Joe Lewis was actually born Joseph Louis Barrow. He was the heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 through 1949, and is considered one of the greatest heavyweight boxers in history. His championship reign lasted 140 consecutive months and spanned twenty-six championship fights. In 2005, the Brown Bomber was ranked by the International Boxing Research Organization as the #1 heavyweight boxer of all-time, and Ring’s List ranked Lewis as number one among the greatest punchers of all-time. In other words, he was pretty darned good.
On January 9, 1942, Lewis fought a charity bout for the Navy Relief Society, and on the next day he volunteered to enlist as a private in the United States Army at Camp Upton, Long Island. Remember that at the time he was the Heavyweight Champion of the world, and one of the most recognized athletes in the world.
Lewis was assigned to Fort Riley, Kansas, for basic training, and while in the army he fought tirelessly for equality among blacks in the army. The Army placed him in its Special Services Division rather than send him off to combat, and he went on a celebrity tour with other athletes to entertain the troops and to raise funds for the war efforts. Over this time, Lewis traveled 35,000 miles and fought 96 boxing exhibition matched for over two million soldiers.
Lewis never saw combat, but his efforts were praised near and far. He even won the Legion of Merit for his contributions to the general morale of the troops. He was released from active military service on October 1, 1945, and went on to defend his boxing title for another four years.
And now we invite you to play Aces High, the flight sim game that is taking the world of gaming by storm. Strap on your helmet and fly the skies with Aces High.
