Uncategorized
15. Decorated Marine Vet Begins Freshman Year at Ole Miss
Photo by Jessi Hotakainen
Amid strewn pizza boxes and empty soda cans, a firearm is moved off the couch. It’s set next to a standard-issue combat knife on a table below the American flag. The facing wall bears the only other decoration in the room, a U.S. Marine Corps flag. He stands, filling the room. A t-shirt strains to cover his bulging chest. His left arm is covered in tattoos, the right, in scars.
Gregory Paul Lewis grew up in New York, outside of Utica. A hard-working country boy from the start.
“We were always tasked with some chore or another first thing in the morning,” Lewis chuckles, flashing a disarming smile. “But then it was play outside all day.”
A freshman at the University of Mississippi, Lewis is 23-years-old. However, unlike the 3,500 odd incoming freshman this year, Lewis has been to war.
There is an exception of having seen lives lost. Having nearly perished on the battlefield yourself.
His roommate Luke White, a Mississippi native and former Marine remembers meeting the New Yorker for the first time.
“He came down dressed like a cowboy. Boots, hat and everything,” White said. “I figured he couldn’t be all that bad, even for a ‘yankee’.”
They were in the 2nd Battalion 6th Marines Unit together and bonded early on while watching the movie “Cowboy’s Way.” One of the characters is named Pepper Lewis and Greg quoted the lines all the way through.
“So we started calling him Pepper,” White laughs. “After that we were pretty much inseparable.”
White admires Lewis for his ability to function everyday even with the PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) from war. Both men suffer from bouts of sleeplessness. It is particularly difficult this time of year.
“We lost a lot of our friends over there around Ramadan,” White said, putting in slug of chewing tobacco.
In his room, a machine gun is mounted on the shelf behind him. Above the bed hangs an American flag signed by all the members in the unit. The white stripes now faded with Afghanistan dirt.
One of those men was a close friend named Scott Lynch. The Marine was killed in combat while Lewis was home recovering from a wound. His jaw tightens as he admits to the difficulty of hearing the news,
“That was really hard. Not having been over there when it happened,” Lewis said, looking away.
Lynch was also from New York and Lewis went down state for the funeral. Lynch left behind a young fiancé. The wedding day only six months out.
Lewis and White’s friendship took on a deeper meaning after coming home from deployment. White had no desire to leave his room. Flash backs and sleeplessness were self-medicated with heavy drinking. Lewis was the one who saved him. White spits tobacco juice into a bottle and thinks for a moment, as if unsure how much to tell.
“Greg came to my room when there was no one else,” he said. “He convinced me to go to Roadhouse for a steak. Otherwise I’m not sure where I would be.”
Because that’s what Marines do for each other.
Hailing from a tight-knit family unit and a long lineage of military members, Lewis always knew he wanted to join the service. His mother, Stefany Lewis, a volunteer fire fighter recalls a rough, tough little boy with a big heart.
“Greg would be running around in camo with toy guns,” Stefany said. “He just fell in love with the flag and his country.”
After joining the Marine Corps on active duty, Lewis was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. On a day not long after, there was an outbreak of gunfire. Two Marines in his unit were pinned down on the roof of an abandoned building. Lewis took on enemy fire, saving their lives.
Photo by Jessi Hotakainen
The wreckage from artillery smoke and churned up dirt encircled the unit. Lewis felt the first rounds of hot metal sear through his flesh. Before he could react, the next rounds hit him. His entire right arm ripped open. Blood, bone and muscle gushed out.
Marine comrades carried him down and out behind a barricade. He remembers screaming, “Don’t let me die!” Amid the chaos someone hastily applied a tourniquet while another notified medevac. Still taking fire, it was a 45-minute wait.
As he faded in and out of consciousness, a sergeant named White quickly took a knee next to him, asking if he was okay.
Woozily, Lewis gave the affirmative while blood and dust was speckling his strawberry-blonde hair.
“Hey, you wanna see something?” Sgt. White asked him.
