![]() ![]() It's your mind that's hard to heal." Like many other soldiers, Durning continued to suffer from nightmares about his war experiences throughout his life.Īfter being invited by fellow soldier and fellow actor Ossie Davis to participate in the National Memorial Day Concert to commemorate the 60th anniversary of D-Day, Durning has made it an annual event. In a Parade magazine interview, Durning is quoted as saying, "The physical injuries heal first. In a People magazine interview in 1990, Durning said, "There's only so much you can witness." He spent four years in and out of Army hospitals, being treated for the physical and psychological scars of war. Several months later, a chest wound caused his return to the US, where he recovered from both physical and psychological wounds in Army hospitals until being discharged as a Private First Class in January 1946, a month shy of his 23rd birthday.įor his service during World War II, Charles Durning was awarded the Silver Star Medal and three Purple Hearts. Durning was obliged to return with American troops to identify the bodies of his fellow prisoners. He and two others escaped, and the rest were murdered. Durning recovered from those wounds and was released from the hospital just in time to fight in the Battle of the Bulge, where he was taken prisoner.Ĭharles Durning was one of only three men to survive the infamous massacre of American POWs at Malmedy, Belgium. That day, he survived by killing the German with a rock in hand-to-hand combat. Several months later, in Belgium, Durning was stabbed eight times by a bayonet-wielding teenage German soldier. Despite suffering serious machine gun and shrapnel wounds, Durning killed seven German gunners to survive D-Day. He was the only man to survive a machine-gun ambush. As a 21-year-old infantryman, Private Charles Durning was in the first wave of soldiers to land on Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Like Medal of Honor recipient Audie Murphy, Charles Durning was a highly-decorated soldier in World War II before he began an acting career. His family said he loved Christmas, and if he could have chosen a day as his last, this would be it. Charles Durning died on Christmas Eve, 2012, at age 89. He was honored at age 84 with a Life Achievement Award by the Screen Actors Guild. Then he showed his singing and dancing skills as the two-stepping Texas governor in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas with Dolly Parton. In the 1970's he made a name for himself in The Sting with Paul Newman and Robert Redford. You have our sympathies, sir.Most of today's generation know Charles Durning, if they know him at all, as an actor. At dawn, Corporal Yost was found amid the bodies of 26 Japanese soldiers he had killed, in a self sacrificing defense of his forward position. Near exhaustion from profuse bleeding, he continued to defend his forward position, engaging in hand to hand combat, when he was out of ammunition. He immediately waged a fierce battle, during which, a grenade gravely wounded his right hand and fractured his thigh. Terrain studded with caves and ravines, Corporal Yost was standing point forward of our lines, when he spotted Japanese troops attempting to infiltrate under the cover of darkness. His citation of conspicuous gallantry, above and beyond the call of duty.Ĭorporal Ernest Yost, United States Marine Corps, 1st Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division, at Iwo Jima, volcano island, 4 March, 1945. They're here to escort the accused to Quantico. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this, Commander. This is Lieutenant Commander Coleman, Ernie, JAG Corps. And a good afternoon to you too, Commander Coleman. ![]()
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