Scope and Contents Mel Lewis (b. 1917) grew up in Redding, California, and operated a private airstrip before enlisting in the Army Air Corps one day after Pearl Harbor. He flew with the 14th Air Force in Pakistan, the 5th A.F. in the South Pacific, and the 7th A.F in Saipan and Guam. He was also a flight instructor in Greenville, South Carolina.