Maj. Lewis arrived in the Philippine Islands on October 23, 1941.   He was assigned to the 61st Field Artillery Regiment (PA) and was moved to a camp near Iloilo on the Island of Panay on November 19, 1941 to begin organizing that unit.   On January 8, 1942, the 61st FA was moved to Cagayan Bay, Mindanao and was assigned to beach defense.   On January 29, 1942, he was promoted to Lt. Col.,   On May 9, 1942, he was wounded in action in the vicinity of Dalirig, Mindanao while serving as Executive Officer of the 61st FA.

Following the surrender on May 10, 1942 he was held as a POW at Camp Casisang near Malaybalay until that camp was closed and the prisoners were moved to DAPECOL.   He was in the main group of prisoners that was moved from DAPECOL beginning on June 6, 1944 on the Yashu Maru to Cebu and then on to Manila.   After a brief stay at Bilibid Prison, he was moved to Cabanatuan and remained there until the Japanese began moving prisoners back to Bilibid in October 1944 in preparation for their evacuation to Japan.

He was on the Oryoku Maru when it sailed from Manila on December 13, 1944 and he was on either the Enoura Maru or the Brazil Maru when they sailed from San Fernando, La Union on December 27, 1944.   He was on the Brazil Maru when he died on January 25, 1945.

Lt. Col. Lewis was from Lake Village, Arkansas and was a 1925 graduate of West Point.   His family would very much appreciate hearing from anyone who may have known him when he was in the Philippine Islands or on the "Hellships" or have any information concerning him.

Sincerely,
His son and grandson,
John Broadus Lewis & John Llewellyn Lewis
E-Mail:   redlegs6@comcast.net
16415 Jersey Drive, Jersey Village, TX 77040-2021
Telephone: 713-466-3102