Charles Durning served in the 116th. Regiment of the 29th. Infantry Division. He landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. May he rest in peace.
From Armyranger.com:
PFC Charles Durning, 85, of Los Angeles, California, served during World War II with the US Army Rangers, with a Field Artillery unit and with the 398th Infantry Regiment. Following US Army induction in January 1943 and basic training he was deployed to England in February 1944. Charles landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day 1944 early in the day as part of an Army Ranger Battalion, alongside the 1st Infantry Division. Although his unit suffered severe casualties he managed to reach safety. In late June 1944, Charles was seriously wounded by a mine at Les Mare des Mares, France and spent almost 6 months recovering. When the German Ardennes offensive broke out in December 1944, he was rushed to the front lines and suffered severe bayonet wounds in hand to hand combat. On December 16th his unit was overrun and captured in Belgium by an SS Panzer Unit that was taking no prisoners. PFC Durning was one of only a few soldiers to escape and survive the subsequent notorious Malmedy massacre. With the 398th Infantry Regiment he moved into Germany where he was again seriously wounded in March 1945 and evacuated to the United States. Charles Durning’s significant decorations include the Silver Star, awarded for valor in the Ardennes in December 1944, and the Purple Heart. After spending considerable time recovering from his wartime injuries, he was discharged at Fort Dix, New Jersey in January 1946.
There WAS a Ranger Battalion within the 29th IN Division. It was shut down and reorganized before D-Day.
Durning’s name doesn’t appear in COL Robert Black’s “Rangers in WWII” but those who served in Ranger Battalions in combat are considered members of the brotherhood.
RLTW