Lewis David Julian

Lewis David Julian was born on August 24, 1912, in the town of Frederick, Kansas. He attended South Haven High School in Wichita, Kansas, where he was a musician who competed for the school in a variety of talent contests. Julian graduated from South Haven High in May 1930 and began his college career at Washington State College (WSC) in the fall of 1930. His older sister, Winifred, was already a student at the Pullman campus. Julian competed in a variety of extracurricular activities, which included trying out and being selected for Glee Club during his freshman year. Julian was a bass singer, and he appeared on a studio musical program for the school radio station, during which he sang baritone. In addition to singing, Julian was a member of the freshman tennis team and he received a freshman numeral at the end of the season. He was a member of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and was listed as a pledge in the yearbook. For his sophomore year, Julian returned to Kansas to attend Municipal University of Wichita, known today as Wichita State University. He graduated in 1934 with a degree in Education.

Following his graduation, Julian moved to New York City to pursue his singing career. He found a job with the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) as a page boy. A Brooklyn newspaper reported that Lewis was selected to be a vocalist with the Russ Morgan Band. He also began to make a series of short movies featuring the band and Julian as one of the vocalists. By February 1937, the films were distributed around the country. Lewis, now with the nickname “Bud,” was featured prominently in the picture and the local paper declared that “Fans who recognized him thought he did himself proud.” Coverage of Julian’s activities slowed down after 1937 but he still maintained his success. In 1938, he was reported to still be a part of the Russ Morgan orchestra in an article listing the achievements made by KWSC radio students at WSC. As late as October 1940, Lewis is still reporting to be an employee of NBC and living in New York City. While his fame may have slowed as the years went on, his rise to a singer in a prominent band was still remarkable. Though films of the Russ Morgan Band are scarce, some of the recordings featuring Lewis still survive and are publicly available on the internet. Lewis likely remained in New York until events on December 7, 1941, changed his life and the world forever.

Julian likely joined the United States Army shortly after war was declared in December 1941. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant at Fort Benning, Georgia, and was later attached to the 168th Infantry Regiment of the 34th Infantry Division, joining them in the European theater of war. By the end of the war, the division was famed for its experience in combat. It first saw action in North Africa after landing in Algiers. After stifling the German advance in North Africa, the 34th was soon sent to the Italian theater where it spent twenty months in action. Lewis likely joined the unit towards the end of the North African campaign but was fully involved as the Allies set their sights on the Italian peninsula. The 34th Division arrived in full force in Salerno on September 29, 1943, beginning a war of attrition that was far more difficult than anything seen in North Africa. The 168th Regiment and the rest of the division conducted three river crossings that were met by barrages of machine guns, artillery, and minefields. While they were able to successfully cross the river, each attempt or capture of an objective resulted in horrendous losses, costs that were soon felt at home. In January 1944, The Wichita Eagle reported that Lewis Julian was missing in action but provided little information on his whereabouts or when he went missing. According to Julian’s sister, Winifred, Lewis had been missing since November 19, 1943, squarely during the battles near the Volturno River. The Julian family sought more information from the government and others but was left without answers until November 1944. A report by the International Red Cross that was sent by the German government revealed that Lewis died on November 24, 1943, due to wounds received during the campaign. His body was recovered laid to rest at the Florence American Cemetery in Italy. Years later, Julian was recognized at the WSU Veterans Memorial alongside the other students who lost their lives during World War II.