Roscoe Crawford Obituary

Brigadier General Roscoe Campbell (Rocky) Crawford, Jr., former Director of Operations at NORAD Headquarters and longtime Colorado Springs resident died on November 10, 2013. He was born in Ancon, Panama Canal Zone, on December 11, 1916, son of then U.S. Army Captain Roscoe C. Crawford and Nancy (Johnson) Crawford.



General Crawford graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. in 1939 and served a full military career as a pilot, commander and staff officer in the Army Air Corps and, on its activation in 1947, the U.S. Air Force.

In 1941 he married Jeanne Wilkerson who died in 1994 leaving two sons, a daughter, and two granddaughters. Since that time, a great granddaughter was born and survives him. In 1998 he married Marianne Heintges, widow of Lt. General John A. Heintges, former Fort Carson Commander. Marianne survives, as do General Crawford's step son, step daughter, step grandson, and step granddaughter.

In World War two he served in the Southwest Pacific Theater as Director of Combat Operations for the 13th Air Force, flying from air bases on Guadalcanal, New Guinea and the Philippines. His two favorite Cold war assignments in the 1960s were as commander of the of the 405th fighter wing at Clark Field in the Philippines and the 39th Air Division at Miswa Air Base in Northern Japan.

After retiring from the Air Force he was very involved in community activities, serving as Chairman of the following Boards: The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, The Pikes Peak Chapter of the American Red Cross, Citizen's Goal and Retired Military Officers Association. He was a member of the Cheyenne Mountain Country Club and the Broadmoor Golf Club, winning the Club golfing Championship in 1975. An avid sportsman, he also enjoyed tennis and back-country skiing in the Colorado Mountains. For 25 years he competed in skiing, biathlon, and speed skating races in the Rocky Mountain Seniors Winter Games.

Graveside services with full military honors will be held in the cemetery at the U.S. Air Force Academy (Memorial Pavillion) on November 15, 2013 at 1:00 pm, use Northgate is you do not have a Military ID.

In Lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 30 Dale St. 80903.