Fellow Marine Honors Friend, Fallen Vance AFB Worker At Virtual Memorial Marathon

When the miles piled up and the struggle was real, Joshua Gershon can still remember what his friend would say.

 "Lew's like, 'let's go Sean, no, we're not stopping,'" Marine and Oklahoma City police officer Joshua Gershon said.

Lew is Taylor Lewis, known as Big Lew by family and friends, a larger than life personality that is gone too soon.

He passed away in a work-related accident at Vance Air Force Base in April.

Related: Moore Community Mourns Loss Of Marine Killed In Tragic Accident At Vance AFB

Josh and Lew would run the half-marathon every year together.

"Thinking about all the times we did it, and that you know, he should be here doing it with me physically," Gershon said.

But he was in spirit. Josh carried the Marine flag Big Lew would proudly hold as Josh made his way down Sooner Road on his 13.1-mile, five-hour journey.

Each of his 26,000 steps taking him closer, not to a finishing line, but a resting place.

"For me, finishing right here at this gravesite was me and him finishing together," Gershon said.

"It just means a lot that people continue to persevere, and they get that energy from Lew. Lew is what keeps them going and pick them up when they're down," said Amber Snake, Lewis' aunt.

"Lew's gone, but he's sure as hell is not forgotten," Gershon said.

The family has established the Taylor Lewis Foundation. They already have several events planned and, in the future, they want to give scholarships to high school football players.

That was Big Lew's favorite sport when he went to Moore High School.