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Donald Gene Lewis,
the only child of A.S. “Cotton” Lewis and Sada Lingle, was born in Anna, IL, on
26 Mar 1929. Throughout his childhood, Donald excelled as a star pupil in local
schools and as an offensive guard on the 1947 Anna-Jonesboro High School
football team. His team became a part of local history when they ended their
1947 season undefeated. After high school, Donald attended Southern Illinois
University at Carbondale, IL, where he majored in business administration. To
support his college efforts, Donald continued to work for the family business,
Lewis Brothers Bakeries, a regional mid-west bakery known for its trademark
Bunny Bread brand. After graduating from SIU, Donald enlisted in the U.S. Army
and was stationed at Ft. Campbell, KY, as a clerk typist. It was during this
first assignment that Donald applied for, and was later accepted to, West Point
with the Class of 1954.
Donald found prep school and
his first year at West Point to be very challenging. He often said that if his
roommates had not tutored and encouraged him, Plebe math would have easily
gotten the best of him. After the successful completion of his first year,
Donald was imbued with confidence, which ultimately resulted in his making the
Dean’s List prior to graduation. Donald’s academic rigor, combined with his
driving desire to fly, led to his selection of the U.S. Air Force. Immediately
following his selection, Donald realized another dream and married his longtime
sweetheart, Marilyn Lamer, in July of 1954.
Soon thereafter, the newlywed
couple moved to Donald’s first assignment, Marana Air Base, AZ. There he
completed basic flight training in the T-34 aircraft and received his pilot’s
wings. Post graduation, he was selected for training in fighter aircraft,
prompting a move to Moody AFB, the second of 13 moves over the next 20 years. At
Moody, Donald began jet training, flying the T-33. Near the completion of his
training, he was critically injured when the engine of his T-33 failed at low
altitude. Too low to eject, he and his instructor pilot crashed into the trees
within a mile of the runway. Despite their proximity to the runway , it took
rescuers more than an hour to reach the two pilots, who were both badly injured.
With the support of his family and friends, Donald made a full recovery within
six months and was able to complete his training successfully.
Donald’s superb performance
resulted in his selection to fighter lead-in training and to one of the Air
Force’s top-line fighter interceptors, the F-89. Following conversion training,
he was reassigned to 437th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Oxnard, CA. Within
six months, his squadron changed aircraft to the F-94. He quickly adapted to the
change and later was heralded for his safe and expert recovery of a crippled
F-94 containing live weapons. During his time at Oxnard, Donald was promoted to
captain and deployed to Florida in support of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Donald’s leadership and
technical talents were recognized as valuable assets in the development of
America’s early warning defense system, and he soon reported to a remote radar
site near the Arctic Circle in Goose Bay, Canada. While at Goose Bay, his first
child was born; he is now a USAF lieutenant colonel and fighter pilot. After
completing this assignment, Donald was assigned to the C-130 aircraft and the
463rd Troop Carrier Wing and Tactical Air Command at Langley Air Force Base, VA.
During his assignment, he spent a majority of his time away from his family,
flying missions in Europe and Central America. It was during such a mission that
he was blessed with the arrival of his second child, a daughter, who now lives
in Chicago. After his daughter’s birth, Donald was deployed to Viet Nam, flying
more than a hundred combat missions. He was once again praised for a safe
recovery of his crew and aircraft following an in-flight fire with a cargo of
ammunition. After his Viet Nam tour, he returned to Langley and moved with his
family to Keesler AFB, MS. At Keesler, Donald joined the Air Training Command as
deputy director of operations for a T-28 training squadron and led the U.S.
training of Vietnamese and Thai pilots in basic and advanced flight training.
Also while at Keesler, Donald proved to be instrumental in the evacuation and
recovery of personnel and aircraft during Hurricane Camille.
Following his assignment at
Keesler, Donald returned to Southeast Asia as the director of operations for the
Royal Thai Training Squadron at Udorn AB in Thailand. There, he led the advanced
flight training of more than one hundred Royal Thai Air Force pilots. After a
successful year, Donald was reassigned to Strategic Air Command Headquarters at
Offutt AFB, NE, as the deputy chief for the Intelligence Division. In 1974, LTC
Lewis concluded his 24-year career, retiring and returning to southern Illinois.
In retirement, Donald
completed another undergraduate degree and was an instructor in Southern
Illinois University’s Aviation Department. Later, he served as the presiding
officer at his son’s commissioning ceremony and had the honor of pinning pilot
wings on him a year later. Don devoted his retired life to his family and later
was blessed with two grandchildren. Throughout his military and retired careers,
Donald G. Lewis proved to be an inspiration for many and is missed daily by
family and friends.
—Leslie M. Lewis, loving granddaughter
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