Thomas Russell Lewis Jr. was born on September 9, 1922, in South Fork, Cambria County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Thomas R. and Isabelle Allen Lewis. He served in the Headquarters Squadron, 27th Bomber Group, Light, as a Private during World War II.

After the fall of Bataan in the hands of the Japanese Army on April 9, 1942, Pvt Lewis was one of the 10,000 to 12,000 Americans who were forced to march over 60 miles under brutal conditions, resulting in 1,000 to 5,000 deaths due to starvation, dehydration, and abuse. Survivors were sent to Camp O'Donnell, where dire conditions, including overcrowding, malnutrition, and disease, caused an additional 1,500 to 2,300 American deaths within weeks. Those who survived faced ongoing hardships, including transfers to other camps and forced labor, where many continued to suffer or die.

Pvt Lewis was reported missing and officially declared dead on February 1, 1946. His name is memorialized in the Walls of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines.

Source of information: www.livescience.com