'No one rides alone;' Louisiana community honors veteran who helped homeless veterans
Ed Lewis died making repairs to a homeless community after Hurricane Ida.
Remembering Air Force veteran Ed 'Cowboy' Lewis
Vietnam veteran Ed Lewis died in September making repairs to Camp Nora, a community for the homeless, after Hurricane Ida.
Air Force veteran Ed Lewis loved his family, his motorcycle, and, above all else, helping his fellow veterans.
Those who knew him say he had a heart of gold.
"His passion for veterans oozed out of him," the late veteran's widow Margaret Lewis recalls.
Ed Lewis died on Sept. 5 during a tragic accident following Hurricane Ida in Louisiana.
The Vietnam veteran lived by the motto "no one rides alone," inspired by his cross-country motorcycle trips.
"In a way, he had survivor's guilt, so he felt he needed to do something to give back," Margaret Lewis said.
In 2012, he started the nonprofit Ride of the Brotherhood, and his motto was used as an acronym for Camp Nora, a community he built in Louisiana to house homeless veterans.
Margaret Lewis estimates her late husband helped over 100 veterans through Camp Nora.
His passion for helping veterans is why he was working to put a tarp over Camp Nora when Hurricane destroyed the roof.
It would be his last selfless act.
Lewis died on impact after falling through the roof.
"As tragic as it was, Ed died doing what he loved best … he wanted to fix the camp to bring veterans back in," Margaret Lewis said.
The Air Force veteran had a saying tattooed on his arm that read, "A veteran took an oath to defend their country, fight for their country but never to be forgotten."
Even in death, his words live on in his community.
"He touched more lives than he realized, and I learn that every day since his death," Margaret Lewis said. "It is amazing. It has been an honor to have him as my husband."