PITTSFIELD, Mass. — I would confidently describe this week's Veterans Spotlight subject as one of the nicest, kindest, humblest and most gracious human beings I have ever met.

 

Tony Pastore served his country in the Air Force during World War II and, again after the war, as a corporal. At 96 years of age, he is a pure gem of "The Greatest Generation" with a fabulous voice to boot.

 

Born in Pittsfield, he enlisted on March 23, 1943, and was sent to Fort Devens in Ayer. From there, he went to basic training in Miami Beach, Fla. 

 

"We marched all day in the goddamn heat," he remembered. "Our platoon was an honor platoon." 

 

He was assigned to the New England Aircraft School in Boston, then was sent to Fort Banks in Winthrop, where he came down with double pneumonia. 

 

"The colonel there liked me so he sent me home for 30 days to recuperate ... when I started to feel better, I'd put my uniform on and walk down main street," he said. "All I got were jeers from the SOBs that stayed home ... when I got

back to Fort Banks, I told my colonel that if he sent me home again, I was going to blow the hell out of those SOBs back home." 

 

"I enlisted to fight, not stay home," he recalled with spirit.

 

It was on Christmas Eve in 1943 that Cpl. Pastore boarded a ship along with hundreds of other soldiers and "zig-zagged all the way to Casablanca. They fed us this horrible goddamn mutton stew."

 

"Guys were throwing up over the sides it was so bad," he remembered, shaking his head. His ship went straight to Salerno, Italy, and he went to Rome after that. 

 

"Pope Pius was the pope at the time. The Vatican was a safe haven for Jews, they hid them and dressed some of them up as priests so the Germans wouldn't find then. I was honored to have an audience with Pope Pius, me and a bunch of other soldiers ... geez, I'll never forget that," he recalled.

 

Pastore and his fellow soldiers then went to Florence, Italy, where the 524th Fighter Squadron and 87th Fighter Wing Headquarters were. 

 

"In Corsica, they had a boxing club I joined. We got to box the Australians. My first three fights, I spent more time on my (unprintable) than I did standing. Joe Louis was on a USO tour and would come by the gym. He took me aside and told me to give up boxing and find another line of work," he recalled with a chuckle.

 

After getting to France, he entered a small town and recognized the special police officer who was directing traffic. 

 

"I says, that guy looks familiar — I kept looking — oh my God, it was a guy I went to school with!" he said. "I couldn't believe it. I talked with him for about 10 minutes. It felt like I was on the street corner back home."

 

I asked Pastore what it felt like when the war ended and he responded, "I was no goddamn hero. I went to fight the Germans. My two older brothers were heroes — not me." 

 

He continued with great emotion, "I loved my country, and still do. We've lost a lot, so much hate. I pray to God every day that we can come out of this." He continued through tears, "This wasn't the country I was brought up in. We need to get back to being Americans." 

 

Pastore still sings, with a beautiful voice, even at 96, around New England. He sings the national anthem at local Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Pearl Harbor Day and other special events. This year, because of the pandemic, was the first Christmas Eve he missed singing at his church in almost 50 years. 

 

Cpl. Tony Pastore, thank you for your service to our great country.

 

Anthony Pastore died on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, before this spotlight was scheduled for publication. 

 

Veteran Spotlight is a column by Wayne Soares that will run twice a month. Soares is a motivational speaker and comedian who has frequently entertained the troops overseas with the USO. To recommend a veteran for Soares' column, write to waynesoares1@gmail.com.