This Military Service Page was created/owned by
A3C Michael Bell (Unit Historian)
to remember
Crandall, Robert Vernon, Lt Col.
If you knew or served with this Airman and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
Contact Info
Home Town Morris, OK
Last Address Honolulu, HI
Date of Passing Apr 07, 1972
Location of Interment Arlington Municipal Cemetery - Arlington, Washington
REMEMBRANCE IN PROGRESS - SUBJECT TO CHANGE --------- This profile is based upon, and credited to, the research of USMF member Frank_Smith (user name) who collected a grouping named to this officer which may be seen at: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=60590&hl= ---------
Other Comments:
"I purchased this grouping from the directly from the family in 2001. According to what they told me, Robert V. Crandall joined the Army in 1940 and ended WWII as a Warrant Officer serving with Army (Signal Corps) Intelligence. When the Air Force separated from the Army in 1947, he became an Air Force Officer and remained in intelligence, primarily involving communications and photo reconnaissance. From August 1960 to June 1963, Captain Crandall served as the Assistant Secretary for Joint Chiefs of Staff Matters, Directorate of Plans, Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations, Headquarters, United States Air Force. For service during this period, Crandall was awarded the Commendation Medal (Army type). He was then transferred to the Air Force Academy where he served as the Deputy Director and Director of Administrative Services. While serving in this capacity from July 1963 to May 1968, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and awarded his second Commendation Medal (Air Force type). He went on to serve as the Chief, Publishing Division, and as Deputy Director, Directorate of Administration, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces from June 1968 until is death (I believe of natural causes) on 7 April 1972. For his service during this period, he was posthumously awarded the Legion of Merit.
As you can tell by the pictures, the grouping is rather extensive and contains the following items:
1. Crandall?s 1938 annual from Riverside Polytechnic High School. 2. Many ID cards from the various phases of his service. The ones from Spain are most interesting. There are also a few photos of him in uniform (primarily from WWII) and training photos. 3. A large older style certificate awarding Captain Crandall the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award while serving with the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, (M), Photo. The document has been folded. 4. The citation and certificate in the original folder for his 1st Commendation Medal. 5. The citation and certificate in the original folder for his 2nd Commendation Medal. 6. A small booklet describing the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel. 7. The orders, citation, and certificate in the original holder for his posthumous Legion of Merit. There are also approximately seven onion skin copies of both the citation and orders that come in a Pacific Air Forces folder that is named to LTC Crandall. 8. LTC Crandall?s Certificate or Retirement and Retirement Order in the original large blue folder.
The medals with lot include the following:
1. Crandall?s posthumous crimp broach Legion of Merit that comes in a period Arrow style case with a ribbon bar, lapel pin, and original foam padding. The medal in engraved on the reverse with the initials, ?RVC?. 2. Crandall?s first issue Army type crimp over slot broach Commendation Medal that comes in a clear (1950?s) plastic case with a ribbon bar and a lapel pin. The case comes in its gray colored protective bag and its shipping box. The medal is engraved in a script style to, ?R. V. Crandall?. 3. Crandall?s crimp broach Air Force Commendation Medal that comes in a clear (1950?s) plastic case with a ribbon bar and a lapel pin. The case comes inside a blue colored protective bag and its shipping box that has ?Crandall? written in pencil on the lid. The medal is officially machine engraved to ?ROBERT V. CRANDALL?. 4. A WWII slot broach Army Good Conduct Medal in its original box (box damaged). 5. A WWII American Campaign Medal in the original Heckethorn box with a ribbon bar. 6. A WWII Victory Medal in the original J. R. Wood Products 1946 dated box with a ribbon bar (box damaged). 7. A 1st strike National Defense Medal in its Daniel Smilo & Sons box with a ribbon bar. 8. An early strike of the Air Force Armed Forces Reserve Medal in the original Daniel Smilo & Sons box with a ribbon bar. 9. A Korean Service Medal with two ribbon bars in the 1955 dated Medallic Art Company box (box damaged). 10. A UN Korean Service Medal in the original box. 11. A beautiful mounted set of Crandall?s miniature medals in the original box.
