But while I don't know Durning and have only met him once, he is close with several close friends of mine, and I asked them to ask him about the Malmedy thing. Also, we got Paul Newman to do the voiceover which was fun I directed him over the phone but he did his performance at the end of a recording session for the animated feature, Cars, and he was very old by then so most people didnt even recognize his voice (which was a lesson to me in voice talent). Charles Edward Durning (February 28, 1923 - December 24, 2012) was an American actor. That place that no one knows about horrifying things we keep secret. But then I found a book in Google Books on actors serving in the military (Duty, Honor, Applause) that talks about Durning's service in the Rangers, says some of his fellow rangers were killed at Malmedy but says nothing about his escaping.[2]. Then came The Malmedy Massacre which took place on December 17, 1944 by a unit that was a part of the 1st SS Panzer Division . Durning was born in Highland Falls, New York, the . NEW YORK (Reuters) - Charles Durning, a World War Two hero who became one of Hollywood's top character actors in films like "The Sting," "Tootsie" and "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," has. He was a great character actor, a tremendous military hero, and a really good guy (plus a Democrat) whom I got to spend a day with in 2004. He was taken prisoner during the . During the German attack, Durning reported that a particularly young soldier charged him, but Durning couldnt bring himself to fire. Asteriks (talk) 18:46, 10 August 2008 (UTC). Also, the alleged false statement was the Durning was the 2nd most decorated soldier of WWII, which Monkeyzpop disputes. It contains a roster, list of decorations awarded, and some information on landing craft assignments. Before jumping into your new job all gung-ho, you would do yourself a great disservice if you didn't do your research. Although he. Sad news arrived on Christmas Day with word that longtime character actor Charles Durning . It's a shame he is not more forthcoming; such vagueness merely arouses suspicion. Zodiac. Now, the Early life section has been written in a way that claims Frances is a brother, though the cited source (IMDb) does not specify. Anyone have any further information??? Durning served as a soldier in World War II, during which he was awarded a Silver Star, three Purple Heart medals, and a Good Conduct Medal. Related:To create a personalized transition plan for yourself, and for transition guides and checklists, visit theMilitary.com Transition Center. Mr. Unfortunately, Harold Billow, the last known survivor of the WWII POW massacre, died at 99 on May 17, 2022. First, no one doubts he was at D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, but he also told me he was there at Malmady. Durning first got his start in guest appearances in early 1960's TV shows. We'll never know the whole story of his war years.I used to hear the difference between a "sea story" and a fairy tale was a fairy . He made his film debut in 1965, appearing in Harvey Middleman, Fireman. This seems even to have publicly said by the French consul in LA during an official ceremony that took place a few years ago. Same for passage saying he was hospitalized for physical and "mental" wounds. [AlanM1(talk)] 23:36, 28 December 2012 (UTC) (Edited 23:39, 28 December 2012 (UTC)), Oldbubblehead (talk) 23:42, 16 April 2013 (UTC), I have received a copy of Durning's military records from the National Archives. But second, last year I met with Gavan Daws who wrote the definitive book on Japanese Prisoners of War. Durning's memorable roles included the Oscar-winning The Sting (1973) and Dog Day Afternoon (1975), along with the comedies Tootsie, To Be or Not to Be and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Get special job alerts, offers and insider tips on making the most of your military experience in the civilian workforce. After all, few PFCs who earn the Silver Star remain as PFCs for long. Below the table, you can find all the information about his birthday. chris Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.179.70.124 (talk) 11:29, 25 December 2012 (UTC), Charles Durning was presented with the French Legion of Honor on April 22, 2008 (last week). before D-Day), it and the Third Army were still in England, not yet having been in combat. I wonder whether it might be able to get some rock solid sources on this. For example, tankers were returned to armored units, specialist troops (rangers, paratroops, etc.) May he Rest in Peace! Stetsonharry (talk) 21:43, 22 February 2009 (UTC). But if you've been in for more than one tour, your life is about to change substantially. The two fought with their bayonets, and Durning suffered further injury during the fight. Unfortunately, Durning is very frail and his conversation is a bit wandering and imprecise. In 1999, Durning was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame on Broadway. I would however draw you attention to the fact that this sentence merely concerns the way the event has been related in many books, i.e. Editors have permission to delete