Camas teens ride tank to prom flanked by Portland’s ‘Unipiper’

By JEFFERY LINDBLOM

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    CAMAS, Washington (KPTV) — More than two months ago, Sherman Bynum and his friends decided they wanted to go to their Camas, Wash. prom in a World War II tank.

Saturday night, they made it happen.

“I think the quote that we’ve been repeating a lot today is, ‘today’s the day, man,’” Bynum said. “We’re feeling really good, and we woke up ready to go.”

Bynum’s best friend, Sam Tetro, added, “We’ve been going back and forth about how nervous, but super hyped up that we are about it.”

Bynum said he fell in love with tanks and got the idea to ride in one to his junior prom. Soon after, he stumbled across Steve Greenberg, who just so happens to own an M3A1 WWII tank in Portland. He said it would cost a thousand bucks.

That’s when Bynum said he and Tetro put together a GoFundMe. Quickly, they got the money to hire Greenberg and his tank.

“I’ve been collecting these since high school,” Greenberg said as he gestured to his tank, “and now I’m 65. If it wasn’t for tanks and the guys who drove them and worked on them and fought with them during WWII, we wouldn’t be standing here today.”

Bynum said that compared to a typical prom ride, theirs is much better.

“We don’t like normal very much,” he said.

Bynum wouldn’t dare be caught in something like a sports car or limo. Instead, he’s armed with a tank, friends and one proud mom.

“I never thought he’d pull it off and here we are,” said Sherman’s mother, Megan Bynum.

Sherman even recruited Portland’s own Unipiper, Brian Kidd, who is known for playing flaming bagpipes to the theme of Star Wars while riding a unicycle.

Since Kidd’s 40th birthday just so happened to fall on the date of their prom, he said he’s especially happy to be their escort.

“Making sure that Portland stays the place where people can be who they are,” Kidd said.

Sherman even managed to get himself a date, Mycah Chala.

“He asked me with a sign that said, ‘I’d be tankful to take you to prom,’” Chala laughed. “It was perfect.”

Sherman said this started off as a joke but wound up proving a point he holds near and dear.

“Live your life to the fullest. That’s what it’s all about.”

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