Paul Reed

Paul Reed joined the U.S. Army in 1966 and served with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, then in early 1968 with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam. Having attained the rank of sergeant he was honorably discharged in 1969 before joining the Texas National Guard for a year. Paul assistant produced along with Steven M. Smith of Seattle two ITVS (Independent Television Service) TV documentaries known as Kontum Diary, an Emmy Award winner and Kontum Diary: The Journey Home, the follow-up to Kontum Diary. Internationally, Kontum Diary was purchased for limited broadcast by NHK TV of Japan and later, WorldLinkTV, an American cable TV network. The book, Kontum Diary: Captured Writings Bring Peace to a Vietnam Veteran was published in 1997 by Summit Publishing Group with foreword by General William C. Westmoreland and prologue by Captain Gerald L. Coffee. In 2000 and again in 2001, CBS 48 Hours, hosted by Peter Van Zant and Dan Rather, broadcast their 16-minute version of the forgiveness story as outlined in Kontum Diary in a program called, "The Fight to Forgive." Some of Reed's civilian honors include recognition from the Worldwide Forgiveness Alliance, The Legion of Honor Award from the Chapel of Four Chaplains and a 2017 Congressional Veteran Commendation Award from Congressman Sam Johnson. Army honors include the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal, Good Conduct Medal, the Parachute Badge, Jump Masters Qualification and, among others, the Combat Infantryman's Badge.