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Heroes Among Us: Hardest Part For WWII Vet Carmin Yannotta Was Losing His Friends

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SUNRISE (CBSMiami) – Every Friday, in partnership with the Florida Panthers, CBS4 puts the spotlight on a hero among us.

Men or Women who have gone beyond the call of duty for our country.

This week we introduce you to World War II veteran Carmin Yannotta.

He was only 19 when he was drafted overseas during World War II but saw plenty of action serving under General Patton's Third Army.

During his time overseas as a combat engineer, Yannotta spent quite some time building bridges for the infantry to cross as they pushed through Germany.

A survivor of D-Day and the landing at Omaha Beach, Yannotta vividly remembers the cold and most importantly talked about the close friends he lost that day saying, "That's the toughest part for me, then they're gone. I just saw them and then they're gone. That's the part I remember most. I am thankful, and appreciative of what we've done, but don't ever forget my buddies that we left back there. Those are the ones we have to thank."

Carmin was recently honored at a Florida Panthers game. His reaction was priceless as he was overcome with emotion.

We at CBS4 would also like to extend our gratitude to Carmin Yannotta for serving our country.

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