95-Year-Old Navy
Veteran Continues to Serve via Lifetime of Blood Donations
Among the many bits of wisdom shared by Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr., was a question he posed during one of his sermons: "Life's
most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"
For James Reed, that is a question he has answered many
times, in many ways.
Reed regales them with stories of his service in the Navy
and then jokes about the donation “competition” he has with his 59-year-old
son, who is a platelet donor.
A native of Bristol Valley, NY, approximately 30 miles south
of Rochester, Reed shared some of the humble memories of his early years.
“I was six years old when we got electricity in our house,”
he recalls, “and my first seven years of school were in a one-room schoolhouse.”
From his parents, he learned lessons that he would carry
throughout his lifetime, including the concept of being of service to others. His inspiration in becoming a blood donor was
influenced in part by his mother’s history of donating.
“My mother had done it (donating blood) but had to stop when
she was 72.”
After completing high school, Reed volunteered to enlist in
the U.S. Navy, in the early stages of the Korean War (“I felt it was right to
volunteer your time for Uncle Sam,” he states casually.). He was initially assigned to a repair ship
based in Newport, Rhode Island. His
concern for others quickly emerged while stationed on the ship. One of his crewmates, who was married with a
young child, was going to be reassigned to another ship and port and was
distraught about being separated from his wife and child. Reed saw this and approached one of his
commanding officers and volunteered to take his shipmate’s new assignment, on
an icebreaker that made frequent trips to clear paths approaching the North
Pole, where submarines might travel.
Before completing his military service, Reed also started
his blood donation journey.
“An officer’s wife was ill and in need of blood transfusions. An officer in the medical department made me aware that I had the right blood type to donate. I was glad I did it.”
After his discharge from the Navy and after earning a degree
at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology), Reed continued to live a life of
service to others, leading the Monroe County Department of Social Services. Heading
a department that provides services to more than 50,000 individuals each year
was a heavy load, and a personal tragedy led Reed to evaluate where he wanted
to spend his time.
“My sister died of cancer at 42, leaving behind four boys.
She died in June and in August of that year her 17-year-old boy was killed by a
drunk driver running a red light. On the
way home from the funeral, I looked in the back seat at my two boys and told my
wife ‘these guys are only young once, and I’m bringing home work every night.’”
A leader at RIT’s Business School informed Reed of an
opportunity to bring his leadership skills and desire to be of service to
others to the not-for-profit sector, which led him to being appointed as
Director of Family Services of Rochester. After overseeing an expansion of that
agency’s social services program, Reed retired in 1994.
As for his commitment to donating blood, the fulfillment he
felt after that initial donation during his service in the U.S. Navy has
remained with him to the present.
“I always have a good feeling that somebody is being helped
and it doesn’t cost me anything,” he says.
Reed is also thrilled that he now receives information on
where his donations are being used.
“The last time I gave I got a message that it went to a
young boy who had a (medical) problem. I remember saying my prayers and
thanking God for my being able to help that boy.”
Written by: Michael Tedesco, Regional Communications Director, American Red Cross of WNY
