John L. Lewis, Jr. was born in 1921 in Pennsylvania. He was the son of John L. Lewis and Marie C. Lewis.

John L., Jr. resided in Erie County, Pennsylvania, prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on July 21, 1942, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as an Office Clerk and also as Single, without dependents.

John L., Jr. served in the HQ, 493rd Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Technical Sergeant and Photographer on the B-17G #43-38359 during World War II. On November 5, 1944, he was Killed in Action when his B-17 was hit by flak and burst into flames over their target, an oil refinery in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Out of 11, five crew members were able to parachute out, but they were taken as prisoners, and the rest were killed in the crash.

TSgt Lewis is now buried in the Lorraine American Cemetery, Saint-Avold, France.

Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38359:
Fetters, Donald J ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Guzik, John ~ Capt, Observer, OH
Johnson, Earl H ~ Capt, Pilot, KS
Lewis, John L, Jr ~ T/Sgt, Photographer, PA
Marsh, Warren B ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, CO
McCombs, John D ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IL

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.americanairmuseum.com, www.abmc.gov