FLASHBACK: Tony Bennett’s Gripping Account of Fighting in World War II During Iconic Howard Stern Interview

Credit: Howard Stern on YouTube

He gave us over 70 years of music, and now the iconic Tony Bennett is gone. The Grammy-winning singer who appealed to multiple generations died Friday at the age of 96.

While he was lucky enough to spend the vast majority of his life doing what he loved, Bennett’s life took a detour when he was drafted to serve in World War II. He described the experience in a famous 2011 interview with Howard Stern, admitted he was “scared,” and said his time in the military made him a “pacifist” and “eliminated all bigotry from my life.” Here’s more of what he said:

Stern: So when you were this young boy and you wanted to sing, this war, going into the army, interrupted your life and interrupted this passion.

Bennett: I didn’t look at it like that. Just everybody had to go to war, it was just one of those things. It was the most horrible war. Studs Terkel in Chicago called it “the Good War” because it had to happen.

Stern: There was nobody to stop Hitler, the Japanese were –

Bennett: The worst philosophy in the world was created there.

Bennett also talked about witnessing racism against a Black friend of his, a “best friend,” pointing out that he “had my stripes sliced from a bigot captain in the Army”:

Bennett: He was the greatest guy. He was a fantastic drummer and we used to be in high school together. We met in Mannheim, Germany in the Truman Hotel. It was Thanksgiving. He took me to his Baptist church and I said, “Well they’re allowing me one guest in the Mannheim Truman Hotel, why don’t you join me? We’ll have Thanksgiving dinner.” He said “Great,” and so we were having fun, and the captain came over and he said “Benedetto,” that’s my family name, “Get your gear, you’re shipping out.” They sent me to the graves registration, digging up bodies.

Stern: You had to go to the graves, I guess of Americans, and dig up their graves and exhume their bodies?

Bennett: Yes

Stern: What was the point of that, to bring them home?

Bennett: No, just to bury them.

Stern: That’s a horrible thing to see also.

Bennett: It’s eliminated all bigotry from my life as a result of that. It’s a premise in my life that I think one of the most ignorant things that could ever happen are people that are bigoted about other people.

You can watch their conversation below:

Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com