a Medal of Honor recipient on
this special edition. Houston
newsmakers. From KPRC. 2, this is Houston newsmakers with
is Houston newsmakers with
Khambrel Marshall. Welcome to
this special edition of
Houston newsmakers. As we wrap
up our observation of Black History Month, I should have
History Month, I should have
known this but recently I
found out that one of the 3
living African American
recipients of the Medal of
Honor, the United States,
highest military award for valor.
>> Its front row Sharon and
still lives there. His name is
Clarence Sasser, who has a 19
year-old was drafted while he
was a freshman at the University of Houston. I sat
University of Houston. I sat
down with him this weekend. We
talked about a number of
topics, including the
challenge of living and going
from the segregated environment of Sharon.
environment of Sharon. >> The community’s was we wore
>> The community’s was we wore
for. The white and said him,
working with general is separated. You know, you just
separated. You know, you just
a bit with you. Community. I
like to think aloud it was
came out better because the teachers.
♪
To get a loan and they took a little bit more.
little bit more.
>> And little bit more time
into us. Then what teacher to
know. How did that prepare you
for the University of Houston?
And there must have been a real transition coming from.
real transition coming from.
>> The environment here in 65
your segregated class school
University of Houston. What
was that transition like?
Well, that was a for me. It was learning. I always
was learning. I always
consider myself to be About
them. I think that point all I wanted was get some education,
wanted was get some education, And try to. I have a better
And try to. I have a better
♪
when you got into that, you’ve got to the U of H, of when you
got to the U of H, of when you
took that part time job and
ended up time Then Jays the coolest thing.
coolest thing.
>> And that they would recall
last drive you to. From a student deferment eligible for
student deferment eligible for
the Did take the deal that
Boulder.
>> So the Vietnam War draft
interrupted his plan for college. He enlisted in June
college. He enlisted in June
of 1967. 3 months shy of his
20th birthday. By the time you
reach 20, he was already in
Vietnam. >> With that support them used
>> With that support them used
to. Medical corpsman school,
which is it where that show a
school that that at that point in I would say so. From June
in I would say so. From June
the fan of the show at school
and that. The main thing that was being dealt dressing and
was being dealt dressing and
things like us. There was
that’s lot of patients time. Medicine tell. But primarily
Medicine tell. But primarily
it was in. I keep trying to
keep somebody alive until you can get that back. So you knew
can get that back. So you knew
once you get orders to go to
Vietnam, which you said you
knew was coming, you got those
orders. What do you remember
as was your mindset? Because you knew what the war you knew
you knew what the war you knew
about the war beforehand?
>> some trepidation before
him. Once you found out, OK,
I’m going to go into Vietnam.
Notice you remember what you were thinking.
were thinking.
♪
It
>> knowing that that would in all probability the day it is
all probability the day it is
quarter. As a and country. So too were the worst thing go
too were the worst thing go
♪
Was that for you? But do about
it. KKR. Commits a mother.
♪
The right there. We were told
to. To obey a follow.
>> All orders.
>> Those orders would take him
to the Tong province of
Vietnam in September of 1960,
67 and then came this day. January 10th.
January 10th.
>> Terrible Terrible pain.
>> A terrible day that would
lead to this life changing
moment. 14 months later in the
White House in the
presentation of the Medal of Honor triggered celebrations
Honor triggered celebrations
for him and his family and
from his community to honor
the hero. A reluctant hero.
find out why when Houston newsmakers continues.
newsmakers continues. ♪
♪ ♪