Then the sergeant urinated on himself. Right on the spot. Just to make Lewis smile and forget the pain. Just for one moment. Because that’s what Marines do for each other.
His mother still recalls the terrifying aftermath, “I got a phone call from Staff Sgt. so-and-so from Quantico, VA,” Stefany says, the memory still evoking tears. “They said that he had been critically wounded, but couldn’t tell me any more.”
He survived. And two other Marines returned home to their families because of it. A Purple Heart now lays gently amongst rough calluses in the hand of an arm once nearly ruined. He took three bullets. Two in the forearm, shattering the bones beyond repair. Another blew his bicep away completely and fractured his humerus bone. It took 13 surgeries and a two-foot skin graph from his thigh. But surgery saved it.
Suddenly there is a fleshy, dull thudding sound as the vet taps his forearm against the table. Now, a thick metal plate inhibits any rotational wrist movement.
The blue eyes flash with a blend of youthfulness and wisdom.
“I still do pull-ups and bench presses though,” Lewis smiles.
A lifelong protector, Stefany sees him as the leader of her pack. Lewis has a younger brother and sister who look to him for guidance and stability.
“Greg has always been an old soul in a young man’s body,” Stefany said. “How he is as an adult is how he was as a child. Determined, strong and quiet.”
Through the watchful eyes of a mother, she sees the differences in Lewis since returning from war.
“These boys come back and they have nightmares. Trigger things, like sounds,” Stefany said. “In a room, his eyes are continuously moving, surveying.”
A criminal justice major that aspires to become a law enforcement officer, he admits that it is something that cannot be turned off. The need to be aware of his surroundings and deciphering the situation. Even the two words he uses to describe himself combat each other.
“I am wild and mellow,” he laughs. “It is a little bit chaotic at times.”
—J. M. Hotakainen
—You can email Jessi at jmhotaka@go.olemiss.edu
| Sat, Aug 31 |  | vs Furman | W, 76-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | vs Middle Tennessee | W, 52-3 |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | @ Wake Forest | W, 40-6 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | vs Georgia Southern | W, 52-13 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Kentucky | L, 20-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | @ South Carolina | W, 27-3 |
| Sat, Oct 12 |  | vs LSU | L, 29-26 (2 OT) |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | vs Oklahoma | W, 26-14 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | @ Arkansas | W, 63-35 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Georgia | W, 28-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | @ Florida | L, 24-17 |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | vs Mississippi State | W, 26-14 |
| Thu, Jan 2 |  | vs Duke (Gator Bowl) | 6:30 PM • ESPN |
Thinkniks
November 12, 2013 at 12:02 am
Amazing and awe-inspiring! Thanks for your service! I wish you many blessings in your college endeavors and your future. I’m an older college student as well (32 yr old sophomore) and it can be a real challenge sometimes. Especially coming into an environment like Ole Miss when you already have so much more life experience than the majority of your peers. Keep on keeping on! You are definitely a real-life hero!
ray ban aviator 3025 njuskalo
March 23, 2015 at 12:58 pm
My partner and I stumbled over here by a different web address and thought I might check things out. I like what I see so i am just following you. Look forward to looking into your web page for a second time.
ray ban aviator 3025 njuskalo
[url=http://www.atalayunlumamulleri.com/discount.asp?ray-ban-aviator-3025-njuskalo-b-5600.html]ray ban aviator 3025 njuskalo[/url]
ray ban wayfarer color splash green black
March 23, 2015 at 1:00 pm
I absolutely love your blog and find most of your post’s to be just what I’m looking for. Does one offer guest writers to write content for you? I wouldn’t mind producing a post or elaborating on many of the subjects you write concerning here. Again, awesome weblog!
ray ban wayfarer color splash green black
Cheap Nike Air Max 91 Black White Have Best Quality You Want
March 23, 2015 at 1:14 pm
I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own blog and was wondering what all is required to get set up? I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very internet savvy so I’m not 100% sure. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Appreciate it
Fashion Style Of Nike Air Max LTD 1 Mens Running
March 23, 2015 at 1:23 pm
I am curious to find out what blog platform you have been working with? I’m having some small security problems with my latest website and I would like to find something more secure. Do you have any recommendations?
