Greatest Generation, July 3

Charles “Bud” Reed

Age: 85

Town: Omaha

Service: Navy, aboard escort carrier USS Bismarck Sea

In the war: He enlisted out of Falls City High School in 1942 and was trained in ordnance, rearming the carrier’s fighters and bombers. He served six campaigns in the Pacific before the ship was hit by two Japanese kamikazes off of Iwo Jima on Feb. 21, 1945. It sunk 90 minutes later, with the loss of 318 men. Reed was pulled from the water after four hours. He suffered broken ribs and a concussion and was awarded a Purple Heart.

In his words: “When they yelled there was incoming, a fellow named Hart and I ducked into the head along the catwalk. (The kamikaze) went through the right side and blew up. The back end was ablaze. Then the second one came in in a straight dive and hit right in the elevator, and that really tore her apart. When the order came on the bullhorn to abandon ship, I jumped off the flight deck, 40 feet up. Most of us did, if we got out alive. What was bad was they then came down and strafed us with machine guns. You can handle a lot of things, but when there’s strafing and guys around you hurting. ... It’s once in a lifetime, thank God. When I look back now, what the hell. I’m lucky. I’m not going to see any psychiatrist. I’m alright.’’ — Henry J. Cordes

« Living

Share