Roger Reid served in the Pacific theater during World War II. Mr. Reid also fought in Korea and Vietnam. He was in Hawaii, in line for breakfast, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and was in the Pacific when President Roosevelt died. JIM BLAYLOCK/STAFF

''An old soldier once told me that he who talks most did the least,'' Mr. Reid said. ''It is so hard for one to understand without having been there.''

But Mr. Reid - a survivor of Pearl Harbor, the Korean War and Vietnam - has plenty to tell.

He grew up on a farm in Lincoln County and joined the Army after high school Aug. 9, 1940, in Macon. When he presented his birth certificate, he noticed the error. His name was spelled REID, instead of REED.

''I had filled out lots of paper work, and I asked the sergeant in charge ... if I could get it corrected,'' Mr. Reid said. ''He firmly told me from that day forward to dot one of the E's and to get my 'donkey' in line with the other soldiers and prepare to move out.''

He went by train to Fort Jackson, S.C., for basic. There wasn't a building on post, just bare land. The recruits erected eight-man tents for living quarters. Most had never seen $21 in one pile, their pay for one month, Mr. Reid said.

Getting weapons and equipment for training was difficult, so the recruits made their own ''rifles'' from 1-by-4 boards.

''We were quite efficient with them by the time we received our 1903 Springfield .30-caliber rifles,'' Mr. Reid said.

They used their own clothing until the uniforms came - blue denim and head gear.

''While on the drill fields or working around the areas, we would sweat, and the dye in the blue clothing would come off on our bodies,'' Mr. Reid said. ''You can imagine what a sight to see when a gang of us were taking showers in a huge open shower pit.''

In November 1941, his unit got orders to deploy to the Philippine Islands, and Mr. Reid went ahead with the advance detail.

But before reaching the Philippines, his regiment stopped in Hawaii. They were awaiting further orders when the Japanese attacked on Dec. 7.

''I was standing in the chow line awaiting breakfast outside the mess hall, when all at once, we heard rumbling of airplanes ... We looked toward Kola Kola Pass, and as they were coming toward us, we could see the Rising Sun on the wings. They were strafing and bombing us and Wheeler Field Air Base, adjacent to us. They blew up the planes, hangars and barracks. Most of the planes were headed directly to Pearl Harbor.''

The soldiers tore the rifle racks loose and armed themselves to prepare for the second wave, which came an hour later. With machine guns positioned on top of the barracks, they were able to shoot down one Japanese plane, which fell outside the post in the town of Wahaiwa.

On Dec. 22, his unit, the 34th Infantry, docked in Honolulu and was assigned to the 24th Division, preparing for the journey to the Philippine Islands via Australia and other isles in between. In Australia, the ships were loaded for the invasion of Hollandia, New Guinea. It was there the regiment first saw combat.

Roger Reid poses with some of his buddies coming off duty during WW II. SPECIAL

ONE OF HIS fondest memories was a leave to an island near Sydney, Australia. He carried one duffel bag full of clothes and the other with American cigarettes, which he traded for a fine hotel room, meals and drinks. He and his buddies also planned an elaborate Christmas celebration, because everyone knew they would be on the front lines in December 1944. It was a party that lasted throughout the night and till noon the next day.

Back at New Guinea, the soldiers prepared for the Philippine invasion. On Oct. 20, 1944, at 3 a.m., they got a wake-up call.

''The Navy ships started firing to the beach and beyond to 'soften' things prior to our landing,'' Mr. Reid said. ''We put on our battle gear with weapons and fell in top side for our destiny. I had never heard so much noise, even worse than the explosions at Pearl. The sky lit up brighter than the sun.''

The British and Australian navies also participated in the action.

''How anything could be living on shore was beyond me,'' Mr. Reid said. ''Everything from 16-inch guns to rocket ships were firing. It was said that more steel was hurled on that island - Leyte - than all the steel dropped or fired during the war thus far.''

The firing stopped before his platoon reached the shore. They established the beachhead and started inland, digging in for the night. But the Japanese launched a banzai attack - ''a suicide attack accompanied by bloodcurdling screaming and yelling.'' They repelled them, but had to withdraw later.

''We lost several soldiers, but we cut a lot of (Japanese) down,'' Mr. Reid said. ''The next morning, the Navy planes, thank God, came in ... and blew a hole in the (Japanese) lines and we made progress. The fighting got bitter later, but the island was secured.''

AFTER LEYTE, his platoon was assigned to spearhead for the 38th Division on Luzon. They landed in Subic Bay and came down the coast to Olongapo, a naval base prior to 1942, when it fell to the Japanese. From Olongapo, they advanced through the mountainous pass where they met resistance. The first battalion was assigned to recapture Bataan, and 3rd Battalion - Mr. Reid's - was assigned to Corregidor.

Roger Reid served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. SPECIAL

The island had many tunnels, including one that contained a hospital and storage for weapons and ammunition. The Japanese booby-trapped the tunnel, but accidentally exploded it themselves.

After the Luzon Invasion, his platoon joined the division for the landing on Mindora. That was the day President Roosevelt died in Warm Springs, Ga. ''As I was about to go down the rope ladder to board the L.C.I. (Landing Craft Infantry), I happened to look at the rear of the ship and saw the U.S. flag being lowered. I froze and watched until it went to half mast. I thought surely the war cannot be over.''

Mindanao Island was the last combat before he was relieved for rotation to the United States. Only 51 men who had started the campaign were left. Mr. Reid arrived in San Francisco on Sept. 3, 1945, after 46 months overseas.

''God was good to me. He let me come home without a Purple Heart.''

He does, however, have a Combat Infantry Badge with a star on top of the crest of the badge representing combat in two different wars. He also survived the Korean War and served one year in Vietnam. He retired in 1962 as a first sergeant. He made master sergeant when he was 22 years old - the youngest in the 24th division at that time.

''I always tried to think positively,'' Mr. Reid said, ''whether I was going to die or live. I had a lot of buddies who didn't. It was awful.''

Reach Melissa Hall at (706) 868-1222, Ext. 113, or melhall@augustachronicle.com.