World War II Honoree

Charles Durning

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Highland Falls, New York

Honored By

A Grateful American

SERVED IN THE U.S. ARMY. DRAFTED AT AGE 21, HE WAS FIRST ASSIGNED AS A RIFLEMAN WITH THE 398TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, AND LATER SERVED OVERSEAS WITH THE 3RD ARMY SUPPORT TROOPS AND THE 386TH ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY (AAA) BATTALION. FOR HIS VALOR AND THE WOUNDS HE RECEIVED DURING THE WAR, HE WAS AWARDED THE SILVER STAR AND THREE PURPLE HEART MEDALS. HE PARTICIPATED IN THE NORMANDY INVASION OF FRANCE ON D-DAY, JUNE 6, 1944, AND WAS AMONG THE FIRST TROOPS TO LAND AT OMAHA BEACH. HE WAS WITH THE 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION AT HE SERVED AS A RIFLEMAN OR AS A MEMBER OF ONE OF THE DIVISION'S ARTILLERY BATTALIONS. HE WAS WOUNDED BY A GERMAN 'S' MINE ON JUNE 15, 1944, AT LES MARE DES MARES, FRANCE. HE WAS TRANSPORTED BY THE 499TH MEDICAL COLLECTION COMPANY TO THE 24TH EVACUATION HOSPITAL. BY JUNE 17 HE WAS BACK IN ENGLAND AT THE 217TH GENERAL HOSPITAL. ALTHOUGH SEVERELY WOUNDED BY SHRAPNEL IN THE LEFT AND RIGHT THIGHS, THE RIGHT HAND, THE FRONTAL REGION OF THE HEAD, AND THE ANTERIOR LEFT CHEST WALL, HE RECOVERED QUICKLY AND WAS DETERMINED TO BE FIT FOR DUTY ON DECEMBER 6, 1944. HE ARRIVED BACK AT THE FRONT IN TIME TO TAKE PART IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, THE GERMAN COUNTER-OFFENSIVE THROUGH THE ARDENNES FOREST OF BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG IN DECEMBER 1944. AFTER BEING WOUNDED AGAIN, THIS TIME IN THE CHEST, HE WAS REPATRIATED TO THE UNITED STATES. HE REMAINED IN ARMY HOSPITALS TO RECEIVE TREATMENT FOR WOUNDS UNTIL BEING DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ON JANUARY 30, 1946.