James Lewis (CIA)
| James Foley Lewis | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 February 1944 Coffeeville, Mississippi |
| Died | April 18, 1983 (aged 39) Beirut, Lebanon |
| Buried | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ |
 U.S. Army Special ForcesCentral Intelligence Agency |
| Years of service | 1962-83 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | MIKE Force |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Bronze Star Purple Heart Air Medal |
James Foley Lewis, (29 February 1944—18 April 1983) was an American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent killed in the 1983 United States embassy bombing in Beirut, Lebanon.
He was born in Coffeeville, Mississippi on 29 February 1944 to James Forrest Pittman and his wife Antoinette as James Forrest Pittman Jr. His father was serving as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division at the time of his birth. In 1952 Forrest Pittman abandoned his wife and their 4 children who subsequently moved to Gulfport, Mississippi. His mother remarried George Lewis in 1959 and James was adopted by his stepfather as James Foley Lewis.
Lewis joined the United States Army on 28 February 1962 and qualified as a Green Beret. In 1967 he was serving with the MIKE Force in South Vietnam. During his service in Vietnam, Lewis was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star 4 times with Combat V Device, the Purple Heart twice and the Air Medal.
Due to his experience in covert paramilitary operations, Lewis was recruited into the CIA in 1970.
In April 1975 Lewis was serving as an adviser to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) with his cover being as a consular officer at Nha Trang. As the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) offensive drew closer, he was captured together with ARVN Lieutenant General Nguyễn Vĩnh Nghi near Phan Rang Air Base on 16 April 1975. He was then transported north to Sơn Tây prison camp where he underwent repeated interrogation, sleep deprivation and malnutrition. He was initially the only prisoner, being joined several months later by 13 others including Paul Struharik, an AID official captured at Ban Me Thuot, Australian journalist Peter Whitlock, graduate student Jay Scarborough and missionaries John and Carolyn Miller and their 6 year old daughter Luanne. On 30 October 1975 Lewis and the other prisoners were transported by a UN-chartered C-47 to Vientiane, Laos and then on to Bangkok, Thailand. As author Kai Bird notes, he was "the last American prisoner of war to come home."
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