The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Colonel (Air Corps) Demas Thurlow Craw, United States Army Air Forces, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the XII Ground Air Support Command, Western Task Force, during Operation Torch in North Africa. On 8 November 1942, near Port Lyautey, French Morocco, Colonel Craw volunteered to accompany the leading wave of assault boats to the shore and pass through the enemy lines to locate the French commander with a view to suspending hostilities. This request was first refused as being too dangerous but upon the officer’s insistence that he was qualified to undertake and accomplish the mission he was allowed to go. Encountering heavy fire while in the landing boat and unable to dock in the river because of shell fire from shore batteries, Colonel Craw, accompanied by one officer and one soldier, succeeded in landing on the beach at Mehdia Plage under constant low-level strafing from three enemy planes. Riding in a bantam truck toward French headquarters, progress of the party was hindered by fire from our own naval guns. Nearing Port Lyautey, Colonel Craw was instantly killed by a sustained burst of machinegun fire at pointblank range from a concealed position near the road.