DEL MAR, Calif.—Known as the “go-to guy” for helping veterans in his community, third-generation veteran Steve Lewandowski has made a name for himself after working tirelessly for years to help other vets in his area and local American Legion, the world’s largest wartime veterans organization.
A former legion commander for his local post, Lewandowski received numerous awards, improving more lives than he can count.
“I’m blessed that God has revealed my mission in life, and that is to help veterans,” Lewandowski told The Epoch Times. “I wake up every morning asking him to make me a more effective veterans advocate.”
His mission to serve stems from what he says is a deep sense of honor, integrity, and leadership—traits ingratiated while surrounded by veterans during his youth—and during his time in the navy in the 1980s.
He said he is especially keen on helping older veterans.
Once, he said, he replaced a stolen Army cap for a 99-year-old World War II veteran. Another time, he said, he recovered the lost WWII Air Force wings of a dying aviator to give them to a squadron mate’s widow, a promise the vet had made to his late friend before he died in battle.
Replacing these lost items is no easy feat. Both the wings and the air force cap were made in limited supply. Lewandowski took to eBay for months to eventually find these items. But the results were well worth the wait.
Lewandowski has also recently been able to grant a dying WWII veteran a wish of having one last “bump” or drink with the boys—a simple wish that meant the world to the aging vet one Sunday afternoon.
Pulling up to Lewandowski’s Legion post in Encinitas, California, the man could hardly contain his excitement as his daughter-in-law drove him up to meet Lewandowski and other vets.
Despite having to be carried into the Legion Post hall toward the bar, Gus insisted on sitting at the stools, rather than a table, to finally have that drink with the boys.
The afternoon was spent hearing stories from Gus as the men enjoyed their drinks, including when he and his fellow troops accidentally torched their army uniforms amid battles waged in Italy during the Second World War.
As Gus’s cheeks grew pink, he described how his squadron used gasoline to clean their uniforms due to a lack of soap, leading to their clothes catching fire. The ensuing laughter from the story was uncontrollable.
“What a priceless story!” Lewandowski said.
That simple afternoon meant the world to Gus; he talked about it with his daughter-in-law for weeks, Lewandowski said. It was also the last drink Gus ever had, having written it as his wish near the top of his bucket list before passing away.
Many vets frequenting Lewandowski’s Legion post go through life-threatening surgeries all alone, prompting Lewandowski and others to keep them company on visits, along with bringing needed treats like socks, gum, candy, and crossword puzzles.
One such visit by Lewandowski and other vet volunteers led to a sick veteran in the hospital bursting into tears.
“As soon as we walked into the room, this guy just started bawling. I mean, just wow,” Lewandowski said. The vet was only able to communicate through typing, having lost his speech.
According to his nurse, this particular patient had not had a single visitor since he fell ill. He immediately recognized Lewandowski’s blue Legion hat—of which the patient was a member for years—and “right away” began to cry.
“I mean it’s almost a cliché, but we get out of it many, many more times what we put into it,” Lewandowski said.
With countless stories of live-giving philanthropy, perhaps the most touching has been Lewandowski’s aid in helping to conduct a life-saving seminar for veterans suffering from PTSD. Though no longer running, the program was titled “Warrior Soul Mate.”
The course saved a suffering 34-year-old vet from taking his life, Lewandowski said. According to Lewandowski the vet had taken all the steps to kill himself, including putting a .45 caliber gun to his temple, when he changed his mind.
Right before pulling the trigger, he decided to go to Lewandowski’s “stupid” weekend course first, Lewandowski’s said.
Currently, Lewandowski’s self-proclaimed most difficult feat is helping 97-year-old veteran and U.S. Navy fighter pilot, Royce Williams, attempt to win the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest and most prestigious U.S. military decoration veterans can hope to attain.
Williams is a known legend in aviation history, having pulled off what many experts regard as one of the greatest feats in aviation history for engaging in a solo aerial “dogfight” with seven Soviet MiG-15 pilots, taking down at least four jets before narrowly escaping in his own damaged F9F-5 Panther Jet.
The flight took place on Nov. 18, 1952, during the Korean War; however, there is no record of the flight in U.S. military archives, according to Lewandowski.
The U.S. Navy and National Security Agency have reportedly “scrubbed” the dog fight from its records and swore Williams to secrecy for more than 50 years, alleging that acknowledging the air battle may have drawn the Soviets into the Korean War.
As a result, Williams has been passed up for the award, since he has not made the list to be nominated. Lewandowski and others are looking to finally get him nominated this year.
Lewandowski has also raised money for countless Honor Flights for veterans–flights conducted by non-profit organizations dedicated to transporting as many U.S. Military vets as possible to see the memorials of the respective war they fought in Washington, D.C.
Having been recognized as Legionnaire of the Year by his local American Legion post, one of over 12,000 stations across the country, as well as Citizen of the Year by his local Elks Lodge, part of a nationwide charity, Lewandowski has received over 25 certificates of congressional recognition—among many other honors—for his work on behalf of veterans.
