A 90-year-old World War II veteran will receive a high military honor in Durham.
Jack Hammersley will put on an Army uniform once again to receive the Bronze Star for bravery and meritorious service. He was one of the soldiers that stormed Omaha Beach during the 1944 invasion of Normandy. Hammersley fought in several subsequent battles as well saying he was fortunate to have never been injured.
He says one of his most interesting jobs was nowhere near the front lines. As one of General George Patton's personal drivers, he would be ordered to transport the Army leader at a moment's notice
"I didn't know where we were going and I told him..I said there's a lot of land mines out there," Hammersley recalls. "He said well if we hit them, we'll just keep going. That's the type man he was."
Hammersley's ceremony will be at Durham County Stadum. Politicians will join the community in honoring a man they call a hero, but Hammersley says he doesn't see himself that way. He says he was just doing his duty in serving his country.
