Former U.S. Army machine gunner Alan Lewis is a strongly built man, but his outgoing personality is even bigger than his wide shoulders and broad chest.He was riding up top of the back seat of my dad's 1958 Ford Skyliner as grand marshal of the Milwaukee Veterans Parade Saturday, greeting the onlookers huddled in patches of sunlight along the downtown parade route.
The Skyliner, also known as a "retractable," has a hard top that comes down into the trunk to create a convertible, making us a good candidate for carrying a parade dignitary. My late father made a tradition of volunteering for the parade and I'm driving to honor his memory.
Beside the grand marshal is young Alan Jr. "Wave that flag high, boy," his father would remind him from time to time.
"Are you real happy?" the boy asked, as his dad is awash in attention from the crowds on the sidewalks.
Clearly he was. He is as American as they come, born on Veterans Day. He and his military brothers were being recognized and thanked for their sacrifice. Few equaled his.
The Purple Heart recipient lost both legs below the knee in Iraq in 2003.
"There's my guys," he said, as a wheelchair La Crosse team rolled up to offer congratulations. They are a confident bunch. They'll be demonstrating their sport along the parade route, and they only brought one ball.
Alan says he's doing well -- adjusting to his prosthetic legs, he reassured friends who stopped by before the parade stepped off.
He is as much grand cheerleader as grand marshal as the parade crawls through downtown with him thanking the crowd, recognizing the veterans lining the sidewalks, even praising the weather.
When we reached the reviewing stand, Alan struggled out of the backseat and shook my hand firmly. I simply stated the truth. "I'm honored to have met you," I said.
NOTE: I heard Alan Lewis tell someone he is currently out of work. Knowing him for only two hours, I can say confidently that he is someone's most valued employee just waiting to happen.
(View video at 0:45.)
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