WELL, ALL NEW TONIGHT, A
WORLD WAR II HERO GOT THE
SURPRISE OF HIS LIFE AND A
GREAT HONOR TODAY IN
CHARLESTOWN.
GETTING A RIDE ON A TANK, LIKE
THE ONE HE RODE IN BATTLE IN
EUROPE.
HE WAS ONCE CALLED THE HERO OF
COLON FOR A STORIED DUEL IN A
TANK IN THAT CITY.
AND TODAY, AT 95 YEARS OLD,
HE'S ONE OF THE LAST SURVIVORS
OF THE TANK CREWS, KNOWN AS THE
SPEARHEAD DIVISION.
IT'S LIKE AN OLD FRIEND.
CLARENCE MOYER NEVER SAW
THIS COMING.
A SHERMAN TANK, LIKE THE ONE HE
SERVED IN DURING THE SECOND
WORLD WAR, PICKED HIM UP AT A
CHILD'STOWN HOTEL FOR A RIDE TO
THE USS CONSTITUTION MUSEUM.
HE RECEIVED A HERO'S WELCOME.
THE TRICK IS THAT HE THOUGHT A
CAB WAS PICKING HIM UP TO GO TO
A BOOK SIGNING.
YEAH.
IT'S A SHOCK.
IT'S A SHOCK.
WE WENT THROUGH MANY BATTLES
WITH A TANK LIKE THAT.
IT SAVED ME.
SMOYER WAS A YOUNG MAN WHEN
HE LISTED IN 1943.
A GUNNER WITH THE ARMY'S THIRD
ARMORED DIVISION.
THAT'S HIM ON TOP OF THE TANK
WITHOUT A HELMET.
HE AND HIS CREW BATTLED THEIR
WAY BACK ACROSS FRANCE AND
BELGIUM.
ARMY PHOTOGRAPHER CAPTURED
THAT.
IT'S A BATTLE THAT STILL
TROUBLES HIS MIND.
BECAUSE HE FEARS GUNFIRE FROM
HIS TANK ACCIDENTALLY KILLED A
CIVILIAN WHO WAS CAUGHT IN THE
CROSSFIRE.
BUT TODAY WAS ABOUT HONORING AN
OLD VETERAN FOR HIS SERVICE AND
HIS SACRIFICE.
THERE'S HEROES LIKE CLARENCE
HIDING IN OUR OWN MIDST.
THEY'RE OUR NEIGHBORS AND
GRANDFATHERS.
AND THEY'RE PASSING AWAY REAL
FAST.
WE NEED TO HONOR THEM.
NEED TO GIVE THEM A SALUTE LIKE
THIS.
WHILE WE CAN.
AUTHOR ADAM MAKO JUST
RELEASED A BOOK ABOUT SMOYER.
I HOPE IT WILL TELL THE
STORY OF THE GUYS WHO NEVER
CAME HOME.
I HOPE THEY WILL UNDERSTAND
WHAT THE FELLAS WENT THROUGH
DURING THE WAR.
WAR IS WAR IS
FOR TODAY, THE LAST TIME
THAT CLARENCE SMOYER WAS IN THE
TANK WAS 1945.
I WOULD LOVE TO READ THAT
BOOK.
I'M SO GLAD IT'S OUT.
ANOTHER GREAT TRIBUTE TO THE
GREATEST GENERATION.
WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT A DAY
LIKE THIS, NOT ONLY DOES IT
HONOR HIM.
BUT I THINK THE YOUNGER
GENERATION SEES SOMETHING LIKE
