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Airman Third Class Alanna Grayce Maddock Crowder

Alanna Maddox in her Air Force uniform.
  • Unit: 3310th Women’s Air Force Squadron
  • Date of Birth: June 10, 1930
  • Entered the Military: December 17, 1950
  • Date of Death: August 11, 2021
  • Hometown: Jackson, Michigan
  • Place of Death: Galax, Virginia
  • Cemetery: Section CB2, Row D, Grave 55. Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery, Dublin, Virginia
Contributed by Chloe Boone, Brayden Jones, Angel Mercado Ramos, Karina Moreno Santiago, Amora Simmons, and McKenna Watson
Mentored by Ms. Rebecca Simmons
Mount Airy High School
2024/2025

Early Life

Alanna Grayce Maddock was born June 10, 1930, to Donald and Anna May Maddock in Jackson, Michigan. She was the next-to-youngest child, and the second daughter born in the household. Her father was a mechanic while her mother worked as a cook’s helper. 

Maddock grew up in the Jackson area and attended Jackson High School where she was a multi-sport athlete and chorus member. Following her graduation in 1948, Crowder worked as a telephone operator at the utility company in Jackson. 

The Maddock Family living in Jackson, Michigan in 1950. National Archives and Records Administration.
Alanna Grayce Maddock’s senior yearbook entry. Jackson High School, 1948. Courtesy of Viking Alumni.
Alanna Grayce Maddock with the Jackson High Swim Team, 1946. Crowder is in the middle row, third from the right. Ancestry.

Homefront

Crowder’s hometown of Jackson, Michigan had many notable contributions to the war effort during her service. The Kelsey-Hayes Company and the Sparton Corporation manufactured bomb, rocket, and missile components or associated equipment throughout the 1950s. 

Additionally, during the post-World War II period, farming declined, as the number of farms decreased from 187,589 in the 1940 federal census to 155,589 in 1950. While this may have indicated a decline in farming, overall, the number of acres involved in farming decreased only slightly from 18,037,995 in 1940 to 17,269,992 in 1950, and the average size of farms increased.

The Kelsey-Hayes Company purchased the Thorrez-Maes Plant. Jackson Citizen Patriot, August 29, 1950.

Military Experience

Alanna Grayce Maddock joined the U.S. Air Force in 1950. She was stationed at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, then Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas. 

She was assigned to the 3310th Women’s Air Force Squadron at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. Sometime in 1953, Crowder deployed to Germany for a total of 34 months, during which time she played basketball for the Air Force. 

She was honorably discharged September 29, 1954, with a final duty station of Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.

Airman Third Class Alanna Grayce Maddock (right) at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. The Belleville News Democrat, June 23, 1951.
Airman Third Class Alanna Grayce Maddock in uniform. Ancestry Classroom.
Alanna Maddock returned stateside while playing basketball for the U.S. Air Force. Jackson Citizen Patriot, March 21, 1954.

Veteran Experience

Following her service, Alanna Grayce Maddock married William C. Crowder, Jr. on June 4, 1955. She moved to Richmond, Virginia with her new husband and began a family. Throughout the course of their marriage, they had three daughters, two of whom died at birth, and two sons. After the children were grown, the couple moved to Dublin, Virginia. 

While living in Dublin, Crowder became active in both the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post and the American Legion. She participated in the Honor Guard until her placement in the Waddell Nursing Home in Galax, Virginia.

Alanna and William Crowder, married and moved to Richmond, Virginia. Jackson Citizen Patriot, June 15, 1955.
Alanna Grayce Maddock Crowder with Joe Cruff, Steve Wallen, and the VFW National Commander. Courtesy of Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Airman Third Class Alanna Grayce Maddock Crowder. Ancestry Classroom.

Commemoration

Alanna Grayce Maddock Crowder passed away at the Waddell Nursing Home on August 11, 2021. She rests at Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Dublin, Virginia with her husband, William.

The resting place of Alanna Grayce Maddock Crowder at Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Dublin, Virginia, March 27, 2025. Courtesy of Rebecca Simmons.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

“About Those in Service.” Jackson Citizen Patriot [Jackson, MI], March 2, 1951. 

