Teen goes to prom in WWII tank to honor his late dad

WASHINGTON (WWAY) — A Washington state teen drove a World War 2 Army tank to his high school prom over the weekend, bringing his date along for the ride, according to TMX.

Sherman Bynum Jr., a student at Camas High School in Camas, rented an M3A1 Stuart tank from a collector for $1,000 after raising the money on TikTok and GoFundMe.

The teen was named, along with his father, for Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, who served in the Union Army during the U.S. Civil War, and led the famed campaign that came to be known as Sherman’s March. Another tank is named for the general, the M4 Sherman, which is a medium tank more powerful than the Stuart Bynum drove to prom.

According to the teen’s mother, Megan Bynum, both he and his father earned the nickname Tank, and shared a fascination with the military vehicles. Sherman Bynum Sr. was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when his son was four, and more recently developed Lewy body dementia.

“Sherman and his dad began talking in February about the idea of taking a tank to prom, and his dad was still with us enough psychologically to participate in the discussion, and was very excited about it,” Bynum said.

Just two weeks later, Bynum Sr. developed an infection and died. Despite his grief, the teen “devoted his time and energy to completing the mission in order to honor his dad,” his mother said.

“Things get super crappy sometimes and you have to make your own fun and adventure and you have to find your own strength, one way or the other, and you have to maintain your sense of humor,” she said. “He took that lesson and ran with it and I’m so proud.”