Vietnam Veteran Wounded Twice

Fla. man gets equivalent of 2 Purple Hearts in 44 years
The (Fort Myers, Fla.) News-Press
Chris Umpierre
April 25, 2014

(Photo: Courtesy of Richard Crawford)

Richard Crawford was injured in a war twice in his life, 40 years apart.

The Fort Myers, Fla., resident, now 67, was honored Friday at Camp Lejeune, N.C., with the civilian equivalent of the Purple Heart.

Crawford's acceptance of the 2014 Defense of Freedom Medal, given annually to civilians killed or wounded while serving with the U.S. military, adds a capstone to his military career. Crawford received a 1970 Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam.

"It's special because this makes it over 40 years between Purple Hearts," Crawford said. "There's an old adage: 'Once a Marine, always a Marine.' I think I raised the bar on that one."

At 61, the former Fort Myers Drug Enforcement Administration chief was talked out of retirement to serve as an embedded law- enforcement professional in Iraq. After a tour advising the Marines on investigating roadside bombs, Crawford was recruited again in 2010. This time, the military shipped the 64-year-old to Afghanistan.
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