There is also Crandall?s evening dress bow tie and a box containing the following:
1. A matched pair of early USAF Officer Devices. 2. A WWII Ruptured Duck. 3. A pair of USAF cuff links. 4. Several USAF buttons and hat screw buttons. 5. A matched set of pin back VWF devices (perhaps his father?s?). 6. Several ribbon bars and devices (clusters & stars) that have not been mounted. 7. Two name tags. 8. Three sheets of negatives that appear to be from WWII.
I?m sure that I?m failing to describe some of the items that come with the group.
The other than what I have pointed out, everything is in excellent shape showing only light storage age.
This is a nice and affordable named officers grouping to an individual who gave over 32 years of his life serving his country..."
Frank_Smith -----------
Korean War/Third Korean Winter (1952-53)
From Month/Year
December / 1952
To Month/Year
April / 1953
Description The military stalemate continued throughout the winter of 1952-1953. Allied Sabrejet pilots, meantime, persisted in destroying MiGs at a decidedly favorable ratio. In December the Communists developed an ambush tactic against F-86 pilots patroling along the Yalu River: MiG pilots would catch the UN aircraft as they ran short of fuel and headed south to return to base. During these engagements, some of the F-84 pilots exhausted their fuel and had IO bail out over Cho-do Island, 60 miles southwest of Pyongyang.
United Nations forces held the island and maintained an air rescue detachment there for such emergencies. To avoid combat while low on fuel, Sabre pilots began to fly home over the Yellow Sea. MiG pilots at this time generally sought the advantages of altitude, speed, position, and numbers before engaging in aerial combat. The UN pilots, on the other hand, relied on their skills to achieve aerial victories, even though they were outnumbered and flying aircraft that did not quite match the flight capabilities of the MiG-15s.
One memorable battle occurred on February l8, 1953, near the Sui-ho Reservoir on the Yalu River, 110 miles north of Pyongyang; 4 F-86Fs attacked 48 MiGs, shot down 2, and caused 2 others to crash while taking evasive action. All 4 U.S. aircraft returned safely to their base. While the Fifth Air Force maintained air superiority over North Korea during daylight hours, the Far East Air Forces Bomber Command on nighttime missions ran afoul of increasingly effective Communist interceptors. The aging B- 29s relied on darkness and electronic jamming for protection from both interceptors and antiaircraft gunfire, but the Communists used spotter aircraft and searchlights to reveal bombers to enemy gun crews and fighter-interceptor pilots.
As B-29 losses mounted in late 1952, the Bomber Command compressed bomber formations to shorten the time over targets and increase the effectiveness of electronic countermeasures. The Fifth Air Force joined the Navy and Marines to provide fighter escorts to intercept enemy aircraft before they could attack the B-29s. Bomber Command also restricted.missions along the Yalu to cloudy, dark nights because on clear nights contrails gave away the bombers' positions. FEAF lost no more B-29s after January 1953, although it continued its missions against industrial targets. On March 5 the B-29s penetrated deep into enemy territory to bomb a target at Chongjin in northeastern Korea, only 63 miles from the Soviet border. While Bomber Command struck industrial targets throughout North Korea during the winter of 1952-1953, the Fifth Air Force cooperated with the U.S. Navy's airmen in attacks on supplies, equipment, and troops near the from fines.
In December 1952 the Eighth Army moved its bombline from 10,000 to 3,000 meters from the front lines, enabling Fifth Air Force and naval fighter-bombers to target areas closer to American positions. Beyond the front lines, the Fifth Air Force focused on destroying railroads and bridges, allowing B-26s to bomb stalled vehicles. In January 1953 the Fifth Air Force attempted to cut the 5 railroad bridges over the Chongchon Estoary near Sinanju, 40 miles north of Pyongyang. Expecting trains to back up in marshaling yards at Sinanju, Bomber Command sent B-29s at night to bomb them, but these operations hindered enemy transportation only briefly.
As the ground thawed in the spring, however, the Communist forces had greater difficulty moving supplies and reinforcements in the face of the Fifth Air Force's relentless attacks on transportation. At the end of March 1953, the Chinese Communist government indicated its willingness to exchange injured and ill prisoners of war and discuss terms for a cease-fire in Korea. On April 20 Communist and United Nations officials began an exchange of POWs, and 6 days later, resumed the sessions at Panmunjom.