Private First Class Reid was a member of the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded while fighting the enemy in South Korea on 10 August 1950 and returned to duty on 1 September 1950. He was seriously wounded again while attacking Hill 201 near the Naktong River in South Korea on 18 September 1950 and died of those wounds later that day.

Reid was awarded the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.