ray ban wayfarer sunglasses usa
March 23, 2015 at 1:31 pm
My developer is trying to convince me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the costs. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using Movable-type on a number of websites for about a year and am concerned about switching to another platform. I have heard great things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress posts into it? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
ray ban wayfarer sunglasses usa
Free Running Grey Green Mens The Same Article
March 23, 2015 at 1:34 pm
I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you make this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz reply as I’m looking to create my own blog and would like to know where u got this from. kudos
Free 6.0 White Mens For Sale Accessible For You
March 23, 2015 at 1:40 pm
I was curious if you ever considered changing the layout of your site? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or 2 images. Maybe you could space it out better?
michael kors logo monogram medium pink tote
March 23, 2015 at 2:23 pm
Thanks for the marvelous posting! I certainly enjoyed reading it, you might be a great author.I will make sure to bookmark your blog and may come back someday. I want to encourage you to definitely continue your great posts, have a nice evening!
michael kors logo monogram medium pink tote
fake ray ban cats sunglasses deep brown/white frame tawny lens
March 23, 2015 at 2:24 pm
Hey there! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a team of volunteers and starting a new project in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done a outstanding job!
fake ray ban cats sunglasses deep brown/white frame tawny lens
Fashionable Nike Free 3.0 V4 Gray Womens Discount Sale
March 23, 2015 at 2:53 pm
In this awesome design of things you’ll receive an A+ for effort. Exactly where you actually confused me was first on your facts. As they say, details make or break the argument.. And that couldn’t be much more accurate in this article. Having said that, allow me inform you precisely what did work. The writing is actually highly engaging and this is possibly the reason why I am taking an effort to opine. I do not really make it a regular habit of doing that. Next, despite the fact that I can see the leaps in logic you make, I am not confident of how you appear to connect your details which help to make your conclusion. For now I shall yield to your issue but hope in the near future you connect your facts much better.
lv monogram lurex shawl sale
March 23, 2015 at 5:04 pm
Howdy! Would you mind if I share your blog with my zynga group? There’s a lot of folks that I think would really appreciate your content. Please let me know. Thank you
lv monogram lurex shawl sale
imitation louis vuitton purses
March 23, 2015 at 5:08 pm
Hmm it looks like your blog ate my first comment (it was extremely long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I submitted and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I as well am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to everything. Do you have any points for first-time blog writers? I’d definitely appreciate it.
imitation louis vuitton purses
Our Free RUN 5.0 +3 Grey Blue Mens Is A Good Choice For You
March 23, 2015 at 5:32 pm
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.
Anonymous
March 23, 2015 at 7:26 pm
Cheap Nike Free Running 3.0 Blue White Have New Feelings
March 23, 2015 at 7:26 pm
Hmm it looks like your blog ate my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I wrote and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I as well am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to everything. Do you have any suggestions for first-time blog writers? I’d really appreciate it.
come On Now
March 23, 2015 at 8:34 pm
Please let me know if you’re looking for a author for your site. You have some really good articles and I think I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d absolutely love to write some material for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine. Please send me an e-mail if interested. Many thanks!
ray ban wayfarer sunglasses usa
March 23, 2015 at 8:36 pm
Sweet blog! I found it while surfing around on Yahoo News. Do you have any tips on how to get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Thanks
ray ban wayfarer sunglasses usa
Our Free XT Pink White Womens Choose Right
March 23, 2015 at 10:58 pm
This will be a fantastic web page, would you be interested in doing an interview regarding just how you developed it? If so e-mail me!
louis vuitton damier azur totally pm bag
March 23, 2015 at 11:58 pm
Hey! Would you mind if I share your blog with my myspace group? There’s a lot of folks that I think would really appreciate your content. Please let me know. Thanks
louis vuitton damier azur totally pm bag
replica michael kors pebbled logo shoulder bags gold
March 24, 2015 at 12:46 am
I am really enjoying the theme/design of your weblog. Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility issues? A handful of my blog visitors have complained about my website not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Chrome. Do you have any suggestions to help fix this issue?
replica michael kors pebbled logo shoulder bags gold
Fashionable Nike Free Series Of Lovers Training Carbon Black Grey Mens Is Very Charmi
March 24, 2015 at 1:07 am
I enjoy what you guys tend to be up too. Such clever work and coverage! Keep up the wonderful works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to my blogroll.
