- In 2004 the Nueces County Historical Society created an award in memory of Daniel E. Kilgore, a devoted historian.
- This year's honoree is Dotson Lewis, a local war hero who continues to serve the community at 96 years old.
Daniel E. Kilgore is a name that is recognized in Corpus Christi. Kilgore was considered one of the state's most devoted historians. In 2004 the Nueces County Historical Society created an award in memory of Mr. Kilgore. Since then, several people have been recognized for their service to the historical society or promotion and preservation of local and regional history.
See past recipients by clicking here.
This year's honoree is a local war hero who continues to serve the community at 96 years old. Dotson Lewis is a man who has worn many hats. He's not only a decorated Korean War combat veteran with five Battle Stars; he has even made accomplishments outside the military. Lewis was a referee for a little over 70 decades.
91-year-old referee reflects on 71 years with the whistle (kristv.com)
On Tuesday, May 7 Mr. Lewis will be able to add another highlight on his long list of successes.
"The Nueces County Historical Society has decided to honor this man because of his contributions to the community," Navy veteran Rudy Tejano Peña said.
Lewis will be receiving the Daniel E. Kilgore Local History Award. His fellow veterans say it's a well-deserved honor.
Navy veteran Kristy Jackson said, "If you don't know Dotson Lewis you are missing out. Not only is he an amazing friend, an advocate for veterans in our community, a hero, but just a living legend."
"He's doing such a wonderful job in the community helping the veterans. He's one of the original sponsors of the Veterans Round Table," Tejano Peña added.
The Veterans Round Table is a place local veterans can go every week to find out what's going on in Corpus Christi and Nueces County. It simply exists to help veterans get the information they need. In addition, Dotson Lewis educates and advocates for veterans through the Veterans Round Table radio talk show IS broadcasted on KEYS 98.7 FM and 1440 AM every Saturday morning.
In addition to helping veterans, he's also a volunteer educator at Del Mar College. He mainly focuses on helping seniors with technology and creative writing.
Coastal Bend veterans are encouraging the public to celebrate Mr. Lewis at the Daniel Kilgore Awards Banquet. The May 7th event will be at the Emerald Beach Hotel at 1302 S Shoreline Blvd. Festivities will start at 6:30 p.m. The last day to get prepaid tickets is Wednesday, April 17.
More information can be found by clicking here.
You can fill out the RSVP form by clicking here.
More Veterans In Focus stories are available here, along with resources for local veterans.
Contact Veterans In Focus reporter Michelle Lorenzo at michelle.lorenzo@kristv.co
