World War II Honoree

Charles Durning

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Highland Falls, New York

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

HE PROUDLY SERVED HIS COUNTRY IN THE U.S. ARMY WHEN HE WAS DRAFTED AT AGE 21 DURING WWII. 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. 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 AND THE ONLY MEMBER OF HIS ARMY UNIT TO SURVIVE. HE WAS IN A GROUP OF GLIDERS WHO OVERSHOT THEIR LANDING ZONE AND HE HAD TO FIGHT ALONE ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE BEACH. HE KILLED SEVERAL GERMANS AND WAS WOUNDED IN THE LEG. LATER HE WAS BAYONETED BY A YOUNG GERMAN SOLDIER WHOM HE KILLED WITH A ROCK. HE WAS CAPTURED IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE AND SURVIVED A MASSACRE OF PRISONERS. HE WAS WOUNDED BY A GERMAN 'S' MINE ON JUNE 15, 1944 AT LES MARE DES MARES, FRANCE. HE WAS TRANSPORTED 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 AND WAS TAKEN PRISONER AT THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. AFTER BEING WOUNDED AGAIN, THIS TIME IN THE CHEST, HE WAS RETURNED 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. FOR HIS VALOR AND THE WOUNDS HE RECEIVED DURING THE WAR, HE WAS AWARDED THE SILVER STAR AND THREE PURPLE HEART MEDALS AND THE NATIONAL ORDER OF THE LEGION OF HONOR FROM THE FRENCH WHICH IS AWARDED TO THOSE WHO SERVED WITH DISTINCTION IN FRANCE.