Corporal Lewis was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. He was seriously wounded by the enemy in North Korea on 2 June 1951 and returned to duty on 10 June 1951. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in North Korea on 28 October 1951.

Lewis was awarded the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.