Singleton, Clarence

Clarence Singleton was born January 30, 1949 in Sumter, South Carolina. He grew up in the south of the era, attending segregated schools and participating in school nuclear attack drills that were prevalent in the Cold War. He played sports and worked the fields and chafed to get out of his small community. Asked why he enlisted in the USMC, Clarence said a recruiter came to Lincoln High School; he was impressed by the uniform and knew that he knew that eventually he would be drafted. In January 1968 Clarence was assigned as a 106 Recoilless Rifleman with the 27th Marines; later he transferred as a “grunt” to the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, stationed near the DMZ. Clarence did one tour in Vietnam, experiencing all the realities that a Marine tour had to offer; he was wounded with about one month to go – hit 5 times. His recovery was extensive, and he received medical care for his serious wounds and trauma at the Charleston, SC Naval Hospital for 10 months. When he returned home, Clarence was suffering from PTSD which the trauma of the WTC would only intensify. Clarence began to look for work after a move to NYC, initially with no luck until a bank brought him on. He moved on to the NYPD then the FDNY, where he worked for 22 years before retiring in 2000. His time with the FDNY included the 1993 response to the World Trade Center (WTC) bombing. On 9/11, Clarence was in Brooklyn, across from the WTC. He observed smoke and heard that a plane had hit one of the towers. He put on his FDNY T-shirt and reported to the scene, where he assisted in putting out fires on the perimeter. He was in the collapse zone near the high tower. Clarence knew he had to get out of there, but he fell and hurt his shoulder, though he managed to get out of the dangerous situation – somehow his faith guided him through the dust cloud.  Clarence recalls that the FDNY and NYPD worked hand-in-hand; at St. Vincent Hospital without anesthesia his shoulder was snapped back into place, to be followed by further surgery later. Clarence since 9/11 has actively worked to keep the memory alive, and organizations like the Freedom Flag Foundation have helped him in this important cause. Clarence has visited Ground Zero, the Freedom Tower and National Memorial and the Pentagon, and he speaks to countless schools and community organizations to share his story of courage and remembrance, and that includes a zoom with Crestwood students in September 2026.