Charles Durning (born February 28, 1923) is an American actor of stage and screen.
Durning was born in Highland Falls, New York and was the second youngest of five children, James G. (1915 - 2000), Clifford John (1916-1994), Frances (born 1919) and Gerald J. Durning (born 1926). His mother, Louise M. (1894 - 1982), was a laundress at West Point, and his father, James Durning (originally Durnion) (born 1890 in County Louth in Ireland), was an Iris...
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Charles Durning (born February 28, 1923) is an American actor of stage and screen.
Durning was born in Highland Falls, New York and was the second youngest of five children, James G. (1915 - 2000), Clifford John (1916-1994), Frances (born 1919) and Gerald J. Durning (born 1926). His mother, Louise M. (1894 - 1982), was a laundress at West Point, and his father, James Durning (originally Durnion) (born 1890 in County Louth in Ireland), was an Irish immigrant who gained U.S. citizenship by joining the army.
Durning served in the U.S. Army during World War II. 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, Durning was awarded the Silver Star and three Purple Heart medals.
Durning participated in the Normandy Invasion of France on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and was among the first...
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