Navy Cmdr. James K. Crawford

Remember Our Heroes

Navy Cmdr. James K. Crawford, 50, of East Concord, N.Y.

Cmdr Crawford was assigned to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, supporting operations at the Combined Maritime Forces Coalition Coordination Center at Naval Support Activity, Bahrain; died Sept. 7 of a heart attack while exercising in Manama, Bahrain.

A final goodbye Friday morning for a Western New Yorker who died in the Middle East while serving his country.

Commander James K. Crawford, 50, of East Concord died last Wednesday in a non-combat incident in Manama, Bahrain. Crawford was there as part of Operation New Dawn. His family says Crawford was assigned to Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain where he worked in an Intelligence unit.

Mark Crawford, the brother of the Commander, says he suffered a heart attack while working out and could not be revived. The Defense Department says an investigation is still underway.

A funeral with full military honors was held at SS Peter and Paul Church in Hamburg. Commander Crawford was then laid to rest in SS Peter and Paul Cemetery.

Mark Crawford says his brother was a veteran of the First Gulf War in 1991. He was a Navy reservist for 22 years, And in civilian life he was an agent with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency of the Homeland Security Department.

Navy Cmdr. James K. Crawford died of a heart attack on 9/7/11.