April 7, 2017 – The Charlotte Hornets and Bank of America on Saturday will honor Staff Sergeant Floyd Crawford, USA, Ret., as this season’s sixth and final recipient of the season-long Yellow Ribbon Program. In partnership with Bank of America, the Hornets honor military members and veterans for their unwavering service to our country, and the Yellow Ribbon Program recognizes one of these heroes during one Hornets home game per month. Recipients are featured in the game program, interviewed on “Live at the Hive” on hornets.com, honored prior to the national anthem and during an on-court presentation at halftime and given four tickets to the game. In addition, the Hornets make a $1,000 donation to the recipients' charity of choice.
“As we conclude our Yellow Ribbon Program for the 2016-17 season, the Charlotte Hornets and Bank of America are pleased to honor Staff Sergeant Floyd Crawford, a veteran who served during three of our country’s most significant wars and is still here with us today.” said Hornets Sports & Entertainment President & COO Fred Whitfield. “Veterans like Staff Sergeant Floyd, who protected our country when we needed it most, are the reason we do this program. It is our pleasure to recognize and thank them for what they have done for us.”
Staff Sergeant Crawford spent 24 years in the United States Army, serving in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He enlisted in 1943 at the age of 18, and was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in Korea.
During the early portion of his service, Staff Sergeant Crawford was a paratrooper with the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions. He completed over 138 jumps, including jumping behind enemy lines into Normandy with the 101st one day before the D-Day landing. He was assigned to a tank in Korean, where he was shot in the eye and hit by shrapnel in the back, injuries for which he was awarded the Purple Heart. Staff Sergeant Crawford later served as an advisor during the Vietnam War, spending six months there before retiring from the Army in 1969.
Following his retirement, Staff Sergeant Crawford returned to his hometown of Spindale, NC, where he worked in a factory and spent much of his time volunteering in the community. For 23 years, he volunteered with the Spindale Police Department and Rutherford Country Traffic Control, using his own vehicle and gas, until his health no longer allowed him to do so.
Staff Sergeant Crawford directed traffic in the mornings at Spindale Elementary School, where he often gave children gold dollars to encourage them to be good. He also helped direct traffic for funeral services and parades, allowing regular officers to be free to deal with more urgent matters, and assisted in searches for missing persons or escaped criminals. On several occasions Staff Sergeant Crawford volunteered to travel to assist during emergencies and natural disasters, including Hurricanes Floyd and Andrew in 1992 and 1999, respectively.
This season’s previous Yellow Ribbon Program honorees were Brigadier General Velma L. Richardson, USA, Ret.; late Buffalo Soldier Tomie Louis Gaines Sr.; First Lieutenant Chris E. Franks, USA, Ret.; Technical Sergeant Timothy D. Montjoy, USAF, Ret.; and Lieutenant Colonel Rick Cantwell, USA, Ret. Last season’s honorees were Sergeant First Class Jeremy Hetrick, USA, Ret.; Senior Master Sergeant Horace E. Booker, USAF, Ret.; Specialist Daniel Schugel, USA, Ret.; Captain Sara Yon, USA, Ret.; First Sergeant Ezekiel Ancrum Jr., USA, Ret.; and First Sergeant Randy L. Moore, USA, Ret.