Edward P. Reilly was born in San Antonio, Texas but grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was one of six children born to poor Irish immigrant parents. Their family name was O'Reilly but was shortened to Reilly when they came to America. He graduated from Cambridge Latin High School. He just graduated from high school when the U.S. joined the war effort. His oldest brother joined the Army and became a tanker in the Pacific Campaign. When Ed's father died, Ed decided to join the Army Air Corps. He thought this would help keep his younger brother out of the service since he would be the only son left to carry on the family name. However, his younger brother did join the Navy as a pilot and was killed in the war. His body was never found. For basic and flight school, Ed was sent to Hill Field in Orden, Utah. He got tired of doing nothing waiting for orders to start flight school; he was afraid the war would be over before he would see any action. When he noticed on the bulletin board a request for Airborne recruits, he went to his Colonel and requested a transfer. His Colonel laughed at him and told him the Air Corps was the best of the services and he would not approve the request. So Ed sent a telegram to the Commanding General and within 36 hours Colonel called him into the office and gave him the transfer. Before he left, the Colonel told him he hoped he got his butt shot off.
Early in the Summer of 1942, Ed was sent to Fort Benning for Jump School (he believes it was class 13). Just before he made the five jumps he hurt his ankle. He made his five jumps anyway with the badly sprained ankle and after the last jump he just laid on the ground, knowing that he was now a paratrooper. He was put in a hospital until his ankle healed. He was then assigned to Company B 1st Bn. 504th 82nd Airborne Division. He joined the unit in the Frying Pan area after getting out of the hospital.
On April 29th 1943 Ed and the 504 were on board the troop ship, George Washington, heading for Africa and the war. On May 10, they were back on land and the North African port of Casablanca. After an eight mile walk, Ed said they arrived at "home". Their new home consisted of pyramidal tens erected on the desert South of Casablanca. There they stared training for the invasion of Sicily.
Ed's fist combat jump was into Sicily. AS the formation of C-47's neared the Sicilian coast the formation was fired upon by our Navy. Ed said the pilot of his plane wanted to turn back. But as jumpmaster, Ed had orders to jump and he went to the cockpit and told the pilot to get as high as possible and get over land. A few seconds later when the crossed land, he told the pilot to turn on the green light. As Ed was making his way to the jump door the plane was hit. Everyone had cleared the aircraft except him. The plane rolled throwing him away from the door. Then the next second the plane rolled the other way and Ed just fell out.
Ed landed in an olive orchard that was freshly plowed. He said he was lucky he hit in the soft dirt. Ed remembers that the sky was lit up like the Fourth of July. He was lucky he found two or three members of his platoon. IN 5 or hours, he had organized most of his platoon. It took them a day or so before they linked up with the company.
After joining their company they moved up the coast. Lt. Col. W.R. Williams asked ed if he would be the point patrol for the Battalion. Ed agreed and at point he was about 1/4 mile in front of the Battalion. He said the Germans had withdrawn and the resistance was light. The Italian soldiers would fire a few shots and having "saved face" they would surrender. After Sicily they moved back to Africa to prepare for another invasion.
While training in Africa, Ed and a few of his buddies got a ride in a glider. According to Ed. "You have to be crazy to go into combat in one of them." The training they did was getting them ready for another invasion. Several invasion were cancelled but finally Ed got his second combat jump into Salerno, Italy. The 82nd jumped into Salerno in support of the 5th Army and the 36th Infantry Division. Ed said, he landed hard. What he aw there was not a pleasant sight. He remembers that it was the first time he had seen rotten corpses blacked by the sun. He landed in an area that had about 50 corpses, all men from the 36th division.
The fighting in this area was the worst he had ever seen. He said he prayed just to live one more minute. Bullets and shells were flying everywhere. He said the Germans made a few attacks on their positions. All attacks of the Germans failed with the Germans sustaining great losses. Ed won a Bronze Star for his actions at Altavilla.
After the fighting at Altavilla on October 1,1943, the 504th became the first infantry unit to enter Naples. Ed said, Lt. Col. Williams asked him again to take the point of the Battalion and go through Naples and wait for the regiment on the other side. While waiting for the regiment, they established their C.P> across from a House of Pleasure. Although Ed said, he did not partake, his men really enjoyed themselves. While in Naples, he became Platoon Sgt. for 3rd platoon. The move through Italy was tough. Ed remained as point for the Battalion.
After the action at Salerno , the 504 was used again. They Landed from sea in landing craft. When they disembarked there was not enemy. Lt. Col. Williams had Ed take a patrol and find the enemy. His patrol was gone 10 hours and never did see a German. Two days later they found the Germans across the Mussolini Canal. While crawling under barbed wire to attack the bridge that crossed the canal, Ed was wounded in the foot, leg and neck. He passed out and woke up to find himself in a jeep being taken to the rear. This was his last combat. He was placed in an English Hospital and got to lay on clean white sheets. He was later sent to a Naples Hospital. He recovered and became an instructor in village warfare. However, he did make one more jump. This jump resulted in a broken back and ended his military career.
He returned to the States and started college at the University of Chicago. He graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He was transferred to Houston and decided to stay.