Heroes Among Us: Lewis Harrison

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - Every month, WALB and Montlick and Associates join together to say thank you to a veteran in South Georgia who served our country selflessly.

“I was just a teenage boy when I finished high school and the draft took us,” said Lewis Harrison. “I was drafted into the military on October 10th, 1950.”

Harrison — who’s 96-years-young, going on 97 — grew up on a farm in Edison, the city where he now supports churches and students.

“I’m blessed to live a long life. My mother lived to be 103. My father was 80. My two older brothers were fighting in World War II, and I had Korea and Vietnam.”

He served in Germany after World War II, where he received a corporal ranking. He also is an Army of Occupation Medal recipient.

“I was in Germany about 19 months because we had an occupational army over there. The war was over. The country was flattened. I served with the engineers. We built roads and repaired apartment buildings under the Marsha plan. I served there and when my time was up, I came back to the states.”

Harrison said he spent seven years total serving his country.

“I was stationed in Schofield Barracks. I operated a water purification, five units. For 30 months, I was there. A title wave hit us. I was with the 65th combat engineers. 25th Infantry Division,” he said. “Well, it had a lot of impact on my life. Nothing belongs to me. God has been good. I would like to tell my fellow Americans that change is coming. At a time when people are very frustrated, and I think sometimes we lose sense of our direction.”

His advice to younger generations: “Fear God and mind your own business.”

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