Over the past 15+ years, PBS has broad casted the National Memorial Day Concert. And while every year has gotten better, it has also become even more gut and heart rending.
The actor Charles Durning has given several talks about his WWII experiences. I, in the back of my mind, always wondered what he may have been the recipient of.
After last nights show, I looked:
"Charles Durning is one of America's premier character actors. After his heroic participation in World War II, where he earned three Purple Hearts and the Silver Star for valor, Durning spent four decades making his mark in theater, film and television."
http://www.pbs.org/memorialdayconcert/
We may not know, or realize, that many people we look up to as actors or sport stars are truly heroes.
The French man from Hogan's Hero's, whose name escapes me, was in the
Free French Resistance. And was rescued at the end of the war from one of the camps.
Edit and possible correction:
While I recall Robert Clary( Corporal Louis LeBeau) saying during interviews on the History Channel that he was in The Resistance IMDB has this
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0165145/bio
http://www.robertclary.com/bio.html