Clarence Smoyer, the Carbon County native who served heroically during World War II and earned widespread acclaim later in life, died Friday, at the age of 99.

Smoyer, who was born in Parryville and raised in Lehighton, was a tank gunner who took part in the Allied advance into Germany. Nearly 75 years after the war ended, he earned a Bronze Star for his service, after a best-selling book chronicled his time in battle.

“We lost a great hero. He was a great man. He was a humble individual that worked hard his entire life and served his country,” said Daniel Dailey, retired Sgt. Maj. of the Army, who helped obtain Smoyer’s Bronze Star.

In 2019, Author Adam Makos shared Smoyer’s story with the world in his best-selling book “Spearhead.”

Makos said Smoyer, who was nicknamed “Gentle Giant,” showed that heroes didn’t have to have the swaggering image of a John Wayne. He was reluctant to become a tank gunner, but eventually became one of the best in the war, Makos said. His motivation came not from wanting to kill the most Germans, but because he wanted to protect his fellow soldiers.

“He was such a different hero. And for that people loved him,” Makos said.

As the gunner in the tank which was often the first into battle, he had to be able to shoot precisely at a moment’s notice. Smoyer’s tank crew led an attack on Germany’s equivalent of Fort Knox, and emerged victorious from what has been called “the greatest tank duel in history” on the streets of Cologne, Germany. The battle was filmed by an army photographer.

Almost 50 years later, Smoyer would meet with the German tank commander on the other side of the battle, Gustav Schaefer, with whom he exchanged letters until Schaefer’s death. Their friendship also helped him deal with the death of a German woman who was killed during the battle.

After Makos’ book, Smoyer received widespread recognition for his courage. In 2019, he met President Donald Trump after receiving a Bronze Star along with the surviving and deceased members of his tank crew.

Army Maj. Pete Semanoff, another Lehighton native, pinned the Bronze Star on his chest that day and accompanied him to the White House. It was Semanoff who first told Smoyer’s story to Makos, a college friend. Semanoff had learned the story while interviewing local Carbon County veterans for his Eagle Scout project.

“He was a significant part of my life,” Semanoff said. “It’s something that doesn’t happen to everybody and it’ll be with me for a lifetime.”

Smoyer was honored in his hometown of Lehighton, where he frequently spoke to students about his military life. In 2019, Lehighton Area School District presented him with his high school diploma, 76 years after he would have received it. Smoyer left high school in his sophomore year because he needed to start making some money to help his family. Soon thereafter, he was drafted into the Army.

Smoyer was predeceased by his wife Melba, with whom he shared 71 years of marriage. They had two daughters and a son.

Kenneth Wong, the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, helped to get Smoyer’s Bronze Star. He recalled how everyone who met Smoyer after learning his story was honored to meet him, including Wong himself.

“He didn’t ask to go to war. He did what he was asked to do and went over there and did what he had to do,” Wong said.