>> Martha: IT WONT INTRODUCE YOU TO ANOTHER WORLD WAR II VETERAN WHO JOINED US HERE IN NORMANDY TODAY. ON BC THIS IS THE 80th ANNIVERSARY, AND YOU LIED ABOUT HIS AGE TO JOIN THE MILITARY, 16 YEARS OLD AND YOU ENDED UP FIGHTING AT THAT AGE. HE'S KNACK FOUR MONTHS SHY OF 97, HE SAYS HE KNOWS HOW LUCKY HE IS TO BE HERE TODAY. >> AND WHEN YOU ARE IN THIS ENVIRONMENT AND ER WITH SO MANY OTHER VETERANS DOES IT TAKE YOU BACK, HOW DO YOU RELATE TO EACH OTHER? HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE WITH OTHER PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND YOUR HISTORY? >> THE ONLY ONES THAT IT CAN UNDERSTAND, IF YOU'RE A VET, OF PTSD, I'VE HAD IT ALL MY LIFE. IT WILL NEVER GO AWAY UNTIL YOU ARE GONE. AS LONG AS THE PEOPLE REMEMBER THE VETS ARE STILL AROUND GUYS FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT. SOME OVER THE MEMORIES ARE GUARDED, SOMEWHERE HAPPY, SUMMERSIDE. THAT IS ALL PART OF LIFE. >> Martha: WE HAVE TALKED TO YOU BEFORE, A LOT OF OUR VIEWERS KNOW YOUR STORY BUT FOR THOSE WHO DON'T, YOU SIGNED UP AT 16, HE BROKE THE RULES TO GET AN EARLY, WHY DID YOU DO THAT? >> ENTER NOT CARE MUCH FOR HIGH SCHOOL, WENT DOWN, TRY TO GET IN, WE GOT SOME LINGO BLEACHING WE TRIED TO MASTER THERE WERE BIRTH CERTIFICATES TO MAKE IT OLDER. THEN THEY SAID COME BACK IN A COUPLE OF YEARS KID. MY SISTER GETS MADE, AND I BROKE ONE OF THE CERTIFICATES OFF THE ALTAR. >> Martha: SO THE DISMAL CERTIFICATE? >> IT WAS LIKE A BIRTH CERTIFICATE, YOU CAN MAKE IT ANY AGE YOU WANT IT. AND TOLD THEM, I'M GOING OVERSEAS SO I'M PROBABLY 18 OR 19 OR SOMETHING. IN THREE MONTHS I WAS GONE. >> Martha: AT 16? >> AT YES. >> Martha: SO AT 16 YOU WHERE ON A BOAT THAT WAS GOING ONTO THE BEACH TO NES. YEAH. >> Martha: WHAT HAPPENED THERE? >> 9:00 IN THE MORNING, WAS A BRIGHT, SUNNY DAY. HAD A FULL THROTTLE WITH THE ENGINE AND WE HIT SOMETHING, IN ONE OVER THE TOP OF THE WHEEL, BUSTED MY NOSE, MAXIM TEETH OUT AND I COULDN'T BREATHE AND I KEPT TELLING MYSELF I'M 16, I CANNOT BE HAVING A HEART ATTACK. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT I WAS HAVING, A HEART ATTACK. BY THE TIME OF THE GUYS -- BAND UP ON THE TANK BELOW ME THEY PULLED ME UP ON THE BEACH AND WAIT FOR THE MEDICS TO COME. SOME ADRENALINE. >>> THAT PRETTY MUCH TOOK CARE OF THAT. FIRST I GOT REALLY CLOSE TO A PERSON WHO IS DEAD, HE DRAGGED ME, THIS ONE GUY WAS CUT IN HALF AND I THINK I WAS TALKING TO MYSELF SAYING WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING HERE? GET ME THROUGH THIS. IT IS ALL HISTORY. I'M GLAD I'M HERE, I FEEL BAD ABOUT NOT HAVING SOME OF MY BUDDIES WITH ME, ONE TIME I WAS AT THE CEMETERY AND I WAS LOOKING FOR A COUPLE OF MY BROTHERS THAT HAVE LOST AND I LOOKED ON AN ICY NECK AND FRANK, COUPLE OF SPAGHETTI VENDORS, ITALIAN GUYS, IN A SAID YOU KNOW GUYS, HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO RAISE A FAMILY, ENJOY LIFE, WHY DON'T I GO DOWN THERE AND YOU GUYS COME UP? JUST LIKE I'M TALKING TO YOU RIGHT NOW, I'M LOOKING DOWN ON HIM AND FRANK WAS KIND