You can hear a story from one of the survivors, Ted Paluch, below. And there's the weakness in Wiki; the burden of proof should be on those making assertions of fact; instead, Wiki gives credence to unsubstantiated, possibly self-serving claims made by individuals, that are only bolstered by second and third hand retellings of that same man's stories. That place that no one knows about horrifying things we keep secret. "Hollywood Stars at D-Day", Soldiers Online Army.mil. Charles Durning: 5 Facts About the Consummate Character Actor You might remember Charles Durning as the crooked Lt. Snyder in the classic 1973 film The Sting, or as the World War II Medal of Honor winner who confesses to killing his best friend in a 2004 episode of the hit TV series NCIS. Durning was present for the Battle of the Bulge, the German counter-offensive in December 1944. On July 31, 2008, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame adjacent to one of his idols, James Cagney. 68.124.153.86 (talk) 00:34, 30 April 2008 (UTC) Gerard, Other than his wartime experiences, the article makes no mention of Charles Durning's career pre 1973. (2000). The "confusion" regarding Mr. Durning's service is far more extensive than has been touched on here. I furthermore noticed that these websites often copy that material from one to the other (which means nobody actually checks the accuracy of that information). Charles Durning. Stars in Khaki by Wise and Wilderson provides little information. He was discharged in 1946 as a private first class. The Sting. Charles Edward Durning (February 28, 1923 - December 24, 2012) was an American actor, with appearances in over 200 movies, television shows and plays. My old buddy Dr. Steven Miller (who was my partner in the Shifting Baselines Ocean Media Project and would eventually be executive producer of Flock of Dodos as well as the current Lionfish PSA Campaign), quickly raised the funds for me to write and direct a commercial for the campaign. He agreed to give us a day, I pulled together an amazing crew of industry veterans (including the very best cameraman I ever got the joy of working with they were all Democrats willing to donate their time for the campaign), we found a location north of L.A., and within a couple days were out there filming. Showing Editorial results for charles durning. Go for it - its obviously a field of study that you enjoy and you have the chance to make your name. #VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Charles Durning - VA News Today's #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Charles Durning, who served as an infantryman during World War II and later became a prolific actor. I can't understand why you're so emphatic here, but so unwilling to prove your case in public. After recovering for six months, he was put back on the front lines to combat the German Ardennes offensive. Aedwardmoch (talk) 05:35, 8 November 2008 (UTC)AedwardmochAedwardmoch (talk) 05:35, 8 November 2008 (UTC), There are different ways to calculate "most decorated" and it's exacerbated by the fact that some awards are delayed by decades. See: The biggest joy of the experience was getting to spend the day chatting with Mr. Durning. The Malmedy massacre was a German war crime committed by soldiers of the Waffen-SS on 17 December 1944 at the Baugnez crossroads near the city of Malmedy, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge (16 December 1944 - 25 January 1945). This record will need to be linked on this talk page so that other editors can verify this before we can allow this kind of character assassination. Charles Durning is Update Soon years old in 2022. With regards to the re-assignment of soldiers - while it is common knowledge that the replacement system funneled troops from unit to unit after being wounded, they were still moved to units with respect to their training. Related:To create a personalized transition plan for yourself, and for transition guides and checklists, visit theMilitary.com Transition Center. Durning's best-known films include The Sting (1973), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), The Muppet Movie (1979), True Confessions (1981), Tootsie (1982), Dick Tracy (1990), and O Brother, Where Art Thou? Fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, he and the rest of his company were captured and forced to march through a pine forest at Malmedy, the scene of an infamous massacre in which the Germans . Mr. Durning told me he was in that group, but he and six other guys hid behind trees then escaped. There tends to be a correlation between the quality of character actors and how big of a character they are themselves. I've posted on this in the Military History WikiProject in the hope that maybe some better sourcing can be found. Block 36 shows arrival in the ETO on 19 Feb 44 and departure 8 Jan 46. His birthplace is Highland Falls, New York. He made his film debut in 1965, appearing in Harvey Middleman, Fireman. Hand color tinted photo of Charles Durning. Durning stated he took part in the D-Day landings, and the article notes he was with 1st Infantry. Please take a