Hi Bill, I'm Sheila

A reception line, a four-star admiral,

and one unforgettable introduction.

by Sheila and Jim Reed

This short, humorous anecdote offers a glimpse into the early days of Jim and Sheila Reed’s life together in Honolulu. Sheila, with her international background and refreshingly candid style, brings a unique perspective to the formal world of U.S. military protocol. Her interactions with high-ranking officers—including a memorable moment with Admiral William Crowe—reveal not just cultural contrast, but a delightful blend of sincerity and charm that left lasting impressions on everyone she met.

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Sheila was from Hong Kong and of ethnic Chinese descent. She had worked as a flight attendant for a Danish airline, flying charter flights primarily out of the Philippines. She was also the ground passenger handling agent for Far East Airways, a company in Hong Kong that provided services to U.S. military flights arriving there. In that position, she met a lot of well-known and senior people and, consequently, didn't have a strong concern about military rank.

Jim and Sheila were married just before moving from Hong Kong to Honolulu, where he joined the CINCPAC (Commander-in-Chief, Pacific) staff, working for Admiral William Crowe. Shortly after their arrival, they were invited to a reception at Admiral Crowe’s home on Pearl Harbor.

While waiting for Sheila to get ready, Jim happened to browse through one of Sheila’s photo albums and spotted a photo of an elderly man that looked familiar. Asking Sheila about it, her response was, “Oh, that’s Jimmy. He’s in the Air Force.” It took Jim a couple of minutes to realize that "Jimmy" was actually General James Doolittle (yes, that General Doolittle), one of the heroes of WWII. But to Sheila, he was simply Jimmy, who was in the Air Force.

Shortly thereafter, Jim (in his formal uniform) and Sheila (in a lovely long gown) arrived at Admiral Crowe’s residence to join the reception, where a receiving line was formed at the front door. Following protocol, Jim introduced himself to Admiral Crowe, then introduced his wife: “Admiral Crowe, this is my wife, Sheila.”

Sheila turned to Crowe and said, “What's your name?”

Embarrassed, Jim leaned in and told Sheila, “Sheila, this is Admiral Crowe. He’s in charge of all the military forces in the Pacific Region, and I work for him!”

A reception line, a four-star admiral, and one unforgettable introduction.

Sheila gave Jim a withering glance and said, “I KNOW that!” Then she turned back to Crowe and asked, “What's your first name?”

Crowe smiled warmly and responded, “It’s Bill.”

Sheila put out her hand and said, “Hi, Bill. I’m Sheila.”

Later that evening, during the reception, Jim told Admiral Crowe the "That’s Jimmy, he’s in the Air Force" story.

A year later, Admiral Crowe was selected as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and was moving to Washington, D.C. There was a formal reception at the Hickam Officers’ Club to say goodbye to Admiral Crowe and welcome his successor, Admiral Ron Hayes.

Once again, Jim and Sheila were dressed in formal attire and went through the reception line. Jim followed protocol in the introductions, but as Sheila came to Crowe and his successor, Crowe turned to Sheila, motioned to Admiral Hayes, and said, “Sheila, this is Ron. He’s in the Navy.”