1LT Jesse Veale Reed

1LT Jesse Veale Reed was born 16 Dec 1891 in Suffolk, Virginia. He was the youngest of the nine children of the Reverend James Clayton and Eliza Jane (Veale) Reed. His father was a Methodist preacher who had served in the Civil War losing a hand. Jesse schooling was mostly by private teachers. As a minister, Reverend Reed moved about fairly often. In 1907 he was selected as the presiding elder in the Rappahannock district and the family moved to Ashland, Virginia. It was at this time that Jesse began his studies at Randolph Macon Academy. He then attended two semesters at Randolph-Macon College beginning in September 1909 after which he studied for the 1911-1912 session at Trinity College in North Carolina. 

Jesse began work at Barrow Grocery Company in Blackstone in the spring of 1912. His father then took a position in Hampton and Jesse moved to Norfolk, Virginia and began working for Texas Oil Company. While in Norfolk he and some friends joined G Company 4th Virginia Regiment. The regiment was posted as a guard at the Du Pont plant in Hopewell in March 1917 and while there Jesse was promoted to line sergeant. 

The unit was ordered to Camp McClellan in August 1917 and arrived in September. SGT Reed was made bayonet instructor. He was so good that he was soon recognized with a commission to Second Lieutenant and placed in charge of the Pioneer Platoon. He apparently excelled at this work too and was again promoted in April 1918. As a new First Lieutenant, Jesse was given command of the Trench Mortar Platoon and shipped with the regiment to France in mid-June 1918. 

After arriving in France the Division trained in trenches and behind the lines in Alsace-Lorraine. On 8 October the 29th Division including the 116th Infantry began their part in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. On the morning of 7 October 1LT Reed apparently had a premonition of his death and expressed this in his last letter home. He also passed on requests for his disposition to other officers. 1LT led his men forward on the morning of 8 October and continued without a break until shot down on 15 Oct 1918, reportedly by sixteen machine gun bullets and he was killed.

The American Legion post in Blackstone, Virginia was named for him in his honor, His body was repatriated in 1921 and he was re-interred in the Lakeview Cemetery in Blackstone, Virginia.