U.S. Marine Harold E. Reid was killed in Viet Nam on Sept. 13, 1967, but not buried for 33 years. Not necessarily a Nephi story, but still a great story that has never been shared.

During the 1960's there were many Juab County young men shipped off to fight a war in a country that few Americans even heard of, but they still served. One such Marine was twenty one year old Harold E. Reid, so I would like to play the role of Paul Harvey, and tell the rest of the story, that I have not not been told. On Sept. 13, 1967, after his group was engaged in heavy battle with the Viet Cong, he was last seen running across a bridge spanning the Thu Bon River in Quang Nam Province, South Viet Nam, which was in enemy territory. Nobody heard from him and rumors were afloat as to where he went in such a hurry and why. Investigations and speculations were abound, but no answers, not until the year 2000. A year before, a variety of humanitarian groups were engaged in trying to restore relations with South Viet Nam, which included building schools; medical services, and giving assistance to orphanages. I was a part of one such group for a month, a week of which was spent searching for artifacts or remains of American soldiers. The locals there called it the "American War" as a few years before they fought the French. Once we established our credibility and in some scary situations, we were able to get some local villagers to help us. My interpreter was a Viet Nam military official, and I was able to obtain dog tags and information on some of our boys. Although it was not my group, one such organization was able to obtain the co-operation of an older gentleman, who remembers the incident of Harold Reid. Later DNA showed it was in fact Harold. He had been upset that so many of his brothers in arms and been killed, he decided to take on the enemy by himself, and crossed the bridge and took out as many as he could, but a guerilla shot him dead and left him lying in a rice paddy. Local villages took the body and buried him nearby, as they would be in trouble if there was any indication they assisted the Americans. The elderly man told of the heroic acts that this warrior took on. For thirty three years, his mother didn't know where he was or what happened and that lack of knowledge tormented her continually. At his graveside services in the Taylorsville, Utah cemetery, I had the chance to talk to his aged mother, to get her feelings and the rest of the story. The family thanked the Marines, not just for their service, but for their continued efforts to find any remains to bring our boys home. His mother had great comfort in knowing the real story about hero Harold E. Reid. Besides the photo of Harold who is "home at last" the other photos are of me leaving a medical clinic after assisting a baby delivery; outhouse in the rice paddies and one of the most dangerous waterways the enemy carried supply, which was in the "Sampan" boats. Since we had many Juab County boys fighting there, this story is somewhat of a local story.