Easy Company's Don Malarkey: 65 Years After D-Day and Changing History

Had the book and miniseries "Band of Brothers" never been written or placed on film, the world would be at an incalculable loss not knowing who the members of Easy Company were during WWII. Don Malarkey is one of the most extraordinary and long-lived of that group who fought in battles not many human beings ever had to experience. Even though the astounding "Band of Brothers" book and miniseries gave us mere glimpses of Malarkey, he had a lot to his backstory that didn't have a chance to be cultivated due to the wide array of soldiers in Easy Company. In fact, numerous members of Easy Company still living when the book and miniseries came out felt that they had a lot more to tell than what was told. Because "Band of Brothers" was meant to tell the story of those brave soldiers as a group and the battles they fought, Easy Company veterans Major Dick Winters and William Guarnere (just to name two) decided to write books of their own telling their own angle of their war experiences.

Malarkey was the most recent of them to write his own autobiography with his "Easy Company Soldier: The Legendary Combat of a Sergeant from WWII's Band of Brothers" published last year. And his story may arguably be the best, regardless if you live in Oregon like I do where Malarkey was born and still lives. Malarkey's story is the most remarkable and fascinating based more on his psychological makeup in understanding war from the get-go, the meaning of sacrifice, and later developing a sense of survival in the thick of WWII that likely rivals any war survival story in human history.

Anybody seeing the beginnings of Malarkey's journey might not equate such a person with becoming one of the greatest soldiers of all time. When you see that Malarkey was born in Astoria, Oregon, one could easily think of a naïve soldier being thrown into the throes of battle that instantly brings on a breakdown of his mental and physical faculties. Instead, Malarkey's appreciation of nature in Oregon already set up a mental reserve he'd be able to tap into later when experiencing the worst hell on planet earth in the winter of Bastogne Forest. But that was only just a start in preparing himself for future battle.

The most powerful force Malarkey developed was his sense of awe toward his two uncles who both died during and after WWI. His first uncle died right on the front lines, while his second uncle lived a decade with a deteriorated health condition due to being exposed to mustard gas in the war. Seeing these sacrifices stayed with him right on through his college years when WWII was just breaking out in Europe. Whether he thought America would eventually get into it eventually or not, Malarkey was adamant about wanting to duplicate a fight for his country like his uncles did.

He almost didn't make it in due to a minor health problem and not having sufficient enough education.
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Malarkey's autobiography tells us that becoming a paratrooper in the Army was somewhat of a roundabout decision based on the Marines rejecting him because his teeth weren't in good enough shape. That might seem petty on the part of the Marines, yet they only took the healthiest individuals, no matter if you were dealing with a few dental problems. It didn't matter if Malarkey ended up in the Marines, though, because he already had the heart of a Marine and, within five years, would have as much battle mileage than any other Marine ever had. Since the Army has you out there on the ground with a rifle (most of the time), it's about as tough as it gets anyway, despite not always getting the prestige as the Marines do.

Well, once Malarkey was drafted into the war in 1942, his frustrations of getting into the military were finally satiated when he found an interest in the Army paratroopers division. Perhaps as the ultimate recruiting method of the time, the U.S. Army apparently cajoled various magazines to note that their paratroop division was really the place to be if you wanted a challenge. Consider it an early version of "The Few, The Proud" slogan that still inspires during times of war. That kind of push was just what Malarkey was looking for in wanting to uphold the legacy of his uncles. As with most military recruitments, however, little was known just how tough it would become.

Eventually becoming one of the best in his field, Malarkey found himself in the 101^st Airborne Division and part of the elite crew called Easy Company who would paratroop into Normandy Beach and attempt to liberate all of Europe. Knowing this kind of responsibility would be riding on his shoulders didn't deter Malarkey in the least. Already a good athlete while in college, he was well-equipped for the most grueling tasks.

And the beginnings of that awe-inspiring liberation happened almost 65 years ago to the time of this article. June 6 this year will mark not only the 65^th anniversary of D-Day but also Malarkey's landing on Normandy Beach that brought on six to seven months of unparalleled physical and mental battles throughout Western Europe.

If you haven't picked up Malarkey's above-mentioned autobiography already, it's highly suggestible you do along with a companion copy of Band of Brothers. The true centerpiece of Malarkey's book is the way it begins: A moment of introspection as he sat trapped in the freezing forest of Bastogne, Belgium during the harsh winter of 1944-45 with his fellow Easy Company soldiers. Many of them were already battle-weary and contemplating dangerous things that no human should have to consider as German forces surrounded them. For Malarkey, it was the thought of taking a pistol he held in his hand and shooting a bullet into his leg so an injury would take him out of this war as soon as backup troops could get in.

How he managed to not is one of the truly gripping tales of mental endurance over sheer torture. It's almost incomprehensible to think that Malarkey went on to fight for thirty more days through France and Germany until being relieved of his duties due to only a minor injury. His battles alone months earlier on Normandy Beach were enough to turn any other soldier into a quivering mental case.

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Today at age 88, Malarkey lives in Salem, Oregon where he gives lectures on his experiences part of the year--and probably deals with hundreds of phone messages. Even my own dad called to leave a message not long ago to give thanks for Malarkey's incredible courage. As we know, all those calls and demand for lectures are due to a worldwide recognition of the man who was played only briefly by Scott Grimes in the miniseries "Band of Brothers."

As I noted, that miniseries didn't always enable you to get to know what made those soldiers tick. Malarkey's story is arguably the greatest example of how one mentally prepares to be a soldier beforehand and during times of the most horrific wars. With Malarkey's book out in an affordable paperback May 12 this year, it's worth your time to see what made the rare and resolute soldier in America...

Order your paperback copy of the book here:

http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Company-Soldier-Legendary-Sergeant/dp/031256323X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239100486&sr=1-1