This is an on-going series featuring WWII Veterans and the re-enactors who keep history alive.I have been going to the World War II Days event held every year over the D-Day weekend (June 6) in Reading Pennsylvania for about 20 years. My interest in the World War II era, the waning numbers of the veterans still alive and in decent health, as well my need to do some personal projects that will be meaningful and historic were the main motivating factors for this project. The main goal of this assignment is to portray these WWII Veterans in a realistic yet dramatic light while making them appear larger than life.
A funny thing happened at the airshow.  I photograph interested veterans with their favorite WarBird or machine.  This year one of the guest veterans was tank-gunner, Mr. Clarence Smoyer. 
On Saturday evening I was photographing another veteran when Clarence’s friend Ron Rabenold said to me, “Mr. Clarence Smoyer is here.  He just signed his signature on that Sherman tank today!  I said oh, would Clarence like to be photographed?  
So Ron and I traded phone numbers and off we went to the Hanger dance festivities.  I did a quick search on Clarence Smoyer, 97, and found this.  Corporal, USA, 32nd Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Division, an M26 Pershing Tank Gunner “The Hero of Cologne"  Clarence saw action in: Normandy, Northern France, Battle of the Bulge, and the Rhineland Campaigns.
From World War II Magazine, April 2019.
“Smoyer is the subject of a new book by Adam Makos, Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner, His Enemy, and a Collision of Lives in World War II, and still attends reunions of his unit, the 3rd Armored—or “Spearhead”—Division,” That got my attention.

I started texting Ron early Sunday morning.  He said that they would be at the show later in the morning and that Clarence was excited for his photo shoot!Great.  Can’t wait.
Many of us attending Saturday’s show experienced dehydration and heat exhaustion, regardless of how much water you drank and Clarence was just one more person effected by the extreme heat that weekend.
I see Ron about 11:00am as he is loading in all the display goods for Clarence’s booth.  We chat and I suggest noonish at the tank. I go out to the Tanks to inform them of our desires, they are thrilled and excited.  Al says to me, one of the tank reenactors, we will be here, we’re ready.  Fantastic, I will see you soon!
At noon I see the tanks pulling out, the Germans were counter attacking … again.  
So I go see Ron in the hanger and inform him of the situation and we plan our next window of opportunity, 1 pm now and Clarence will need a way to get from the hanger to the tank, which is about 75 yards.  I said OK, I will make that happen.  
The day before I grabbed security in their golf carts to help me with another veteran get to a Warbird, no problem.  Well today I couldn’t find them.  It is now 12:45, tanks have moved back to there positions, they will be there for the rest of the day.  
OK , great, Clarence is coming soon.  I texted Ron and said be ready, I am working on a ride. 
Off on my search,  who can I get to help me with this?? I find a couple Jeep jockeys to help, but then I realize that Clarence would never be able to get into a Jeep, it is a high step-up, even difficult for me.  Thanks anyway, next.  
Still no security in site, I need a golf cart.  It is now , 1:10 pm and I am drenched from sweat, come on, who’s going to help me here!  It was then that I realized, after seeing a veteran cruising around on a scooter 🛵, that a scooter would be my only option.  Alright, let me go see if I can get a scooter for a half hour.  
“Hey Wendall, I have a veteran I need to get from the hanger to that Tank, 75 yards, that’s it.”  At first Wendall does not realize I am talking about a 97 year-young veteran of WWII.  We chat back and forth for a minute or two when I show him a couple images of what I do.  Wendall pulls out the paperwork, I give him my ID, and he says, “the scooter is on me!”
With in 2 minutes I am driving the scooter over to Clarence.  I see Ron’s face light up when I enter the hanger and signal that I have a scooter! This was a great moment, not to be forgotten by anyone who was involved. 

Everyone was amazed at how well the pieces of the puzzle perfectly aligned for this less than 5 minute photo shoot with Clarence Smoyer. Clarence, Ron, the Sherman Tank owner, myself, and too many others to mention, are thrilled with the results of the larger than life portrayal of the WW II veterans bathed in a dramatic yet natural looking light. These images will be used on my Website, for up-coming direct mail and email blasts as well as portfolio prints. A large 20x30 inch Print of Clarence was auctioned off at a local Lehigh Valley PA veteran fund raiser. The proceeds benefitting a veterans bus trip to the USS Intrepid in NYC October, 2021.