A highly decorated Army veteran who led bayonet attacks on enemy lines in two wars and received the military's second-highest medal for heroism, Mr. Durkee, who had been a promising boxer and baseball player in his youth, was an Army paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division in World War II.
     He was a member of the doomed 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion, which lost more than 80 percent of its 643 troops in Belgium's Ardennes Forest during the Battle of the Bulge in January 1945. The casualties were so severe the unit came to be known as the "Lost Battalion."
     In early January 1945, 2nd Lt. Durkee led his platoon in an assault on German machine-gun emplacements in an effort to seize the Belgian town of Rochelinval, the site of a bridge that was the only means of escape for nearby German forces. As he approached the position, Mr. Durkee turned to another soldier, saying, "Send up the damn men so we can attack the town." "Sir, I can't," the soldier answered. "They're all dead." The lieutenant went back to find more than 15 men killed by machine-gun crossfire.
     After keeping his squad awake all night, lest they fall asleep and freeze to death, Mr. Durkee ordered a daring Jan. 4 maneuver. Running through ankle-deep snow, he led 30 soldiers in a bayonet charge on German lines. He was the first to reach the enemy foxholes, and in less than 30 minutes of hand-to-hand fighting, 60 German soldiers lay dead. Allied forces captured Rochelinval on Jan. 7, and German forces retreated the next day.
     On March 23, 1951, 1st Lt. Durkee led a squad of soldiers in an attack near Uijongbu, Korea. His official citation captures the moment in all its drama, bravery and horror: For this action, Mr. Durkee was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, second only to the Medal of Honor for wartime heroism. His wounded right arm remained partially paralyzed for the rest of his life.
     By the time he left the Army in 1955 with the rank of captain, he had also received the Silver Star, two awards of the Bronze Star and four Purple Hearts.
     Mr. Durkee, born in Hornell, N.Y., was a Golden Gloves middleweight boxing champion in 1938 and 1939, and later played semiprofessional baseball. After his military service, he graduated from the University of Maryland and became an insurance-claims adjuster.

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(courtesy of David McInturff)

Grave marker for Richard W. Durkee in Plot: Section 69, Site 1212 of the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington (Arlington county), Virginia.

Richard's military career began in September 1940 when he enlisted as a Private in Elmira, NY a few days after his 22nd birthday.

Thirteen months later he was transferred as a SSgt to the 508th PIR from the 507th PIR as part of the cadre team.  He was a 1st Sgt in Company C when the regiment was in Camp Mackall, NC during most of 1943.  Sometime later he was commissioned and transferred to the 551st PIR.]

On 1 December 1944 2/Lt Durkee was transferred to the 508th PIR from the 551st PIR   He was promoted to 1dst Lt on 1 February 1945 and was later transferred to the 65th Infantry Division.

His military decorations include the Silver Star, Bronze Star with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters.