In Memoriam : Lt. Col. Winfred Reid USMC
Lt. Col. Winfred Orvile "Pappy" Reid USMC - age: 88
(March 21, 1921 to January 05, 2010 ) Resident of Delight, Arkansas Visitation Information: Visitation will be held at Latimer Funeral Home on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 between 6:00 – 8:00. Obituary: Lt. Col. Winfred Orvile “Pappy” Reid USMC (ret.) died January 5, 2010 in Murfreesboro of natural causes. Son of Frank B. and Pearl Reid, the Delight native was the last surviving member of his World War II fighter squadron VMF-222, “The Flying Deuces.” Winfred Reid flew his F4-U Corsair into aerial combat against Japanese fighters in 88 combat missions and shot down two Zeros, with one additional “half-credit” and two “probable” enemy fighters downed, all over the Coral Sea. Then Lieutenant Reid destroyed so many other enemy boats, gun-emplacements and supplies during low-level strafing with his Corsair’s six-50 caliber machine guns that at war’s end he was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses, eleven Air Medals, and four battle stars to his Pacific Theatre Service Medal. While returning to Arkansas after the second of his three combat tours, Captain Reid married the lovely Jean Arnold, vocalist of a leading Little Rock swing ”Big Band.” Three children and 37 years later Jean passed away of cancer. During the Korean Conflict “Pappy” flew transport planes into combat zones to bring supplies to his fellow marines and to evacuate the wounded. He later commanded and flew helicopters squadrons. He retired in 1962 in California where he retired a second time 23 years later from his petroleum distributorship in Anaheim . Col. Reid married a second time to Linda Calley McClure of Delight before returning to his home town in 1998. Many are the tales of “Pappy’s” more than 3,000 hours of flying in far away places but there is one episode that that some Delight residents still remember. While on a cross-country training flight in his Corsair, “Pappy” realized he was near enough to his hometown to give them a “thank you” for their support in the war effort. Recognizing the main street of town from high above Capt. Reid lined up his fighter with it, pushed the throttle wide-open, and dove to make a mock strafing run on the unsuspecting residents below; not once, but many times! Racing at about 50 feet above the rooftops of Delight everyone soon learned why the 4F-U was called the “Whistling Death” by its victims because of the loud, eagle-like scream of its powerful engine. After performing dog-fight maneuvers over the town folk “Pappy” Reid decided to spend the night in Delight so he lowered his landing gear and flaps and landed in a field just behind Delight where he had landed civilian planes before the war. The site became, for one day (unofficially), “Delight Marine Corps Air Base.” Leaving the Corsair in the field “Pappy” went to his parent’s place for his first home-cooked meal in awhile and a good night’s sleep. Returning the next day to resume his flying an admiring crowd came to watch his take-off. From out of the crowd stepped a man in bib overalls and a concerned look on his face. He walked up to Capt. Reid who was sitting in the cockpit preparing for take off. What ensued went something like this: ‘Thanks for what you did in the war and all that.’ Said the man. ‘But please, make that the last air show.’ ‘Oh?’ Said “Pappy” as he was about to flip the switch to start his 2,250 horsepower Pratt and Whitney radial power plant. ‘Yep, you know I’m a chicken farmer here abouts and ever since you showed up yesterday in your darned flying machine not ONE of my hens have seen fit to lay an egg!’ Col. Reid is survived by his wife Linda, sons David of Berkeley, California, and Bradley of Hana, Hawaii, and daughter Linda of Phoenix, Arizona and four grandchildren and one great-grand child. Funeral Services will be at 10:00 A.M., Thursday, January 14, 2010 at the First Baptist Church in Delight with Freeman Henderson officiating. Burial will follow at Delight Cemetery under the direction of Latimer Funeral Home, Murfreesboro. Visitation will be held at Latimer Funeral Home on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 between 6:00 – 8:00. You may send an online sympathy message at www.latimerfuneralhome.com. |
|
Richard (Dick) Morehart - January 12, 2010  Contact this person
To my cousins Linda, Brad and David. You are in my heart and know I am there with you even though I am unable to attend. Your Mom and Dad were a special part of my childhood and I shall never forget them. To Linda (his wife) I thank you for taking care of Uncle Win and providing him comfort in his later years. May God continue to bless all of you.
Dick Morehart and wife Virginia
Janis Morrow - January 13, 2010 Contact this person
Fly high into the blue, Unc . . . throngs await to be regaled by tales of a master storyteller. Thanks for the memories . . . they'll forever be a part of the tapestry of those whose lives you touched!
|