KANNAPOLIS — When Lewis Reid was notified that the members of the Faith Fourth of July committee wanted him to serve as the grand marshal for the parade, he was not too surprised.

“I was kind of surprised, I guess, but I figured I’ve been doing this so much, that this would just be another something good for me to do,” said Reid.

After all, what could possibly surprise a man who served in the Korean War, was stationed in Alaska, managed a rock and roll band and ran his own radio repair shop until he was 82?

Reid was born in the community that would eventually become the city of Kannapolis in August of 1933.

His service began when he was drafted into the army at the age of 18 to serve in the Korean War. He said he served in Korea for the last few months of the war before being stationed in Alaska.

“They sent me to Ladd Air Base in Alaska. At the time, it was an important base because they were worried about Russia trying to attack us (across the Bering Strait). We had to do some secret stuff up there. I went up there as a cook, but I did some radar stuff as well,” said Reid.

After his time in the Army, Reid said he returned to North Carolina and earned a degree in electrical engineering from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T).

After college, he returned to Kannapolis, where he used his degree and experience running radar for the Army to open Reid’s Radio Service at the intersection of Old Centergrove Road and Huron Street. He continued to work that job while working other jobs on the side.

“After I came out of school, and people around here will tell you, I run a radio shop, fixed boomboxes and everything. I worked for everybody. I always had two jobs. My dad had two jobs,” said Reid.

While running his own shop, Reid also worked as the manager of the El Roccos, a Kannapolis based rock-and-roll band which Reid said performed throughout the area. Previous Salisbury Post articles describe the band traveling as far as Lexington, Ky.

Reid said he also spent time “doing some union work” with the VA Medical Center in Salisbury, a partnership that has continued through today. His home proudly displays awards from the Department of Veterans Affairs honoring Reid’s service to the veteran community, one of which he received for 25,000 hours of documented volunteer service to the community.

Much of those hours have come with the Rowan County Veterans Honor Guard, an organization which primarily honors deceased veterans with military honors at funerals. Reid estimated that in his 25 years of service on the honor guard, he had volunteered for over 6,000 funerals and other events.

“I’m the kind of guy, if I can help somebody I’m going to always want to do it,” said Reid.

After being a part of thousands of funerals over the past three decades, Reid said that one of the most impactful was serving on the honor guard for the funerals of Tuskegee airmen who were initially believed to have been ruled missing in action. One he pointed to in particular was Fred Lorenzo Brewer, whose funeral Reid spoke at.

Reid said he spent time at the beginning of his service as the commander of the Honor Guard, which at the time entailed plenty of work.

“They were just changing over to the new (National Cemetery property). I helped put the first man down at the new cemetery. At the time, I would do the speech, hold the flag and present. We would do four a day at the time at the new cemetery. And once I got started (giving speeches), people kept saying ‘I want to hear you,’ and that just makes me feel so much better,” said Reid.

His plentiful plaques, certificates and awards in his home also showcase the other organizations he has served in, which include the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization, and of course the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

“I don’t praise it, I just do the work because I feel it’s what’s right,” said Reid.

Of note, Reid will be the first Black man to serve as grand marshal of the parade.

“I’m the kind of guy, it don’t mean nothing to me. If you hate me, you’re white, you’re Black, it don’t matter to me because at the end of the day God’s going to get both of us. I try to love everybody the same,” said Reid.

Reid also spoke of his time as a student at N.C. A&T in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 1960, a group of N.C. A&T students organized a sit-in at the Woolworth Company department store in Greensboro. The original Greensboro Four grew to thousands of Black people throughout the nation, one of which was Reid.

“I was right there, I did it in 1962 when at the A&T college in Greensboro. It was hell, but we kept going. It was bad times but we just kept on going,” said Reid.

Reid said he plans to serve on the Rowan County Veterans Honor Guard as long as he is physically able. Considering that Friday will mark the first time most have seen him riding a car through the parade, not marching it, that may still be a ways off.

“I’ve said I’m going to quit, but I just keep feeling good so I keep going,” said Reid.