeks to prepare a performance at Camp David, where Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachim Begin would have a diplomatic breakthrough. Recalling the experience in a 1997 interview with the Baltimore Sun, he said that the first words out of Begin's mouth after the performance were, "What a marvelous art form."

When he retired, he was the oldest Marine on active duty.

Among his decorations were the Legion of Merit, the Navy Commendation Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal.

He also was inducted in 1979 into the Drum Corps Hall of Fame and had received the top honors of Drum Corps International and Kappa Kappa Psi, the national honorary band fraternity.

He was a volunteer in the music programs of the Washington Metropolitan Police Boys Club, a coach of the Capital Boys Hockey Club and an official with the American Amateur Hockey Association. He also played in a senior hockey league.

Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Lucille Ellis Crawford of Orrtanna; two sons, Robert, of Altoona, Pa., and Truman Jr., of Arlington; two daughters, Cynthia Crawford of Stevensville, Md., and Lisa Crawford of Stafford; two brothers; two sisters; and eight grandchildren.


© 2003 The Washington Post Company


Rest in Peace........


Sempers,

Roger

[thedrifter]

Commandant's Own" mourns loss of cherished friend, former director
Submitted by: Marine Barracks 8th & I
Story Identification Number: 200331084544
Story by Marine Barracks Public Affairs Office



MARINE BARRACKS, WASHINGTON, D.C.(March 5, 2003) -- Retired Marine Col. Truman W. Crawford, former commanding officer and director of the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, died Monday of complications from pneumonia while a patient at the Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pa. Crawford, who suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), was 68.

A full honors funeral will be conducted March 27 at Arlington National Cemetery.

Colonel Crawford's military career spanned the terms of nine U.S. presidents. Before he retired from the Marine Corps in 1998 at age 64, he was the oldest Marine on active duty.

"Colonel Crawford was an innovator in Marine music, a tremendous talent, and a stickler for excellence at every level," said Maj. Brent A. Harrison, Drum and Bugle Corps commanding officer. "The popularity and prestige of 'The Commandant's Own' would not have reached the level of musical performance we enjoy today without his hard work, dedication and leadership.

"Prior to assuming command of "The Commandant's Own" in 1973, Crawford served as the musical arranger and instructor of this scarlet-coated organization of elite Marine musicians.

Born April 1, 1934 in Endicott, N.Y., Crawford began his musical career at the age of eight, playing the fife in a colonial fife and drum corps. Later years found him studying all of the brass and percussion instruments, while majoring in music education and studying privately with noted music educators. It was while he was in high school that he was first introduced to drum and bugle corps. He immediately launched his career in that facet of music, not only as a performer, but subsequently as an arranger, scoring arrangements for local units at the age of 17.

During his senior year in high school he witnessed a performance of the U.S. Air Force Drum and Bugle Corps from Washington, D.C. Shortly after graduation he auditioned for, and was accepted into, the unit in February 1953 as an instrumentalist. After two years, he was appointed musical director of the Drum Corps, and in 1957 at the age of 23, had risen to the rank of master sergeant, noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the entire unit. During his 10-year career in the Air Force, he traveled extensively with the unit throughout the United States and abroad, completing six tours of Europe and Great Britain, as well as two extensive tours of the Far East. During his time with the Air Force he devoted considerable hours studying privately with noted arrangers and conductors, taking every advantage to enhance his musical career.

In 1963, the unit was disbanded due to manpower reductions, and Crawford left the Air Force to pursue a career in private enterprise, specifically, a music store catering to the needs of civilian bands and drum and bugle corps. From 1963 through 1967 he enjoyed a distinguished career and was recognized as one of the premiere musical instructors, arrangers, and adjudicators in the entire nation. Various units he was affiliated with won countless awards and titles, and in 1965, every major drum and bugle corps titleholder in the United States and Canada was instructed by or performed the musical arrangements of Crawford. This extraordinary achievement has yet to be duplicated by any other person in the history of drum and bugle corps.

