Richard Brainard Lewis Jr.

Birth date	July 4, 1918
Age they entered the service	23 years old
Hometown	Hartford Connecticut
Branch of the service	National guard
Rank	Corporal
Name of their unit	Battery “B”
When they served	1941-1945
Where did you serve?	South Pacific-New Guinea and Australia
Did you enlist or were you drafted?	I was in the National Guard and we were federalized
How did you feel about going to war?	I didn’t want to go but I felt that I owed it to my country to serve.
Did you have any family members that went to war? If so, did they survive?	None
Were you ever wounded? How and where?	Jungle infection
Did you receive any medals? Which ones?	I was awarded the Purple Heart and the theater of operation ribbon.

Do you have a war story you would like to tell?	When we were stationed in New Guinea we would make “Jungle Juices”. It is an alcohol fermented inside coconuts. What we would do is we would bury the coconuts in the sand and let them ferment in the hot sand. We would know when the liquor was ready because the coconuts would blow up.
What was your reaction when you found out the war was over?	Jubilation
What was the most frightening event of the war for you?	The most frightening war story happened a few times and it was sniper attacks. They hit a few of my friends in the process.
What was the most cherished memory of the war for you?	Without a doubt it would be the fact that I came home. I walked up to my girlfriend’s house and was greeted at the door by her brother. It felt so good to be home and away from the battles.
Do you have regrets about your service in World War II?	I had none.
How do you feel about America today?	I think that if he were alive that he would be proud of his country and be very optimistic.
How do you feel about the war with Iraq?	I think that he would think that it is necessary to go to war to set other human beings free.
Is there anything else you would like to add?