Mrs. Arminda C. Crawford assumes leadership following installment at annual convention
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – Mrs. Arminda C. Crawford, a longtime member of the staff at thePontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, assumed leadership of the Catholic War Veterans (CWV) of the United States on August 15, 2015, when she was installed as National Commander at the organization’s annual convention in Las Vegas. She is the first woman ever to be elected to this position.
Mrs. Crawford served in the Women’s Army Corps from June 1966 to December 1968 as a Communication Center Specialist and Platoon Sergeant. She joined the Greater Columbus Post 1936 of Catholic War Veterans in 2000, and served as Historian, Welfare Officer, 1st Vice-Commander and Commander. She was elected 1st Vice Commander for the Department of Ohio in 2004, the first woman in the state to serve in such a capacity. The Department of Ohio has since benefited from her leadership in many other roles, including Executive Director, Commander, Welfare Officer, and VAVS Officer. On a national level, she has served on the Executive Board and as a member of several committees. In 2010, Arminda received the Order of Saint Sebastian Award, Catholic War Veterans’ highest honor.
“Mrs. Crawford is the hub of the wheel and the spiritual godmother of our department,” said Larry Wulf, Department of Ohio Commander. Her leadership “turned the Department of Ohio into a well-respected department with increased membership and member involvement.”
Catholic War Veterans was established in 1935 by Reverend Monsignor Edward J. Higgins. The organization received an Apostolic Blessing from Pope Pius XI in 1935 and a Congressional Charter from President Ronald Reagan in 1984. With more than 200 posts throughout the country, including the Joseph Jessing Post at the Josephinum, CWV supports active duty personnel and military chaplains worldwide, as well as veterans at home in the United States. There are 7,520 CWV members in the United States; about 1,000 delegates are eligible to attend the national convention.
As National Commander, Mrs. Crawford will oversee all of the departments within the organization during her two-year term. “The slate of CWV officers – all Viet Nam veterans – share a common vision of increasing membership,” she said. “We are losing so many of our World War II veterans and need to reach out to the veterans from recent wars and conflicts. We hope to accomplish this through an aggressive membership campaign.”
Mrs. Crawford joined the staff of the Josephinum in 1998 and currently serves the seminary as assistant to the administration of the College of Liberal Arts. She and her husband, George, reside in Galena, Ohio, and are active members of Saint Paul Parish, Westerville, in the Diocese of Columbus.
