FIRST WWII casualty from Johnson Co. TX -- ENS H. D. Crow, Cleburne TX
N 32° 20.843 W 097° 23.191
14S E 651833 N 3580085
When Ensign Howard D. Crow, USN, a native of Johnson County TX, perished in the 7 Dec 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he became the first serviceman killed in WWII from Johnson County TX.
Waymark Code: WMG898
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/27/2013
Views: 4
Howard D. Crow was born in Alvarado TX in 1918. He joined the Navy and was commissioned an Ensign in March 1941. He died on 7 Dec 1941 when Japanese torpedoes hit his battleship, the USS Maryland (BB 46).
ENS Crow was the first Johnson Countian to die in WWII.
From the Abilene TX Reporter News 15 Dec 1941:
"Alvarado Ensign Casualty in war
Cleburne, Tex., Dec 14 (AP) -- The first Johnson County war casualty was Ensign Howard Crow of Alvarado.
The son of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Crow of Alvarado was killed in action, but the details of his death were not announced by the Navy." [end]
The Pat Cleburne Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy erected a marker to his memory on the Johnson Co. Courthouse lawn. ENS Crow is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu HI.
During WWII a new Edsall-class destroyer was built by the Navy and named in ENS Crow's honor. The USS Howard D. Crow (DE 252) saw action in WWII and Korea, before being redesignated a training ship. The USS Crow was finally decommissioned and sold in 1970.
For more on the USS Howard D. Crow, see here: (visit link) and here: (visit link)
For more on ENS Crow the man, see here: (
visit link)
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