these "External links modified" talk page sections if they want to de-clutter talk pages, but see the RfC before doing mass systematic removals. For his valor he . He was one of only a few soldiers to survive the Malmedy massacre when German soldiers opened fire on nearly 90 prisoners of war. Records describe a badly wounded G.I with a severe concussion, multiple lacerations to the face, and fragmentation shrapnel wounds to the right frontal region of his head, left chest-wall, both legs, left foot, knee, fingers, and hands. Durning was equally entertaining in the Billy Wilder production of The Front Page (1974), he supported screen tough guy Charles Bronson in the suspenseful western Breakheart Pass (1975) and featured as "Spermwhale Whalen" in the story of unorthodox police behavior in The Choirboys (1977).The versatile Durning is equally adept at comedic roles and demonstrated his skills as "Doc Hopper" in The Muppet Movie (1979), a feisty football coach in North Dallas Forty (1979), a highly strung police officer berating maverick cop Burt Reynolds in Sharky's Machine (1981), and a light footed, dancing Governor (alongside Burt Reynolds once more) in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982). Mr. Steve Karras, among other researchers, has accessed primary sources such as Durnings discharge papers, his medical records, unit personnel rosters and morning reports, Army General Orders, and other records, as well as secondary sources such as unit official histories, to assemble an accurate record of Durnings military experiences. He was discharged in 1946 as a private first class. You can hear a story from one of the survivors, Ted Paluch, below. "There's terror and repulsion in us, the terrible spot that we don't talk about. - Are we supposed to believe - as some accounts hold - that after being levied out of the 386th AAA (AW) Bn, after being sent to Normandy as a replacement, after being wounded and after spending five months in a hospital recovering, that Mr. Durning returned back to the very same 386th AAA (AW) Bn he joined in '43? What I know now, was and is still a missed opportunity for us to discuss this event, because like Mr. Durning, my Grandfather, Brigadier General, Norman Cota was an assistant Commander of the 29th. I have put some editing only text above the section warning editors not to edit that area. [Ref: http://www.web2carz.com/people/who-you-know/2097/charles-durnings-war-heroism-exaggeration-fabrication]. Charles Durning was a boxer, ice-cream seller and dance instructor before establishing himself as an actor. I can't understand why you're so emphatic here, but so unwilling to prove your case in public. . But I didn't know until last week that Durning was not only a veteran of World War II, but a genuine hero, awarded a Silver Star, three Purple Heart medals, and a Good Conduct Medal. While Oldbubblehead's research apparently verifies the Silver Star, the issue will not be put to bed until the GO (with its citation extract) can be located. Charles Durning, who overcame poverty, battlefield trauma and nagging self-doubt to become an acclaimed character actor, whether on stage as Big Daddy in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" or in film as. [11] His badges included the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Badge with Rifle Bar, and Honorable Service Lapel Pin.[9]. The Cat!" At that time,in my pre-understanding of conversations I had with his spouse, Mr. Durning did not like to discuss his involvement in the landing at Omaha Beach that fateful day with The 1st. Durning at the 2008 National Memorial Day Concert in, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Dealing: or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie, National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor Motion Picture, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie, CableACE Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie, Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast, National Board of Review Award for Best Cast, Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance, Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance, Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actor, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor Series, Miniseries or Television Film, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, "Los Angeles Times: Archives No Bleeps for Durning's Role", "Durning Takes On The 'Peasant Pope' For Pbs", "WWII Soldier, character actor Charles Durning to be interred at Arlington", "Military urban legends versus true tales: real life stories prove more interesting", "Speech by Consul General of France Philippe Larrieu", "VA Voluntary Service National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans", "Charles Durning, Oscar-nominated king of the character actors, dies at 89 in NYC", "An Appraisal Remembering Jack Klugman and Charles Durning", "Charles Durning, Jack Klugman Deaths Bring New Appreciation For Character Actor Titans", "McCaslin, John, TownHall.com (cached) "Stars by example", Hayes, Richard L., Osprey Publishing. 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