A legendary singer and true American hero, Tony Bennett

Did you know Tony Bennett was a war hero for his service in World War II? This is one of the many stories I’ll be sharing on Tuesday for the presentation Tony Bennett: A Singing Legend.

Anthony Benedetto was drafted into the U.S. Army when he was 18 years old and left for Europe in 1944. He was assigned as a replacement infantryman to the 255th Infantry Regiment of the 63rd Infantry Division, which had just suffered heavy losses in the Battle of the Bulge. He fought along side other brave soldiers throughout France and later Germany.

In March of 1945, he would be sent to the front lines. Tony would later recall this experience as a “front row seat in hell.” It was bitterly cold and he spent a good part of this time hunkered down in foxholes trying to avoid the enemy's large 88 millimeter guns before crossing the Rhine, engaging in close combat from town to town. Bennett would say he escaped death many times during those months in Germany.

But it was the war’s conclusion that Tony experienced the most shocking part of his tour of duty. Bennett was one of the troops that were involved in the liberation of the Kaufering concentration camp, a subcamp of Dachau, where some American POWs from the 63rd Division had also been held along with thousands of civilians. He later wrote in his autobiography that "I saw things no human being should ever have to see."

He remained in Europe as part of the post war occupation, where he started singing to boost moral of the troops who stayed behind. His experience in France and Germany changed his life forever, with Tony becoming a pacifist and an outspoken advocate against war. Tony Bennett would be quoted as saying, “Anybody who thinks that war is romantic obviously hasn’t gone through one,” and would later say, “It was a nightmare that’s permanent. I just said, ‘This is not life. This is not life.’”

By 1949, Anthony Benedetto was back in the U.S. where he would change his name to Tony Bennett and begin a lifelong career as one of America’s most beloved singers.

Join me on Tuesday, Sept 12 for a look at Tony Bennett’s career and life as a legendary singer—and true American hero.

Rob

Check out more here on the presentation of Tony Bennett.

TheRockandRollProfessor.com