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Christmas Eve 2013 Heaven Receives Present of Presence of Tuskegee Airman
IN MEMORIAM
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN REED, SR.
Benjamin Franklin Reed, Sr. of San Francisco, California, passed away on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24, 2013 at  the San Francisco Veteran's Administration Hospital. He was born on February 27, 1928 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to William and Nettie Reed, originally of North Carolina. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, I. Lee Murphy-Reed, his son, Benjamin F. Reid, III of San Francisco, and his sister, Verlee Reed of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Benjamin F. Reed, Sr. was an extraordinary man who loved his family and country more than anything else life had to offer. He joined the United State Air Force in 1946 to serve his country, pursue his passion for aviation and to obtain a degree in Engineering. Spanning a career over thirty years, he became a Tuskegee Airman, Atomic and Civil Engineer, Missile Man, Businessman and philanthropist.
Special assignment to Vandenberg AFB (COOK AFS) after Sputnik (recognized as a pioneer), Ben became a member of the Thor, Atlas, Minuteman and Titan II Missile Maintenance Teams, where he redesigned the Atlas Launch Pad. Special assignment to Japan, also assignments to Sandia and Kirkland, AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico, National Bureau of Standards in Boulder, CO, and the 99th Air Force Squadron, under the command of General B.O. Bavis, Ben flew 99 missions, (25 were customary), during his Air Force career. Ben was stoic regarding some of his near death experiences while executing his orders. While on a mission in the South Pacific, his plane crashed on an atoll near Guam leaving him blind in both eyes. Experimental surgery restored his sight in one eye and he regained partial sight in the other, albeit temporary.
Ben lived his life with honor, courage and valor, without demanding preferential treatment due to his disabilities. Also, he is known as a generous and thoughtful man: dropping off a dozen turkeys to various charities during the holidays or walking around handing out money to those with a greater need. A devoted and loving husband and father, Benjamin F. Reed, Sr. is an American Hero.
The Interment: Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Virginia
GOD TOOK HIM TO HIS LOVING HOME
God saw him getting tired,
a cure was not to be,
He wrapped him in his loving arms and whispered,
"Come with me."
He suffered much in silence,
his spirit did not bend,
He faced his pain with courage,
until the very end.
He tried so hard to stay with us,
but his fight was not in vain.
God took him to His loving home,
and freed him from the pain.
Acknowledgements:
The Family of Benjamin Franklin Reed, Sr. would like to thank our many friends for your kind deeds and above all your prayers. Your kindness shall never be forgotten.
May God bless and keep you all.
(above obituary, poem, interment information and acknowledgment printed from obsequies program).
San Francisco, (January 11, 2014) Ceremonies honoring the life of Tuskegee Airman Benjamin Franklin Reed, Sr. were held Thursday, January 9, 2014, 11:00 a.m. at the Bryant Mortuary, 635 Fulton Street in San Francisco.
The Reverend A. Ray Gentle presented the Eulogy focusing on the Gospel of John chapter 11, where Jesus demonstrated his impending resurrection by raising Lazarus and also declared "I am the resurrection and the life, no one enters unto the Father except through me." Reverend Gentle encouraged the family that God promises are "the same yesterday, today and forever." "Those in Christ, will see Ben, again," Gentle shared.
Born in "the City of Brotherly Love," Philadelphia, during the month when love is celebrated February, the personal reflections by family and friends, characterized Reed as a man who was loving, kind, patient and always willing to give a helping hand to those in need and go the extra mile. Benjamin F. Reid, III, spoke of his father finding over $900,000 in a cab and immediately turning it over to authorities because it did not belong to him, demonstrating that earned rewards are the most noble. Dr. Maxine Hickman, President of the San Francisco Chapter of National Coalition of 100 Black Women presented a resolution in honor of Reed and hosted a the repast for the family at the African American Arts and Cultural Center following the services. David Cunningham, President of the William "Bill" Campbell Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. was on hand to honor the work of Reed as well.
As Reverend Solberg encouraged the family to cherish the memory of a man who had sacrificed much in his life to serve country, family, the St. Paulus Church and complete strangers following the example of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Solberg recounted several of Reed's sayings: ""Honor is far better than honors," and You can't experience the fullness of life without everyday giving to someone who cannot give back." Solberg encouraged family and friends to follow Reed's example of sacrificial living without ostentatious fanfare. "Do not build your life on the goodness or kindness of man, but rather as Ben did, build it on the truth of Jesus Christ," said Solberg.
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As is the custom of the San Francisco National Coalition of 100 Black Women, the Tuskegee Airmen are honored annually the first saturday of March at the Golden Girls Hats and Gloves "Bridging the Generations" Annual Tea. Seated, Tuskegee Airman Benjamin Franklin Reed, Sr. is flanked by Benjamin Reid Jr., wife I. Lee Murphy Reed (SF NCBW Founder & President Emeritus), SF Filmmaker, Jacquie Taliaferro, his Sister in Law, Actor James Weston II of George Lucas' "Red Tails" and San Francisco Publicist,
Jackie Wright.
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"Our Deepest Condolences Are Extended to the Reed Family!"
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