A Veteran Honored

Long-time Mason chosen to be grand marshal of Veterans Day Parade

Milton-Freewater resident W.B. Herald E. Reid, 102 years old, was honored as the grand marshal of the Veterans Day Parade on Saturday, Nov. 11.

Reid, parade grand marshal, in a military Jeep during the Veterans Day parade.

Reid was born Sept. 29, 1921, in Emmett, Idaho. After high school, Reid attended Northern Idaho College of Education in Lewiston for two years and earned a degree in teaching elementary school and junior high. Instead of teaching, the young man decided to go to work for the government, and ended up as a tail gunner on a B-17 in World War II.

In early 1944, his life took an unexpected turn when he joined the U.S. Army Air Force to help in the war effort. As it turned out, the military needed more gunners than pilots, so he ended up in Las Vegas for gunnery training. Reid flew 25 missions, as a tail gunner, over Germany. Planes caught a lot of flak from antiaircraft fire on the ground. Being a tail gunner was a dangerous position. “I was one of the fortunate ones,” he said.

Reid’s plane had been named Queenie. “She had so many patches from the flak that she was the slowest in the fleet,” he explained. “But she was quite a plane.”

Returning to Idaho, he started teaching junior high. The veteran then went back to college, earned a bachelor’s degree and taught high school for eight years in Cottonwood, Idaho. Reid earned a master’s degree in administration from Washington State University.

In 1956, he took a position at McLoughlin Union High School in Milton-Freewater.

Around 1962, Mac-Hi Principal John Turbyne asked Reid to be vice principal of the high school; he accepted that position and also taught advanced chemistry.

In 1981, after 35 years in education, Reid retired. Reid was honored as Milton-Freewater’s Man of the Year in 1992 for his contribution to the community.

He was married in 1941, and proudly noted he and his wife, Effie, were married for more than 69 years. The couple had two children, Tanna and Gavin.

Reid has been a Freemason for more than 69 years with life memberships at his Home Lodge Milton No. 96 and also Wildhorse Lodge No. 65.

Reid was excited to be able to represent his World War II comrades and other veterans in his hometown parade honoring those who have served.

Reid with several of his former students.

Read the full article at EastOregonian.com