Actor Charles Durning has been given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Mr. Durning is a fine actor and certainly deserves this but there is a much more important reason for us to remember and honor him.
During the Second World War Durning was one of the many men who went off to fight for his country. He enlisted at the age of 17 and became a true American hero. He was wounded when he stormed ashore as part of one of the first waves on D Day but later returned to battle to once again distinguish himself.
He was captured during the Battle of the Bulge and was one of the few people to survive the massacre at Malmedy. For his efforts he won three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star.
He is truly an American hero, and that is not just rhetoric