George Crawford was a member of the Kosciuszko Squadron, a group of 10 American pilots who fought for Poland during its 1919-21 war with Russia. The group took its name from Tadeusz Kosciuszko, the Polish general who served with the Americans during the Revolutionary War. Crawford and the other Americans received the Cross of the Brave and the Polish Service Medal from the Polish government after the war.

Crawford, who earned a B.S. in mining engineering, began military training in 1912 at the Plattsburg Cadet School. After America entered World War I in 1917, he completed flight training and was promoted to lieutenant. During the war, he served in France as a flight instructor, bomber pilot and commander of the 20th Bomber Squadron. Following the war, Crawford commanded the Aerial Navigators Experimental Squadron and served as a member of the American Relief Administration in the Baltic region.