Wow! I've never seen, read or even heard that about him. His story of D-Day was hard to listen to, especially his description of dying men using their own bodies to shield the others, yet I had to smile at his description of ending up on shore with no helmet and no rifle.
And Malmedy? I've known about the massacre for years, and to find out that he was one of the three survivors? Wow!
His description of being in sixty feet of water reminded me of another famous actor. James Arness of Gunsmoke fame was at the Anzio landing. He said that since he was 6'7" (2.01m) tall he was ordered to be the first one out of the boat. They figured that if the water came up to his chest it would be too deep for everyone else, and he would get back in the boat. It only came to his waist.
Jimmy Stewart, who put his acting career on hold to risk his life flying B-17s over Germany.
Lee Marvin, who was a US Marine and was wounded at the battle of Saipan.
Jason Robards, who played General Walter Short in Tora! Tora! Tora! I thought he was actually at Pearl Harbor, but on December 7, 1941 he was a hundred miles away, as a radioman on the cruiser Northampton. He did survive the sinking of the Northampton, treading water for several hours before being rescued by an American destroyer.
Once again, kudos to men like Charles Durning, who we remember for being a famous actor but was in reality so much more.
And thanks for posting that, Eddie.
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“Never do anything you can't take back.”
—Rocky Russo
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