Nike Free Running 3.0 Black Can Make You Both Happy And Comfortable
March 24, 2015 at 2:05 am
I do love the manner in which you have presented this particular difficulty and it does supply me a lot of fodder for thought. On the other hand, through what precisely I have personally seen, I simply just trust when the actual feed-back pack on that individuals stay on point and not start on a tirade of some other news of the day. Anyway, thank you for this fantastic piece and while I can not really go along with it in totality, I value your standpoint.
Nike Air Max 90 Green Black For Kids Minimal Cost With 2012 Full Collection
March 24, 2015 at 2:43 am
Hello this is somewhat of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding experience so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Anonymous
March 24, 2015 at 3:10 am
louis vuitton solar pm sale
March 24, 2015 at 3:10 am
I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your site. It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create your theme? Fantastic work!
louis vuitton solar pm sale
Our Nike Free 5.0 V4 Black Sapphire
March 24, 2015 at 3:15 am
Hello, I think your website might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your blog site in Ie, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, wonderful blog!
ray ban polarized rb2027
March 24, 2015 at 3:21 am
Howdy! I’m at work browsing your blog from my new iphone! Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to all your posts! Keep up the superb work!
ray ban polarized rb2027
michael kors braided totes cheap
March 24, 2015 at 3:40 am
Does your website have a contact page? I’m having trouble locating it but, I’d like to shoot you an e-mail. I’ve got some ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great blog and I look forward to seeing it improve over time.
michael kors braided totes cheap
lv speedy 35 n41535
March 24, 2015 at 3:48 am
Thanks for one’s marvelous posting! I genuinely enjoyed reading it, you happen to be a great author.I will be sure to bookmark your blog and will eventually come back later on. I want to encourage you continue your great writing, have a nice holiday weekend!
lv speedy 35 n41535
authentic lv monogram denim shawl
March 24, 2015 at 4:26 am
Have you ever thought about writing an e-book or guest authoring on other blogs? I have a blog centered on the same information you discuss and would love to have you share some stories/information. I know my subscribers would value your work. If you are even remotely interested, feel free to send me an e-mail.
authentic lv monogram denim shawl
louis vuitton keepall bag price
March 24, 2015 at 4:32 am
Hey! This post could not be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my good old room mate! He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this article to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Thanks for sharing!
louis vuitton keepall bag price
Nike Air Max 91 Mens Running Online For Sale.
March 24, 2015 at 4:47 am
Howdy just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren’t loading correctly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different browsers and both show the same results.
Welcome To Buy Authentic Nike Air Max 1 Black Red Mens
March 24, 2015 at 5:53 am
Hey there! Do you know if they make any plugins to safeguard against hackers? I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve worked hard on. Any recommendations?
air jordan military blues
March 24, 2015 at 5:54 am
Hey there! I’ve been following your website for some time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Atascocita Tx! Just wanted to tell you keep up the excellent job!
air jordan military blues
replica michael kors grayson saffiano logo satchels brown
March 24, 2015 at 6:02 am
In this grand design of things you’ll secure an A+ just for effort and hard work. Where exactly you lost me was first in the particulars. As it is said, the devil is in the details… And that could not be more accurate in this article. Having said that, let me tell you precisely what did do the job. Your article (parts of it) is certainly incredibly persuasive and that is probably the reason why I am taking an effort in order to opine. I do not really make it a regular habit of doing that. Secondly, despite the fact that I can notice a jumps in reason you make, I am not sure of exactly how you appear to connect your ideas that produce the final result. For now I will, no doubt yield to your point however hope in the foreseeable future you link your dots better.
