Ben Reed, Jr., Home from Navy
First Time In Three Years
Ben Reed, Jr., arrived home Thursday night from Pensacola, Florida, Naval Air Station for a furlough visit with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Reed. This is Ben’s first visit home in three years. Although Ben has greatly enjoyed seeing the home folks, he decidedly notices the absence of his former school friends, most of whom are now in the service the same as he.
Ben has had seven years in the Navy, having enlisted about a year after his graduation from high school here in 1934. During the first four years of his enlistment he was stationed aboard the U. S. S. California, the same battleship on which John Lyons, now missing in action, was also stationed at that time. Reed Clark of Orleans, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Clark of Monticello, was also stationed on the California, and Ben reports Reed is now at Corpus Christie, Texas, where he is a yeoman second class.
After his first four years in the service, Ben returned to Spirit Lake, and a month later, in July 1939, reenlisted and was sent to Pensacola to the Naval air Station for three years shore duty, during his second period of enlistment. Ben is an Aviation Machinist’s Mate, second class, and his job at the air station has been the upkeep and overhauling of aircraft engines. Just what opportunities for further training he will get in his third period of enlistment now coming up he as yet doesn’t know. He would like to get back on a boat, or in the air, anywhere to see more action.
His brother, Bill Reed, five years his junior, is also in the Navy, having enlisted two years ago. Bill is an Aviation Machinist’s Mate, third class, and is stationed aboard the U. S. S. Hornet, aircraft carrier, somewhere in the Pacific. Bill’s duties are similar to his brother’s, but he has been taking care of planes used in combat where Ben has worked on smaller training planes.
Source: The Spirit Lake Beacon, Spirit Lake, Iowa, Thursday, September 24, 1942