moment to review my edit. You can too, by following these critical steps. Over the course of his life, aside from the medals he earned as a soldier, Durning won numerous accolades as an actor including a Life Achievement Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 9 Emmy Award nominations, and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Copyright 2023 Military.com. Other film roles include Henry Larson, the benevolent father of Holly Hunter's character in Home for the Holidays (1995) and Waring Hudsucker in The Hudsucker Proxy (1994). He describes in detail being captured by Germans and escaping, but NOT as part of the Malmedy events--not even at the same period of time. Subsequently, he performed in roughly 50 stock company productions and in various off-Broadway plays, eventually attracting the attention of Joseph Papp, founder of The Public Theater and the New York Shakespeare Festival. In any case, recovered soldiers were returned to units of their original branch. Verify your free subscription by following the instructions in the email sent to: Search the largest free Veteran Job board to find jobs with veteran-friendly companies. There are no original sources, official documents or corroborating accounts by those he served with that validate his stories. Historical Popularity Index (HPI) 44. 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. It's hard to say for certain, but as many as 50 Americans were able to escape, including Charles Durning, Malmedy-Massacre-survivor-turned-character-actor after World War II. There are several paths to success if you're getting out or thinking about getting out of the military after just one tour. Furthermore one should keep in mind that all survivors to the massacre, i.e. Such is the life of Charles Durning. He was taken prisoner during the . and will get the relevant/readable pages uploaded ASAP. I was watching Everwood this evening, and I saw Mr. Durning on it. The fact is mentioned, but a reliable source (e.g. 4. Durning is the only survivor of a unit that landed on Omaha Beach that June 6 in 1944. He is not credited for being in Star Wars at IMDB. He scored minor roles over the next decade until he really got noticed by film fans as the sneering, corrupt cop "Lt. Snyder" hassling street grifter 'Robert Redford' in the multi award winning mega-hit The Sting (1973). Durning does not claim to have been a Malmedy survivor. A lot of that is released through acting. He cut his teeth in Shakespearean productions staged by Joe Papp and, in 1972, won a Drama Desk award for his performance in That Championship Season on Broadway. For his valor he . - Mr. During supposedly told a close friend that the reason he was transferred to the Rangers was because he hit an officer, and was therefore given the choice of either Leavenworth or the Rangers. I don't seem to recall it being used when he first came to prominance. Born in Highland Falls, NY, Durning was reared solely by his mother Louise after his father, John, died when he was very young, leaving Louise to support her and her son by working as a laundress at the nearby West Point military academy. Division. There is no reference to the Reynolds quote, so it is not really relevant to the article. Soldiers of Kampfgruppe Peiper summarily killed eighty Charles Durning Born: 28-Feb - 1923 Birthplace: Highland Falls, NY Died: 24-Dec - 2012 Location of death: New York City Cause of death: unspecified Gender: Male Race or Ethnicity: White Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Actor Nationality: United States Executive summary: The Muppet Movie Military service: US Army (Ranger, WWII) The problem here is that this regiment arrived in the ETO very late (mid-March 45), and was plugged into the then-reconstituting 106th Infantry Division to replace one of the two regiments destroyed during the Bulge. A Tiger's Tale. 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. The two actors worked together again in a 1985 TV production of Death of a Salesman. Has he really said this. Charles Durning will be honored for lifetime achievement by the Screen Actors Guild. Born in Highland Falls, New York, Charles Durning was the ninth of ten children. The New York Times, which commented on Durning's more than 200 credited roles, referred to him and actor Jack Klugman, who died the same day, as "extraordinary actors ennobling the ordinary". Durning was a boxer, ice-cream seller and dance instructor before establishing himself as an actor. Search instead in Creative? Durning was born in Highland Falls, New York. Nightmares are indeed an indicator of PTSD, but not everyone who has experienced stress or has nightmares is suffering from a "disorder". in the Battle of the Bulge, he and the rest of his company were captured and forced to march through a pine forest at Malmedy, the scene of an infamous massacre in . Depot/ Repl. I'd also hope that other identified incorrect entries be removed from the article, such as earning 3 Puprple Hearts (he earned just one); serving with the 1st Division (he did not) and receiving campaign credit for the Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes Campaign - which, again, he did not); Oldbubblehead's research has proven those elements invalid. Prior to his acting career, Durning served in World War II and was decorated for valor in combat. Durning first got his start in guest appearances in early 1960's TV shows. In 1980, he won critical acclaim for his performance as Norman Thayer, Jr. in Los Angeles's Ahmanson Theater's production of On Golden Pond opposite Julie Harris. 