EDEN, N.Y. - Army Captain John Levulis was laid to rest Saturday in his hometown of Eden. Levulis died after the humvee he was riding in got into an accident on the New Jersey Turnpike two weeks ago.
The Commander of Eden's American Legion Post spoke with 2 On Your Side about just how much his friend, and fellow soldier, will be missed.
"At our 2012 Memorial Day service, he was a guest speaker for us, and he was phenomenal. He got up there at the podium. He had no notes or nothing, and he just carried on. It was unbelievable," says Commander Jim Blidy.
Levulis started working at the American Legion when he was about 14. Blidy remembers him as a model citizen. For his Eagle Scout project, Levulis built the Veterans Memorial in front of the post.
"You never had to look for him when he was doing a job around here because when he was done, he was always there. What's next? And if you said, well, John, did you forget this? Taken care of. It's all taken care of. He was top notch," says Blidy.
Blidy and other American Legion members gathered Friday night to attend the wake. Earlier in the day, children from the elementary school lined the streets with flags ahead of today's funeral.
"I know he's going to be totally missed. Especially, the guys that he hung around with here in town. I know they're all devastated, and it's something that we will overcome and go on," says Blidy.
The funeral was held at Eden Junior/Senior High School. The school was chosen to accommodate the large amount of mourners, including troops from Fort Drum where Levulis was based.
