World War II Veteran passes on.

[Keith_Hixson]

Last night about midnight I received a call from the local nursing home that MILTON LEWIS had died. I was asked to notify his wife and family.
Milt was 96. A WW II vet. One of the first drafted at the start of WW II because he was in his thirties and unmarried. He was in the artillery. He had been in the Army over three years before he saw his first action at Normandy, he was a staff sergeant. He landed there on June 8, 1944. He and his squad provided artillery support for the infantry until the war ended. He was awarded the The Bronze Star for valor, Army commendation medal, and the Good Conduct medal. After the war he went back to his dairy farm and milked cows until 1985 when he retired. He had been in pretty good health except for the last six weeks and the old body just wore out. He was still driving until about five months ago. He is survived by His Wife Elsie whom he married after the war.
He little brother Glen also served in the Army during WW II. He landed behind the lines in a glider on D-day.
Milt was just a prince of a man. It has been my privilege to serve as his pastor the last 11 years. He had a warped sense of humor like mine and we had lots of fun just "kidding around." Every year on his birthday he'd get phone calls from the men who were in his squad during WW II. He never lost a man. His squad would have a reunion every couple of years. I met some of his men here in Ellensburg. To a man they said that Milt was the best sarg in the battalion they didn't think he could do any wrong. Milt was always a deeply religious man. On Christmas Eve during the Battle of the Bulge Milt found an old barn and had a Christmas Eve service with his men. The men told me it was one of most profound church service they ever had.
I'm going to miss Milt a lot.

Keith