OF A HEAVYSET GUY I SAID, YEAH,, YOU GUYS COME UP AND ENJOY LITTLE BIT OF LIFE. ALGAL BACK DOWN THERE, DON'T TAKE ANYTHING OVER 72 HOURS. GONNA COME BACK UP. IT'S REALISTIC, I DREAM ABOUT IT AN LOT THAT WAY. BUT YOUR DREAMS ARE SOMETHING, YOUR EYES TAKE A PICTURE OF THE WORLD, YOUR MIND KIND OF DEVOURS A AND THE REST OF IT, YOU ARE JUST LUCKY TO BE WHERE YOU ARE AT TODAY. >> Martha: GOD BLESS THEM. AND YOU HELP OTHER PEOPLE REMEMBER THEIR SERVICE, AND KNOW THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU. YOU TALK VERY OPENLY ABOUT THE STRUGGLES THAT HE HAD WITH PTSD, WHEN YOU CAME BACK FROM THE WAR, THAT DID NOT HAVE A NAME. >> NO, IT WAS BATTLE FATIGUE. COMBAT FATIGUE. WELL I HAD A BROTHER, WE WERE REALLY CLOSE, AND THEY SENT HIM IT DOWN TO ILLINOIS, HE SAID TO RANDALL I DON'T WANT TO GO DOWN THERE, THEY PUT HIM IN A STRAIGHT JACKET AND SHOCKED HIM, LASTED 25 YEARS THAT WAS THE END OF HIM. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT GO AWAY. PEOPLE MIGHT THINK YOU'RE BUT SQUARELY WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT OF THE GUYS COMING BACK UP FROM THE GRAVE BUT IT'S REALISTIC TO ME. AND I AM JUST LUCKY. A LOT OF THE GUYS WERE NOT AS LUCKY AS I WAS. AND I APPRECIATE EVERY DAY OF IT, I HONOR ALL OF THE GUYS, I'M JUST HONORING MY BROTHERS. AND HOPEFULLY IT MEANS SOMETHING TO THEM. >> Martha: ONE LAST QUESTION, WHEN YOU ARE HERE WITH ALL OF THESE BROTHERS AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE WAR AS YOU DID AND ALSO THE SUBSEQUENT WARS IN KOREA AND VIETNAM, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE STATE OF OUR COUNTRY TODAY? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT OF THE COUNTRY THAT HE WORKED SO HARD TO STAY FREE, TO KEEP FREE? >> IS A REAL TRUTH? I FEEL LIKE A FOREIGNER IN MY OWN COUNTRY LOTS OF TIMES AND I DON'T LIKE IT, IT MAKES MY HEART REALLY HEAVY. I JUST HOPE WHEN YOU PULL OUT OF THIS, TOO MUCH HOLLYWOOD IN WASHINGTON ALL OF THE TIME. SO THEY THINK IT IS, I HOPE ALL OF THE GUYS RALLY UP, GO AND STRAIGHTEN IT ALL OUT. >> Martha: DO YOU THINK 16 -YEAR-OLDS WOULD FAKE THEIR AGE AS YOU DID IN ORDER TO GO OFF AND VIED FOR THE COUNTRY TODAY? >> NO I DON'T THINK SO. IT WAS A DIFFERENT GENERATION. AGE GENERATION IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. AND THINK ALL OF THE GENERATIONS ARE GREAT BUT I THINK SOME OF THE ONES THEY GOT NOW ARE A LITTLE LAZY AND I THINK THEY NEED TO SHOW MORE PRIDE IN THEIR COUNTRY THAN THEY DO. AT A LEG TO SEE THAT, TRAY PUT THE FLAG AROUND ON TOP OF A JEEP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU HAVE TO RESPECT YOUR FLAG. AND I AM JUST HOPING I NEVER RAN INTO ANYBODY TRYING TO BURN AND FLAG BECAUSE I WOULD STOP THEM. >> Martha: I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THIS COUNTRY, YOUR BRAVERY, ENCOURAGE CRACKERS PERIOD WHICH IS INCREDIBLE AND YOU INSPIRE ME EVERY TIME WE TALK? I AM JUST GRATEFUL TO CALL YOU MY FRIEND. >> 'S SAME HERE GIRL, YOU ARE THE GREATEST ON TV. >> Martha: THANK YOU. >> CUTER THAN HELL.
