. >> reporter: manuel herr era is 87 now bursting with pride as the french government awarded him the medal of region almost 70 years after the heroic action. >> i was only 19 years old, just a kid. all of a sudden mortar shells started coming in. and the bodies. >> reporter: the memories come quickly now and the army infantry man,german bombing drops in trees. >> nice looking guy, the sergeant said, whatever i do i do he said. kill or be killed. >> reporter: it was hard he says against his religion but he killed to live. in one battle he was shot in the knee in another in his neck, earning him a purple heart. >> how did i survive? i survived through the grace of god. >> reporter: when he came back from france, with guilty, many of his friends dead. >> i was a nervous wreck. >> reporter: but he was a professional musician. and the talented pianist says all these years his music has helped him forget the horrors of war. >> bravo. >> reporter: tonight he says he's proud france awarded him the legion of honor medal not for war but for bringing peace. >>> more republican candidates are po

. >> reporter: manuel herr era is 87 years now. >> i was 19 years old. just a kid. >> reporter: larr era says that kid from oakland had no idea of the wars ahead that started with the invasion of normandy. >> mortar shells started coming in. and the bodies. >> reporter: the memories come quickly now. an army infantry man, soldiers falling around him. >> he said, kill or be killed. >> reporter: it was hard he says, against his religious but he killed to live. was shot once in the knee, once in the neck earning him a purple heart. >> how did i survive? >> yeah. >> i survived through the grace of god. >> reporter: he came home with survivals guilty, many of his friends dead. >> i was a very nervous wreck. i was a mess. >> reporter: but he was a professional musician. and the talented pianist says all these years his music has helped him forget the horrors of war. thankful now france honored not for war but for bringing peace. >> bravo. >> thanks. >>> up next buster posey on that serious leg injury and what he has to say about the player who hit him. >>> and

. >> reporter: manuel herr era is 87 years now. >> i was 19 years old. just a kid. >> reporter: larr era says that kid from oakland had no idea of the wars ahead that started with the invasion of normandy. >> mortar shells started coming in. and the bodies. >> reporter: the memories come quickly now. an army infantry man, soldiers falling around him. >> he said, kill or be killed. >> reporter: it was hard he says, against his religious but he killed to live. was shot once in the knee, once in the neck earning him a purple heart. >> how did i survive? >> yeah. >> i survived through the grace of god. >> reporter: he came home with survivals guilty, many of his friends dead. >> i was a very nervous wreck. i was a mess. >> reporter: but he was a professional musician. and the talented pianist says all these years his music has helped him forget the horrors of war. thankful now france honored him not for war but for bringing peace. >> bravo. >> thanks. >>> up next buster posey on that serious leg injury and what he has to say about the player who hit him. >>>