"Germany 1944" photo autographed by FURY tankers

GEORGE SMILANICH
A Sherman driver in the 2nd Armored Division, George spent three years in that role as he fought from Sicily, France, Belgium and into Germany, even earning the Bronze Star for when he pulled his incapacitated tank commander from their burning tank. In 2013, George was flown to Hollywood to sit down with an actor who would play a 2nd Armored Division tank commander. George recalled his first thought upon hearing of the invite, "I said, 'Who the hell is Brad Pitt?'" 

RAY STEWART
As a 19-year-old Sherman driver, Ray's entry into combat began in June 1944 when his division, the 2nd Armored, entered the fray in Normandy. He fought with the men of "Hell on Wheels" on a 1,000 mile journey from Normandy through the occupation of Berlin in 1945. Along the way had two of his tanks destroyed in combat. In 2013 Ray was flown to Hollywood to help prepare the FURY actors to portray tankers from his division. “Brad Pitt’s a nice guy – all of them were all right,” he would recall in a newspaper interview. “We fought the war over again right in front of those movie guys. We looked around and saw them sitting there with their mouths open. They seemed sort of flabbergasted.”