RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia-born soldier killed during the Normandy invasion is finally being honored at the Virginia War Memorial.
Private Charles Lewin, of Portsmouth, was killed on June 29, 1944.
During research and preparations for next month’s 80th D-Day anniversary, it was discovered that Private Lewin’s name was not included in the Shrine of Memory when the Memorial was built in the 1950s.
Craftsmen recently engraved Private Lewin’s name on a glass wall next to his fellow soldiers.
The War Memorial’s Executive Director Clay Mountcastle said Lewin’s name was probably overlooked because of a record-keeping oversight.
Mountcastle said his team felt good knowing Private Lewin was getting the attention and honor he deserved.
"It is a wonderful way to tie into Memorial Day to remind everybody that this process of memory and preservation continues," Mountcastle said. "It is a day-in and day-out process. We have to continue to research and make sure that we’ve remembered and noted everyone that has made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.”
Lewin served with the famed 29th Division and was only 24 years old when he was killed.
Private Lewin is buried at the American Cemetery in Normandy, France.