replica michael kors grayson saffiano logo satchels brown
Best Nike Free Runing 4.0 V2 Pink White Womens Low-budget For Females
March 24, 2015 at 6:50 am
I don’t know whether it’s just me or if perhaps everybody else experiencing problems with your site. It appears as if some of the text on your posts are running off the screen. Can somebody else please provide feedback and let me know if this is happening to them too? This might be a issue with my browser because I’ve had this happen before. Many thanks
louis vuitton belt china
March 24, 2015 at 7:15 am
Hi would you mind letting me know which hosting company you’re working with? I’ve loaded your blog in 3 different internet browsers and I must say this blog loads a lot faster then most. Can you suggest a good web hosting provider at a reasonable price? Thanks, I appreciate it!
louis vuitton belt china
louis vuitton m94545 sale
March 24, 2015 at 7:18 am
Hello there! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could find a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having difficulty finding one? Thanks a lot!
louis vuitton m94545 sale
ray ban yellow lens
March 24, 2015 at 7:24 am
In the great pattern of things you get a B- with regard to effort. Where exactly you actually misplaced me personally was first in your facts. As as the maxim goes, the devil is in the details… And it could not be much more true at this point. Having said that, allow me tell you just what did work. The writing is definitely really convincing and that is most likely why I am making an effort in order to comment. I do not really make it a regular habit of doing that. Next, whilst I can notice a jumps in logic you make, I am definitely not convinced of how you appear to connect your ideas which inturn produce the actual conclusion. For right now I will yield to your point but trust in the near future you actually connect your facts much better.
ray ban yellow lens
michael kors jet set continental coffee wallet
March 24, 2015 at 8:46 am
Hmm it appears like your site ate my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I submitted and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I too am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to the whole thing. Do you have any tips and hints for rookie blog writers? I’d really appreciate it.
michael kors jet set continental coffee wallet
Low-cost Air Max 89 Black Gray Mens For Guys Cut Price With 2012 New Style
March 24, 2015 at 9:41 am
First off I want to say excellent blog! I had a quick question in which I’d like to ask if you do not mind. I was curious to know how you center yourself and clear your thoughts before writing. I’ve had a tough time clearing my thoughts in getting my thoughts out. I do take pleasure in writing however it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are generally lost just trying to figure out how to begin. Any recommendations or tips? Many thanks!|掲示板}
tweetyMa
March 24, 2015 at 9:44 am
je FГ©licite, vous Г©tiez visitГ©s par l’idГ©e brillant simplement
tweetyMa
I Can Guarantee Mens Nike Air Max 2012 Black Running For Males Buget With 2012 Latest Style
March 24, 2015 at 10:08 am
Sweet blog! I found it while browsing on Yahoo News. Do you have any suggestions on how to get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Many thanks
Welcome To Buy Authentic Free 5.0 Gray Black Mens
March 24, 2015 at 10:33 am
Hi there terrific website! Does running a blog such as this take a massive amount work? I’ve virtually no understanding of programming however I had been hoping to start my own blog in the near future. Anyways, if you have any ideas or techniques for new blog owners please share. I know this is off topic but I just wanted to ask. Thanks!
Cheap Nike Free Running 3.0 Red
March 24, 2015 at 11:27 am
My partner and I absolutely love your blog and find a lot of your post’s to be just what I’m looking for. can you offer guest writers to write content in your case? I wouldn’t mind creating a post or elaborating on most of the subjects you write with regards to here. Again, awesome weblog!
buy wow gold
March 24, 2015 at 12:26 pm
The liner can be tough, looks like cheap make-believe dog’s fur. I enjoy a few couples relating to buy wow gold and therefore no other people such as this. If only We could go back for yet another couple.
Ursula Dartt
September 22, 2019 at 10:41 am
Link exchange is nothing else butexcepthowever it is onlysimplyjust placing the other person’s blogweblogwebpagewebsiteweb site link on your page at properappropriatesuitable place and other person will also do samesimilar forin favor ofin support of you.