On June 25, 2015, outgoing City Manager Greg Lewis made the following announcement and donation to the Lebanon Soldiers Memorial Building.
As my last act as Lebanon City Manager, to memorialize my Vietnam War experience, I gave to the Lebanon Soldiers Memorial Building for display and archival certain prized pictures to which I am very attached.
My gifts showed my DD 214, a posing, all too brash, M60 toting, young and thin 1st Cav Trooper Lewis, my framed awards for national service, Vietnam War campaign deployment, combat infantryman badge, and bronze stars for valor and bravery in combat, and squad members, including me, from 4th Platoon, 1st of the 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), one of the most decorated combat divisions of the United States Army.
In the last picture donated, the circumstances were that our platoon was whisked away from a recent firefight to enjoy a three day R&R as respite from grinding jungle and vicious sporadic combat.
The purpose of this memorialization was to inspire my fellow Vietnam veterans and Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan veterans to come home to the Soldiers Memorial Building and make it their place, sharing in comradeship with the veterans that have served so well before them.
We need such veterans to stand in front, to the left, to the right, and behind us as our relatives, friends, neighbors, employees, employers, and community members and leaders. By doing this, we all can pull together and move forward to a better future in this early beginning of a challenging 21st Century! Garry Owen!
