Ensign Elliot Wesley Lewis Memorial Stone

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

This memorial honors Ensign Elliot Wesley Lewis, an American veteran, who shares a common undeniable goal with all American veterans to protect our country's freedoms. Forever a symbol of heroism, sacrifice, loyalty and freedom. "Word to the Nation: Guard zealously your right to serve in the Armed Forces, for without them, there will be no other rights to guard." -- President John F. Kennedy

Images

Wesley's Grave

Banana River Naval Air Station

Mariner Flying Boats

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Ensign E. Wesley Lewis was born in 1924 to William Elliott Lewis and Gertrude Helen Bacon in Hyannis, MA.

Known as Wesley Lewis at Barnstable High School he took part in cooking class and operetta, he graduated in 1941. A couple years after graduation in 1943 he reported to the Naval Reserve in Boston as an aviation cadet. Lewis also in 1943 trained and graduated from Wesleyan Navy Flight Preparatory School in Connecticut. Went on to Pensacola, FL where he received his commission and pilots wings. While in Florida on further training at the Banana River Operational Base with the “Mariners” flying boats. Wesley married Lane Anderson of Michigan in a Baptist church.

Around the 21-23 of July 1945 Officer Wesley Lewis’s airplane went missing over the Atlantic near New Providence Island while passing through a storm. His name was on the list of officers missing at sea.

His memorial is located at the West End Rotary in Hyannis and also his family memorial in Oak Grove Cemetery.

Sources

"Osterville." The Hyannis Patriot March 10th 1924. .

Barnstable High School Yearbook. 1941.

"Hyannis." The Yarmouth Register September 10th 1943. .

"News of Our Men and Women in Uniform." The Barnstable Patriot December 9th 1943. .

"News of Our Men and Women in Uniform." The Barnstable Patriot April 12th 1943. .

"News of Our Men and Women in Uniform." The Barnstable Patriot April 26th 1943. .

"Marriages." The Barnstable Patriot May 24th 1945. .

Marriot, Barbara. Ghosts of World War II: NAS Banana River. Tucson, Arizona. Fireship Press, 2018.

"Remembering." The Barnstable Patriot May 29th 1997. .

Image Sources(Click to expand)

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58583387/elliott-wesley-lewis

http://afspacemuseum.org/displays/BRNAS/

http://worldwar2headquarters.com/HTML/aircraft/americanAircraft/mariner.html