In March 1967, Crawford initiated his third career, having been selected by the Commandant of the Marine Corps for special assignment as the arranger/instructor of "The Commandant's Own," the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. Entering the Marine Corps as a staff sergeant, he quickly rose to the rank of master sergeant prior to his subsequent appointment as a warrant officer in December 1973.

In April 1977, Crawford was awarded a presidential appointment to the rank of captain. "At the time, there was no provision to promote officers in the "Commandant's Own" above the rank of chief warrant officer 4," according to Maj. Harrison. "He set a precedence when he was commissioned a captain." He was promoted during a special ceremony conducted by the 26th Commandant, Gen. Louis H. Wilson.

"When the Drum and Bugle Corps split from Headquarters and Support Company and formed a company of its own, the table of organization was changed to reflect the CO's billet be filled by a major," said Maj. Harrison. Crawford was awarded his second presidential appointment in August 1982, and was promoted to the rank of major by the 27th Commandant, Gen. Robert H. Barrow. In March 1989, Crawford was awarded his third presidential appointment and was promoted to lieutenant colonel by the 29th Commandant, Gen. Alfred M. Gray. In Sept. 1994, Crawford was awarded his fourth presidential appointment, and was promoted to the rank of colonel by the 30th Commandant, Gen. Carl E. Mundy Jr. "Col. Crawford's promotions to lieutenant colonel and to colonel were unique and justified by his contributions to the Marine Corps," Maj. Harrison explained.

Since its inception in 1934, "The Commandant's Own" has enjoyed a long and distinguished history. During Crawford's tour at Marine Barracks "8th and I," the Drum Corps was the recipient of five Meritorious Unit Commendation Medals and a Navy Unit Commendation Medal for performing a wide variety of diverse assignments with uncompromising dedication, loyalty and skill. During this nation's bicentennial, the Freedom Foundation of Valley Forge awarded the unit the George Washington Honor Medal for its tireless effort in projecting through its performance, faith and commitment to America and her way of life. "The Commandant's Own" appeared in Melbourne, Australia in 1982, and in 1985 was featured at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney, Australia. It was subsequently chosen to represent the nation in the 1988 Bicentennial celebration of Australia, where it was featured in a month long appearance "down under." This distinct honor reflected the growth in size, proficiency, versatility and popularity of "The Commandant's Own" in recent years. It was as well indicative of Crawford's uncommon devotion to duty and commitment to achieve a degree of musical excellence and performance effectiveness unequaled by any other unit of its type in the Armed Forces of the United States today.

Crawford's prominence in the music field was reflected in the countless requests by musical organizations, associations, as well as major colleges and universities, for his services as an instructor, arranger and adjudicator. While his availability was limited due to his Marine Corps commitments, his accomplishments resulted in his being awarded numerous honors, awards and accolades. In 1976 the Navy League of the United States awarded him the "Scroll of Honor." Crawford performed at Camp David during the Camp David Peace Accords hosted by President Jimmy Carter in September 1978. He was inducted into the "Drum Corps Hall of Fame" in 1979. In 1980 he was awarded the prestigious "Distinguished Service to Music Medal" by the Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity for his extraordinary accomplishments and exceptional service to American Bands. Also in 1980, Crawford was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for his exemplary performance as Director of "The Commandant's Own." In October 1982, Crawford was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in recognition of his exceptional record of meritorious service in his continuing role as commanding officer of this world-renowned military musical organization. In 1991, at the International Drum Corps championship in Dallas, Texas, Crawford was inducted into the prestigious Drum Corps International Hall of Fame in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the growth of the drum corps activity throughout the world. In March 1996, Crawford was awarded the Legion of Merit in a special ceremony at historic Marine Barracks in recognition of his continuing meritorious service as leader of "The Commandant's Own."

Crawford's versatility was reflected in the various outside activities he was involved with throughout the years. He worked with underprivileged children for several years in the music program of the District of Columbia's Metropolitan Police Boys Club, as well as coached basketball in the boys club program in suburban Maryland. He also coached hockey with Capital Boys Hockey Club for several years, and subsequently became a hockey official with the American Amateur Hockey Association, officiating games throughout the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area.


Colonel Truman W. Crawford
Photo by: USMC


Sempers,

Roger