Family keeps its tradition of gathering for soldier's birthday

GLOUCESTER

The women knelt down and pushed brightly colored birthday candles into the dirt.

A cold wind tugged on the nearby flags and flowers as they worked in silence.

Army Sgt. Mason Lee Lewis could not come home for his birthday, so family and friends went to him, at Rosewell Memorial Garden Cemetery.

Lewis, a Gloucester native, died Nov. 16 in Baghdad of injuries from a noncombat training accident. During his second deployment to Iraq, the five-year Army veteran trained Iraqi soldiers, many of whom he called his friends.

Tuesday was his birthday.

The entire family always gathers for Mason's birthday, family members said. It is tradition.

Jeff Lewis, Mason's dad, was the first to arrive at Rosewell, stopping his red

pickup just past Mason's grave. He stood only briefly before heading toward a nearby field.

Mason Lewis' huge, black Dodge F1500 truck stopped next. The passenger door flung open wide to reveal Chase Lewis, Mason's nephew. He bounded from the truck, U.S. flags in hand, and raced to the black headstone.

"He was a great soldier. He'd take care of all the kids in the army," Chase Lewis said, remembering how Mason asked family members to send soccer balls and Frisbees so he could give them to Iraqi children.

Lisa Lewis, Mason's mom, emerged from his truck with bright flowers and a framed photograph of Mason in hand. The truck isn't her pick, but it was Mason's. So she'll drive it until it gives out on her.

For the better part of an hour, family and friends continued to arrive.

"He was so loved. Lots of family and friends," his mother said as she looked at the gravestones, the upper with a photo of the whole Lewis family, the lower with one of Mason that for some reason made him look older than his 26 years.

The stones had arrived Sunday.

"What do you think? Nice?" Lisa asked the family. "That's an M-4 carbine. Of course, if he were here, he'd be telling us all about it."

Beneath the photo of the weapon on the stone was another carving: Mason's tattoo.

"An American's Freedom is a Soldier's Sacrifice," it read.

"That's his signature," said Lisa, nodding, which caused Mason's dog tags to clink.

Friends talked about the moment of silence at Gloucester High School in his honor and how he hated the cold. Jeff Lewis wa ndered farther from the group, standing with his back to the plot.

Lisa Lewis talked about their last family trip and the plans they'd made to meet in Georgia for St. Patrick's Day. Mason was supposed to come home in March.

"The last e-mail to me, the last words to me were, 'Sometimes life's greatest rewards come with the greatest sacrifices. Think about that, Mom,' " Lisa said.

"He was our little hero," said Jeff Lewis, before gathering with everyone for a prayer for Mason.

Then, just as slowly as they had come, they retreated to Mason's childhood home.

There, they paused in his room. Their eyes watered as they looked at his watch that chimes each night at 8 p.m., signaling his 4 a.m. wake-up call in Iraq. The kitchen table filled up with photos, commendations and his neatly folded and boxed flag.

Outside, family and friends filled the porch.

Inside, Jeff uncorked the first bottle of wine to celebrate Mason.

He would have turned 27 Tuesday.

Amy Couteé, (757) 222-5216, amy.coutee@pilotonline.com