Korean War Legacy Project

Lewis Ewing

Bio

Lewis Ewing was born in Stephens City, Virginia in 1934.  After graduating from James Wood High School in 1952, he followed in the footsteps of his two older brothers, and later a younger brother, who all served in the military.  He enlisted into the United States Army in 1953, then received his basic training at Fort Eustis, Virginia, and attended Rotary Wing training at Gary Air Force Base in San Marcos, Texas.  He was deployed to Korea in November 1953, where he served as a Helicopter Crew Chief to ferry supplies to the front lines, and to help with evacuation of wounded soldiers to hospitals.  After the Armistice, he stayed in Korea for five months to provide support of the mission of the United Nations in aiding the recovery of South Korea.  Upon return home, he served in many capacities to give back to his local community, including helping to educate the public about the Korean War as a part of the Korean War Veterans Association.

Video Clips

Arriving in Korea

Lewis Ewing talks about his arrival in Korea, his journey to his unit in Chuncheon, and his first impressions of war. He explains how he felt about his deployment, and describes his rapid journey to the front lines. He recalls the living conditions on the base where he arrived.

Tags: Busan,Chuncheon,Yeongdeungpo,Cold winters,Front lines,Impressions of Korea,Living conditions,Prior knowledge of Korea

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Helicopters in Warfare

Lewis Ewing speaks about how helicopters were used for troop support and evacuating the wounded during the Korean War. He describes the Syskorsky helicopter and its uses during warfare. He recalls maintaining the helicopters, hauling ammunition, and how pilots would let him fly on occasion.

Tags: Basic training,Food,Front lines,Weapons

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A Bird's-Eye View of Destruction

Lewis Ewing speaks about seeing vast areas of destruction across the Korean landscape. He describes seeing devastation of mountain areas, which he viewed from helicopter flyovers. He recalls his impressions upon seeing the war-torn areas of Seoul and Busan from a bird's-eye view.

Tags: Busan,Seoul,Front lines,Impressions of Korea,Modern Korea,Physical destruction,Poverty

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Share YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL5gGrx_VSw&start=2061&end=2260

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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/lewis-ewing#clip-3

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