Ft. Bragg Stories Podcast

Bill Reid is 92 now, but back in 1944 he was just 18 when he was drafted to fight in World War II . He traveled by train from New Jerse y to Fort Bragg for 17 weeks of training before heading off to Europe . On his first day at Bragg, Reid recalled he was not impressed with his initial assignment. "W hen I asked what kind of outfit it was that we were being trained for, they said, 'O h, C ooks and B akers school,' " he said . " Well, that doesn’t sit very well with a gung- ho hero." He s witched to artillery, learning how to dig-in, aim, load and fire a 105 mm Howitzer. In January of 1945, Reid boarded a ship headed for Italy, where he spent seven months. By August , the war in Europe was over , but Reid and his fellow soldiers still faced the prospect of fighting on the Pa cific front. On August 15, 1945, Reid and 5,000 other GI s packed into a hangar near Naples to see a show starring the iconic singing trio the Andrews S isters. The show was interru pted by someone carrying a note.