Vincent J. Reese was born on January 13, 1908, in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. He served in the 360th Bomber Squadron, 303rd Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Sergeant and waist gunner of B-17 #42-39795 ""Woman's Home Companion"" during World War II. On December 30, 1943, his plane crash-landed at Cerfontaine, Belgium, in a field near the Luxembourg-French-Belgian border. Surviving the crash, Sgt Reese evaded capture with the help of local resistance fighters, who provided shelter and assistance as he awaited the opportunity to escape back to England.

Unfortunately, the safety of Sgt Reese and seven other American airmen was compromised after a betrayal by local collaborators. They were captured by German forces, along with two members of the Belgian resistance who had been aiding them. The Belgian resistance members were deported to camps in Germany, where they later died. On April 22, 1944, Sgt Reese and the other airmen were taken to a wooded area near Chimay, where they were executed by German troops and buried in a mass grave.

After the war, those responsible for the massacre were prosecuted by Belgian authorities. Sgt Reese is now buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, Margraten, Eijsden-Margraten Municipality, Limburg, Netherlands. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart in recognition of his bravery and sacrifice.