Tony Bennett, who died on July 21 at 96, reflected on his time as US solider who fought during World War II in his autobiography, The Good Life.
“I'll never forget the desperate faces and empty stares of the prisoners as they wandered aimlessly around the campgrounds,” penned the late musician.
However, after the war, PBS reported that Bennett, who was a corporal in the US Special Services, was demoted for spending time with a Black friend, Frank Smith.
While discussing his time in the US armed forces, Bennett also wrote that the “unbelievable incident confirmed the degree of prejudice that was so widespread in the army during World War II”.
“Black Americans have fought in all of America's wars, yet they have seldom been given credit for their contribution, and segregation and discrimination in civilian life and in the armed forces has been a sad fact of life,” he said in his biography.
Bennett came back to US in 1946 while sharing his thoughts on war, he added, “Anybody who thinks that war is romantic obviously hasn't gone through one.”