On 11 May 1945, Bunker Hill had launched a strike against a Japanese airfield in the Ryukyu islands (part of the Okinawa campaign) when the ship was attacked by Japanese kamikaze aircraft. Two planes succeeded in dropping bombs and crashing into Bunker Hill causing intense explosions and fires on the ship. The attack killed 393 officers and men and wounded 264. Fireman First Class Lewis was among those killed in action and buried at sea. His name is listed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial, located within the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. Narrative researched and written by National Purple Heart Hall of Honor staff.