Posted on 05/28/2008 7:02:19 AM PDT by Lloyd Marcus
While consuming too much homemade potato salad, hot dogs, low carb ice cream and diet soda, Mary hates it when I drink that stuff, I watched several Memorial Day tributes on TV. I am in total awe of the extraordinary Americans who have given us the prosperous and free America, so easily taken for granted today. Without question, God has shed His Grace on thee.
WWII vet and Hollywood actor Charles Darnay was stabbed eight times by enemy bayonets in combat. He incredibly killed them all. This weekend, Darnay received an award for his bravery sixty years ago. With every right to display the demeanor of a proud conquering hero, Darnay humbly and tearfully paid homage to his fallen brothers. Are such iron willed duty driven Americans becoming extinct? No, they are not. They are firmly entrenched in every branch of our U.S. Military.
The recurring theme in each program I watched was ordinary frighten men acting heroically; thrust into horrendous situations which tested their character and backbone. Enormous numbers died while survivors endured unimaginable pain and suffering. I couldn't help wondering. Could I have done it? Could I have measured up? By days end, I was emotionally spent, full of gratitude and feelings of inadequacy. These men truly were Great Americans to whom we owe a huge debt impossible to pay.
Thanks to their courage and sacrifices, knuckle heads can burn our flag, little girls can practice and become ballerinas and I can spend a Sunday afternoon vegging on my sofa. To all of our veterans and peerless military, I salute you and with utmost respect and gratitude thank you from the bottom of my heart. May God bless you and may God bless America!
Lloyd Marcus Deltona, FL
WWII vet and Hollywood actor Charles Darnay was stabbed eight times by enemy bayonets in combat. He incredibly killed them all. This weekend, Darnay received an award for his bravery sixty years ago. With every right to display the demeanor of a proud conquering hero, Darnay humbly and tearfully paid homage to his fallen brothers. Are such iron willed duty driven Americans becoming extinct? No, they are not. They are firmly entrenched in every branch of our U.S. Military.
The recurring theme in each program I watched was ordinary frighten men acting heroically; thrust into horrendous situations which tested their character and backbone. Enormous numbers died while survivors endured unimaginable pain and suffering. I couldn't help wondering. Could I have done it? Could I have measured up? By days end, I was emotionally spent, full of gratitude and feelings of inadequacy. These men truly were Great Americans to whom we owe a huge debt impossible to pay.
Thanks to their courage and sacrifices, knuckle heads can burn our flag, little girls can practice and become ballerinas and I can spend a Sunday afternoon vegging on my sofa. To all of our veterans and peerless military, I salute you and with utmost respect and gratitude thank you from the bottom of my heart. May God bless you and may God bless America!
Lloyd Marcus Deltona, FL
Are you sure you mean Charles Darnay? Wasn’t he a character in a Tale of Two Cities? Did you mean Charles Durning? Just wondering.
Indeed. But who is Charles Darnay (other than the hero in A Tale of Two Cities)?
Was one of a few survivors to the infamous massacre of American POWs by German SS troops at Malmedy, Belgium, during World War II. The surrendering engineering battalion, captured behind enemy lines when the main American forces retreated, were gathered together and brought to a large field. As the German guards backed away from the prisoners, machine guns that were hidden in trucks opened fire on them. Approximately 88 US soldiers died, a good number of them by a single shot at close range through the head, indicating that those who survived the initial volley were subsequently executed. Only about 20 of the group of approximately 100 managed to escape the massacre and make their way to American lines. The incident was re-created in Battle of the Bulge (1965) starring Henry Fonda.
During his days as a professional boxer he once fought on the same card as Jack Warden in Madison Square Garden.
Studied the Martial Arts earlier in his career
Won Broadway's 1990 Tony Award as Best Actor (Featured Role - Play) for portraying Big Daddy in a revival of Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."
i don’t think he was at malmedy. he did land with the rangers on d-day
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