Frederick James Reed, born in Coconut Grove Florida, served in the Army Air Corps during " WWII. On 20 October, 1942, he received a diploma from the Army Air Forces Technical Training Command Airplane Mechanics School showing that he had completed all the course work on the Boeing Flying Fortress. He was appointed a Staff Sergeant on 13 November 1942. On 30 November 1942 he received a diploma showing he had completed the course of Instruction as an aerial gunner. He was stationed in Australia with the 13th AAF, South Pacific in the 307th Bombardment Group and was the top turret gunner for the "Babes in Arms" B24 Liberator. His crew mates were Willard L. Pueppke, pilot; Carl B. Alwood, Jr. Copilot; Wayne M. Huertz, navigator; Harold F. Mitchell, bombardier; Charles S. Killhouse, radio operator; Henry L. Jones, assistant engineer; Walter R. LaMarita, assistant radio operator; Arthur R Barker; tail gunnery and Neal M. Fornwalt, nose gunner. His plane was among those that flew in the first battle of Truk. While in the Army Air Force he was awarded the Distinguished-Flying Cross, the Air Medal with one silver and two bronze oak leaf clusters, the Good Conduct Medal, the squadron medal, group medal, and the 13th Airforce Patch. He was honorably discharged as a Technical Sergeant (E-7) on 14 September 1945.
After the war he returned to Forest Grove, Oregon to his wife, Clara Ann Wolfe, and daughter Mary Theresa (Terri). The family moved to Longview, Washington where their two sons, Michael Alan and Dennis George were born. In Longview, Fred worked as an electrician for Reynolds Metals Corp. Th 1958 the family moved to San Jose, California where Fred worked for Rosendin Electric Company as an electrician. He retired in 1979 after undergoing open heart surgery.