Jack “Shorty” Crawford Enrolls in National Youth Administration School

04 Jan Jack “Shorty” Crawford Enrolls in National Youth Administration School

July 27, 1941

Jack “Shorty” Crawford

Enrolls in National Youth Administration School

Jack Crawford joined the National Guard in 1939. He was assigned to the 214^th Coast Artillery Unit. During that summer, their unit was in Florida for training. Crawford had hurt his knee paying football in high school, and it would jump out of joint sometimes. At one point Crawford asked for a pass to go to town. His Lieutenant said he would grant him a pass if he could do a couple of back flips. Crawford commenced to do a back flip and when he landed, his knee jumped out of joint. The doctors physically disqualified him to be in the Army National Guard. That was the end of his Army career and he had no chance of service in WWII. Therefore, he enrolled in the National Youth Administration School (NYA).

The NYA gave him free room and board plus ten dollars per month. He worked on the job training. They provided classes in woodwork, sheet metal, aircraft mechanics, welding, auto mechanics, radio shop and more to provide things needed by the government.

Later in life, Crawford settled in Fayetteville. He was a member of Fayetteville First Baptist Church. He was an artist. He did paintings and worked with copper.

Jack Crawford died in 2000

Sources: My Grandpa was no sissy by Jack Crawford and Shawn Self; 1998

By Angela Pendleton