Carl Wayne Gray Genealogies
English
Crackel, Harold Leon 'Toad'
1924 - 2021 (96 years)-
Name Crackel, Harold Leon 'Toad' Harold Leon 'Toad' Crackel (1924-2021) Birth 25 Nov 1924 Illinois 
[1, 2] Gender Male Census 
1940 Census, Clay City (Village), Clay County, Illinois, page 03a
1940 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois, (District 13-3) (Village), image 06, page 03a
The writing in the 1940 Federal census for Clay City, Illinois is sometimes difficult to read. Ancestry.com has attempted to index this census, but there are many transcription errors.
Reference Number CRAC.H001 _FGRAVE 222920247 Military Service World War II, Flight Officer, 333rd Troop Carrier Squadron, 513th Troop Carrier Group, United States Army Air Forces [3, 4] - Served as an enlisted man prior to December 7, 1941. Volunteered for flight training in mid-1943. Upon graduation as a rated pilot, promoted to Flight Officer and entered active service in that capacity on September 8, 1944. Trained as a Twin EnEngine Transport Pilot (mos 1051). Departed the Continental U.S. on March 9, 1945 bound for the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations. Assigned to combat support missions with the C-47. Equipped 333rd Troop Carrier Squadron, 513th Troop Carrier Group through the Central Burma and China Offensive Campaigns. Missions included evacuation of wounded to India. Earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 2 bronze battle stars and the WWII Victory Medal. Honorably separated from the service as a Flight Officer on January 27, 1946 at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri.
This information has been posted on the National World War II Memorial's Registry of Remembrances website by Robert Medley Gatewood. It is entered here with his permission.
Source: https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=1936554
Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007
On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans.
Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event.
This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. …
Harold Leon Crackel (1924-2021) World War II Honoree, Crackel, Harold L. (1924-2021) 
Air Medal, United States 
Military Service Ribbons, Crackel, Harold Leon 'Toad' (1924-2021)
Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
American Defense Service Medal, United States Armed Forces 
Air Medal, United States Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces 
American Defense Service Medal, United States Armed Forces China Burma India Theater -- World War II 
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces Distinguished Flying Cross, United States Armed Forces 
Distinguished Flying Cross, United States Armed Forces Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota 
Flight Officer (abbreviated as FO), United States Army
(1941-1947)
Flight Officer 
United States Army Air Forces Jefferson Barracks Military Post, Lemay, Missouri 
World War II Victory Medal, United States Military United States Army Air Forces 
United States of America Flag, 48 Stars (1912-1959)
In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959,…Warrant officer, United States Armed Forces Warrant Officer, United States Military World War II
(1939-1945)World War II Victory Medal, United States Military Death 19 Jan 2021 Grass Valley, Nevada County, California [3] Burial Clay City Cemetery, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois [5] 
Headstone, Crackel, Kathern L. and Harold L.
Displayed with permission of Lady in Black
Person ID I18550 Carl Wayne Gray Research Last Modified 20 Jul 2023
Father Crackel, C. Walter, b. 20 Oct 1896, Illinois d. 22 Nov 1969, Clay County, Illinois (Age 73 years) Mother Bateman, Bertha E., b. 26 Nov 1897, Clay County, Illinois d. 18 Feb 1994, Washington, Franklin County, Missouri (Age 96 years) Marriage Y [1, 2, 6] Family ID F8341 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Putnam, Kathern L. 'Putt', b. 22 Mar 1927 d. 18 Sep 2015, Grass Valley, Nevada County, California (Age 88 years) Marriage Y [3] Children + 1. Crackel, Norma L., b. 29 Jul 1952, Flora, Clay County, Illinois d. 1 Apr 2009, Trident Medical Center, Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina (Age 56 years)Family ID F5317 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 31 Jan 2023
- Served as an enlisted man prior to December 7, 1941. Volunteered for flight training in mid-1943. Upon graduation as a rated pilot, promoted to Flight Officer and entered active service in that capacity on September 8, 1944. Trained as a Twin EnEngine Transport Pilot (mos 1051). Departed the Continental U.S. on March 9, 1945 bound for the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations. Assigned to combat support missions with the C-47. Equipped 333rd Troop Carrier Squadron, 513th Troop Carrier Group through the Central Burma and China Offensive Campaigns. Missions included evacuation of wounded to India. Earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 2 bronze battle stars and the WWII Victory Medal. Honorably separated from the service as a Flight Officer on January 27, 1946 at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri.
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Event Map 
Birth - 25 Nov 1924 - Illinois 
Death - 19 Jan 2021 - Grass Valley, Nevada County, California 
Burial - - Clay City Cemetery, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois = Link to Google Earth
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Documents At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
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Notes - Harold Leon Crackel, aka "Toad" or "Popsie," World War II pilot, expert woodworker, skilled welder, lifelong learner, proud resident of southern Illinois for 90 years, and most notably a strong willed debater, died January 19, 2021 at the age of 96 in Grass Valley, CA.
He was preceded in death by his daughter and son-in-law, Norma and Dennis Carder and by his wife and sweetheart of 70 years, Kathern "Putty" Crackel. He will be forever missed by his daughter and son-in-law: Vicki and John Deam; his granddaughters: Rachelle (Nate) Ferguson, Shannon (Sam) Ward; and his great grandsons: Kaden Ferguson, Carder Ferguson and Dylan Burrow.
- Harold Leon Crackel, aka "Toad" or "Popsie," World War II pilot, expert woodworker, skilled welder, lifelong learner, proud resident of southern Illinois for 90 years, and most notably a strong willed debater, died January 19, 2021 at the age of 96 in Grass Valley, CA.
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Sources - [S3157] Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois, (District 13-3) (Village), image 5, page 3a, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2442/M-T0627-00769-00053?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.asp) (Reliability: 3).
- [S248] Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Illinois, (District 0003) (Village), image 03, page 2a, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/6224/4584337_00604?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fd), none. (Reliability: 2).
- [S10727] http://findagrave.com, Obituary, Crackel, Harold Leon, (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/222920247/harold-leon-crackel), none. (Reliability: 2).
- [S14791] World War II Honoree, Harold L. Crackel, (https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=1936554), none. (Reliability: 1).
- [S12478] http://findagrave.com, Headstone, Crackel, Kathern L. and Harold L., (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/152527487/kathern-l-crackel), none. (Reliability: 2).
- [S4827] https://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Crackel, Bertha E. and C. Walter, (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18300949/c-walter-crackel), none. (Reliability: 2).
- [S3157] Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois, (District 13-3) (Village), image 5, page 3a, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2442/M-T0627-00769-00053?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.asp) (Reliability: 3).