Dearborn County WWII veteran turns 99 Monday

(MT. SINIA, Ind.) – One of the last two surviving World War II veterans in Dearborn County is celebrating a birthday today.

JC Lewis was a Navy sailor who served in the South Pacific. Today he is turning 99-years-old!

Lewis graduated from Aurora High School in 1944 and entered the Navy on January 11, 1945. 

He was aboard the USS Sterertt when it was under attack by five Japanese kamikazes and one of those planes slammed right in front of Lewis’ station, throwing him violently across the deck.

“Amazingly, no one was killed in the explosion that day,” he said. 

The USS Sterett earned a Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism in action, 13 battle stars, as well as the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation. 

Lewis was honorably discharged in 1948 and was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, Navy Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Medal, American Campaign Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Philippine Republic Unit Citation and the Ruptured Duck Honorable Discharge.

“He was aboard the USS Sterett when it was decommissioned in 1948 at the 33rd Street Pier in New York City,” a family member said. 

JC returned back to Dearborn County and became a self-employed expert at rebuilding car transmissions. He and his wife, Dottie, had one son. 

He is a member of the Aurora American Legion Post 231 and Masonic Lodge F&AM 67 in Oxford, Ohio.

One unique hobby that JC kept through the years is that he still rode his motorcycle as recently as last year! 

JC and George Klopp are the last two remaining WWII veterans in Dearborn County.

Those two were recently together when George celebrated his 100th birthday in April. Read that story here.