“Airman 3-0 Alanna Maddock.” Jackson Citizen Patriot [Jackson, MI], September 30, 1954. https://myjdl.com/. 

Alanna Grayce Maddock Crowder, Honorable Discharge Certificate. National Cemetery Administration.

Alanna G. Maddock. New York, U.S. Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957. https://ancestryclassroom.com/.

Alanna G. Maddock. U.S., Departing Passenger and Crew Lists, 1914-1966. https://ancestryclassroom.com/.

Alanna G. Maddock. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Alanna Grace Maddock. Virginia, U.S., Death Records, 1912-2014. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Alanna Grace Maddock. Virginia, U.S.,Marriage Death Records, 1936-2014. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Alanna G. Maddock. U.S., Index to Public Records, 1994-2019. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Alanna G. Maddock. Obituary Collection, 1930-Current. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

“Couple Wed in Wall St. Baptist Church.” Jackson Citizen Patriot [Jackson, MI], June 16, 1955. https://myjdl.com/. 

Cruff, Joe. Telephone interview with author. December 10, 2024.

Jackson High School Yearbook. 1946. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012. http://ancestryclassroom.com. 

Jackson High School Yearbook. 1948. https://www.vikingalumni.com/yearbooks/JacksonHigh/1948/14.

“…, Jackson, Michigan.” Jackson Citizen Patriot [Jackson, MI], March 6, 1955. https://myjdl.com/. 

“Kelsey-Hayes Officials View Plant Purchase.” Jackson Citizen Patriot [Jackson, MI], August 31, 1950. https://myjdl.com/. 

Kelsey-Hayes Wheel Buys Thorrez-Maez Co. Plant. Photograph. Jackson Citizen Patriot [Jackson, MI], August 29, 1950. https://myjdl.com/. 

Kimberly Gaye Crowder. Virginia, U.S., Marriage Records, 1936-2014. http://ancestryclassroom.com. 

“Marriage Licenses.” Jackson Citizen Patriot [Jackson, MI], May 29, 1955. https://myjdl.com/. 

Michigan: Chapter A, Statistics for the State. United States Department of Agriculture. https://agcensus.library.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/1950-Michigan-Table_of_Contents-1785-Table-02.pdf. 

Michigan. Jackson County. 1940 U.S. Census. Digital images. https://ancestry.com. 

Michigan. Jackson County. 1950 U.S. Census. Digital images. https://ancestry.com. 

Moldovan, Emil. Telephone interview with author. December 10, 2024.

“Natty New WAF Wardrobes.” The News-Democrat [Belleville, Illinois], June 23, 1951. Newspapers.com (765984652). 

“Production of Shells Starts Here.” JJackson Citizen Patriot [Jackson, MI], November 21, 1951.

“Rockets and Missiles.” Air Force Magazine, July-December 1960, 79. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102285635. 

Sanborn Map Company. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Parma, Jackson Co, Michigan. Map. Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn04144_004/.  

Michigan: Volume 1: Counties and State Economic Areas. United States Census of Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture. 1954.  https://agcensus.library.cornell.edu/census_parts/1954-michigan/.  

Secondary Sources

“Alanna G. Crowder.” National Cemetery Administration. Accessed October 29, 2024. https://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/ngl/result#results-content. 

“Alana G. Crowder.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/ALANNAGCROWDER/9dda70. 

“Alanna Grayce Maddock Crowder of Dublin, Virginia.” Bower Funeral Chapel and Cemetery. Accessed December 5, 2024. https://www.bowerfuneralhome.com/obituary/alanna-grayce-crowder. 

“Alana Grayce Maddock Crowder.” Find a Grave. Accessed November 29, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/230660911/alanna-grayce-crowder. 

“Kelsey-Hayes Group of Companies.” Company-Histories.com. Accessed November 10, 2024. https://www.company-histories.com/KelseyHayes-Group-of-Companies-Company-History.html. 

“Sparton Corporation.” Company-Histories.com. Accessed November 10, 2024. https://www.company-histories.com/Sparton-Corporation-Company-History.html.

This profile was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.