USS LEWIS DE 535

USS Lewis DE 535

USS LEWIS DE 535

"I think this photo was taken in 1944"

Photo courtesy of Chuck DiSchino, son of Robert DiSchino, SM 3/c, Plankowner

Webmaster note:
There is no DANFS entry for DE 535, thus I have no information about her service. I received the following email information in Nov. 2005 regarding the namesake of DE 535.

Ens. Victor A. Lewis grew up and entered the Navy from Randolph, Massachusetts (modern zipcode 02368).

He was missing KIA at the Battle of Midway Island 4 June 1942. He was a pilot in one of the five TBF Avengers of sub-detachment of VT-8 (USS Hornet) that flew from Midway that morning. One plane of this detachment survived and returned to Midway. This was the first action of the Avenger and the six plane detachment had flown from NAS Ford Island, Hawaii with the intent to rejoin thier ship but arrived at Midway just 3 days before it came under attack and thus sortied from the island itself. His father, Murray Lewis was the editor of the local paper (The Randolph Herald) during the war years and a Victor Lewis Squadron of Naval Aviation Cadets was organized at the local High School (then the Stetson High, now Randolph High School).

I am the Recording Secretary of the Randolph Historical Society and we have been working to record and publicize the story of our town's veterans and are pleased to pass this information along to you.
James O'Connor.