ST. ANTHONY, N.L. — The Reid family of St. Anthony knows how important it is to remember.
Seven members of the family, through five generations and over 100-plus years, have served their country in the military.
Rick Reid, who served in the Canadian Armed Forces from 1990 to 2013, believes a strong sense of duty to serve more than oneself was instilled in him and his siblings at an early age.
And, with such strong family ties to the military, they have a strong sense of just how important it is to remember the sacrifices made by those who have served.
Rick, 47, and his father Levi (Dick) Reid, 74, both live in St. Anthony.
They sat down with The Northern Pen to discuss the family’s commitment to the military through the years and reflect on what Remembrance Day means to them.
The Five Generations
- Levi Reid (first generation) – Newfoundland Regiment, World War I
- Levi (Lev) Reid (second generation, nephew of Levi Reid) – Royal Navy, World War II
- Levi (Dick) Reid (third generation, nephew of Lev) – Royal Canadian Navy cook, served on HMS Bonaventure, 1963-66
- Rick Reid (fourth generation, son of Dick) – Canadian Armed Forces, served tours in Cyprus, Kosovo and Afghanistan, 1990-2013
- Dawn Walsh, née Reid (fourth generation, daughter of Dick) – Canadian Armed Forces, served twice in Afghanistan, 1988-2017
- Tracy Reid (fourth generation, son of Dick) – Canadian Air Force, NATO Operations, Avionics Systems Technician, 1985-2018
- Vincent Reid (fifth generation, son of Tracy) – Canadian Air Force, posted at HMCS Stadacona in Halifax, 2018-Present
Family values
Rick says growing up, he and his siblings were taught a sense of duty to their country and to others, the values of honesty and integrity, and to stand for something — particularly to fight for equality, freedom and justice.
He saw this in the example led by his predecessors, including his great-great uncle and great uncle, who served in the First World War and Second World War respectively, and his father, who served as a cook in the navy for four years.
“What we have is because of what people who came before us done,” Rick told The Northern Pen. “If we all stood by and said, ‘what’s happening in France or in Poland during World War II doesn’t affect us’… it was our job, these people were being oppressed and a part of being free is to help other people be free and not to watch unjust persecution anywhere.”
This conviction, to stand for the persecuted, influenced his perspective on operations in Afghanistan.
Rick says when he was deployed to Afghanistan, he felt a duty to the people of that country and to his fellow soldiers.
Paying respects on Remembrance Day
Dick and Rick attend the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Royal Canadian Legion in St. Anthony every year.
Rick believes having family members with direct ties to the military helps one appreciate the service of veterans and the impact of war.
When people don’t have these types of family ties, they may be less aware of the hardships suffered and the toll on veterans.
In this respect, “Uncle Lev”, who served in the navy in the Second World War, set a positive example for his nephew Dick and great nephew Rick.
Every Remembrance Day, “Uncle Lev” made sure he sure stood at the memorial no matter what.
“There were days people were sitting in their vehicles at the old cenotaph because it was too cold or snowing, but Uncle Lev, he was over there carrying the flag,” said Rick. “Even when he had mobility issues...he stood for the whole service with the wheelchair behind him.”
He had an appreciation for the hardships the soldiers endured.
Rick says the mentality was, “if these people can take the suffering for so long, I can do the half hour for a service of remembrance.”
Reid Family Facts
- Levi (Lev) Reid, who served in the Second Word War, was one of the founding members of the Royal Canadian Legion St. Anthony branch
- Rick Reid says his “Uncle Lev” never thought of himself as a veteran and didn’t expect respect for himself, but always showed respect for others. “He was really good friends with (Korean War veteran) Frank Slade and (he believed you should have) nothing but respect for Mr. Slade, because he was a veteran,” said Rick.
- Participation in the air cadet program was key in piquing the interest of Rick, Dawn and Tracy in the military. All four of Levi (Dick) Reid’s children were cadets in the 774 St. Anthony Air Cadet Squadron. Dick served as the squad’s commanding officer for four years.
- Rick says their time in the cadets was important to help them develop the tools to become better citizens, learning to put the commitments of the town first.
- Rick also believes the cadets are an important institution in educating youth on the sacrifices made by those serving in the military.
A fifth generation
In 2018, Dick’s grandson and Rick’s nephew Vincent entered the Canadian Air Force, making it five generations of family members in the military.
Vincent recently completed his basic training course and is now stationed in Halifax.
Rick knows Vincent is aware of the hard sacrifices to be made, having been raised in a military family.
However, he doesn’t believe his own children would ever join the military after experiencing those stresses.
“I’m quite happy that Vinny joined, to keep it going, but my kids, you won’t see them join the military,” he said. “It’s because they’ve seen the sacrifices. Just serving is a sacrifice, because you’re away.”
Rick says he was away during his son’s kindergarten and Grade 1 years.
“Two years, I missed his Christmas concerts, I remember that,” he said.
He knows the stress it caused his children, who worried about their father’s safety while he served in countries like Afghanistan and Kosovo where Canadian soldiers were killed.
He says Vincent knows that experience and what’s ahead of him as his father, Tracy, served in the Canadian Air Force as well.
“His father didn’t go on operations like Afghanistan or Kosovo but he was gone a lot as well, because anywhere the planes went, he went,” Rick explained.
“He knows some of the sacrifices he’s gonna have to make.”