98.255.89.22 (talk) 09:00, 6 July 2013 (UTC), Oldbubblehead. Again, Charles Durning is nowhere to be found among these men. It's right at the beginning of the movie. 398th Infantry Regiment; part of the 100th Infantry Division, 3. Rangers in World War II by Robert W. Black contains a complete roster of all Rangers who served during World War II. The Malmady Massacre was a horrific event in which the Germans, after the Battle of the Bulge, rounded up and executed 80 American POWs. In conclusion I still have strong doubts about this story and I think that one should check for more reliable sources before writing that Mr. Durning is a Malmedy massacre survivor. "That time in my life was my best time," Durning told Pittsburgh's Post Gazette in 2001. This may have been a mistake or perhaps not, but it would explain why an actor, in an age sensitive business, would not want to publicize a World War II war record. While pursuing an acting career, Durning, a professional ballroom dancer, taught at Fred Astaire Dance Studio in New York City. His father was an Irish immigrant and his mother was of Irish descent. IMDb is not considered to be a reliable source since it is mainly user-edited - just like Wikipedia. He holds the Silver Star for valor and three Purple Hearts for wounds he suffered. It contains a roster, list of decorations awarded, and some information on landing craft assignments. In the past I've seen folks read an entry that said 'Bronze SS'and interpret it as the man earned both a Bronze Star Medal and a Silver Star Medal, when in fact it just denoted a single bronze Service Star for a campaign ribbon.98.255.89.22 (talk) 00:56, 12 July 2013 (UTC). It is hard to see where Mr. Durning would have earned a Silver Star with this unit. Durning was paid a special tribute at the May 26, 2013, National Memorial Day Concert when "Taps" was sounded in his honor. Charles is related to William Pershing Durning and Jeff M Durning as well as 1 additional person. It isn't clear if he were a replacement en route to a line unit, or a member of the replacement detachment's cadre when he was wounded in Normandy on 15 Jun (the initial replacement detachments were displacing to operate from Normandy during this same week). [12] He was an honored guest speaker for 17 years at the National Memorial Day Concert televised by PBS every year on the Sunday evening of Memorial Day weekend. The ceremony took place in Los Angeles and the presenter was Philippe Larrieu, Consul General of France. WRT the EIB/CIB, block 31 says "M1 Rifle Ex 165 5 Mar 45". Durning was born in Highland Falls, New York, to Louise Marie (Leonard), a laundress, and James Gerald Durning. Wikipedia says no primary sources and the military record is a primary source. In March 1945, Durning was moving into Germany with the 398th Infantry Regiment when he took a bullet to the chest. But some quick Google searches, including this database of citations: http://www.homeofheroes.com/members/04_SS/2_WWII/indexes/army/Army-D.html does not contain the name Charles Durning. In 1976, he received both an Emmy and a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the television mini-series Captains and the Kings. He does not appear in the list of survivors. Beginning in 1961, he appeared in 35 plays as part of the Shakespeare Festival. Also, in block 55, "ASR Score (2 Sep 45) 61"? Durning appeared in more than 100 movies, in role SAG Award nominations will be announced Dec. 20. Before I make any changes to his page, I have asked for some clarification from the Wikipedia powers that be. Charles Durning s WWII Experience It's hard to describe what we all went through that day, but those of you who were there will understand. Set the record straight and, once you have, we can revise it here. [Ref: http://www.web2carz.com/people/who-you-know/2097/charles-durnings-war-heroism-exaggeration-fabrication]. Select this result to view Charles Albin Durning's phone number, address, and more. I don't see this as accurate or fair. Preceding unsigned comment added by Deemery (talk contribs) 16:08, 26 December 2012 (UTC), In 1943 you joined the army, enlisting as an Army Ranger. He was one of the military masterminds of The Invasion of Normandy that also landed at Omaha Beach. When a Stranger Calls. In 2002, he performed in Bertolt Brecht's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui with Al Pacino, produced by Tony Randall. PFC Durning, Charles E. 32726378 was received at the 24th Evacuation Hospital in Le Cambe on June 15th. He was part of the landing forces at Normandy during the initial invasion of France by Allied forces. 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