MACON, Ga. — For some, Veteran’s Day is just that, a day. For Jim Lewis, it’s a key to unlocking memories stowed away from years of serving in the military.
Lewis is a 94-year-old Korean War veteran from Perry. He joined the Navy right after high school.
“I thought that would be a nice thing to do," he said. "I was a farmer from Indiana, and not much going on down there, so I joined up."
The farmer-turned sailor served for five years, even after the war. He traded fertile fields for bustling engine rooms, working throttle watch.
“It was different. It wasn't hard," Lewis said. "You just go with the flow. You had a lot of people around that same boat. There's no problem,” he says.
While different, he loved his time serving his country. There were some hard times, though. Lewis remembers losing his best friend and other crew members on his birthday.
“We were shore bombarding close to Korea in support of the troops there and we hit a mine,” he recalled.
Lewis says the ship almost sank, and 20 men were hurt. It's a harrowing tale and a haunting memory, but Lewis turned his grief into determination. He worked to ensure his friend got the medals he earned.
“It’s tough but you manage," he said. "I later had an occasion to be in contact with his sister and she was having trouble getting his medals from the State Department or whatever. So I helped him do that. I got them."
Sunday, decades after helping his friend get the recognition he deserved, Lewis got his own honor. At the very center of Macon's fourth-annual Veterans Day parade, Central Georgia veterans, including Lewis, were recognized for their service. It's an honor Lewis will never forget.