R.I.P Sgt. Don Malarkey

Ron 71 · Oct 3, 2017

Sgt. Don Malarkey of the 506th P.I.R 101st Airborne div. during WW11 died Saturday at the age of 96.
Anyone familiar with the Band of Brothers story will know who he is,
For those unfamiliar Sgt. Malarkey as a member of easy co. jumped into france on D-day where he earned a bronze star for his part in destroying a 4 gun battery firing shells onto Utah beach.
He fought through france, jumped in and helped liberate Holland in operation Market Garden, Fought completely surrounded in Belgium in the battle of the bulge, and eventually took Hitlers Eagles nest in Berchtesgaden.
If you want to know the definition of a hero, These men were it!
Rest in peace Sgt.Malarkey, your sacrifices will never be forgotten.

Gauntlet · Oct 3, 2017

My dad was a WWII Vet, they were in fact the greatest generation.

R.I.P.

Wom 27 · Oct 3, 2017

Great and humble man.

hawgdawg · Oct 3, 2017

Truly, our greatest generation. RIP Sgt. Malarky.

Digger-Dave · Oct 3, 2017

hawgdawg said:
Truly, our greatest generation. RIP Sgt. Malarky.

These were the real tough guys. While being an adult and living in the great depression, these guys stopped German from becoming our first language.

To top it off they never said a thing about not having a WWII memorial in their honor.

Rudy · Oct 3, 2017

When I was taking my advanced infantry training back in 1962, our field first sergeant had a very distinctive unit patch. The only one I have ever seen. Now, before getting on with the patch, let me tell you a little story:

Here I was, in the fittest shape of my entire life. I had just finished basic training two weeks ago and, after a 1 week furlough, I found myself in Ft Bragg for an intensive course and more grueling physical building. On our first morning we were awakened at 0430 and doubled time 2 miles to the PT field. One hour of PT and then double timed the 2 miles back to the company street for some chow. During all this time, an older man (our field first) kept shouting cadence and doing the calisthenics with us. I was dragging my butt when we got back while this old guy hadn't even broken a sweat! That's when I noticed his unit patch. :shock:

It was a patch for Unit Galahad, officially named the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), aka Merrill's Marauders. You can read about them here and here.

The unit was consolidated with the 475th Infantry on August 10, 1944. On June 21, 1954, the 475th was redesignated the 75th Infantry. It is from the redesignation of Merrill's Marauders into the 75th Infantry Regiment that the modern-day 75th Ranger Regiment traces its current unit designation.

hawgdawg · Oct 3, 2017

Thanks for posting this link Rudy. I met a WW11 vet about 10 years ago and he told of a few exploits , and remembering back, I can remember him mentioning Burma , so I'm going to search thru the memorial pages and see if he is listed in there. I wish more people would show their appreciation for these guys, for what they did for our country.

Grumpa · Oct 4, 2017

My dad is a WWII vet. Still alive and turning 92 next month. He was in the 106th Infantry Div. (they nicknamed themselves the hungry and sick Infantry Div.). Received the Bronze Star for action in the Battle Of The Bulge where he was captured and spent 5 months in a POW camp.

hawgdawg · Oct 4, 2017

Grumpa said:
My dad is a WWII vet. Still alive and turning 92 next month. He was in the 106th Infantry Div. (they nicknamed themselves the hungry and sick Infantry Div.). Received the Bronze Star for action in the Battle Of The Bulge where he was captured and spent 5 months in a POW camp.[/QUOT.

Send your Dad my utmost respect and appreciation for his sacrifices for me.

ZR2guy · Oct 4, 2017

A big SALUTE to those who served, those who serve now and especially to those no longer with us. My Grandfather, Homer Conn, PT 336 US NAVY. He would tell me stories of what he had seen and experienced during WWII. Always a hero in my eyes. :yes:

It is because of him that I picked up this great hobby. He and my Grandma bought me a radio shack DIY kit when I was a youngster. He was always into gadgets and that tradition continues today proudly with me. I really miss them both

. If he could see the Metal Detectors of today, he would have a stable of them.

Rudy · Oct 4, 2017

hawgdawg said:
Thanks for posting this link Rudy. I met a WW11 vet about 10 years ago and he told of a few exploits , and remembering back, I can remember him mentioning Burma , so I'm going to search thru the memorial pages and see if he is listed in there. I wish more people would show their appreciation for these guys, for what they did for our country.

These guys didn't get the "prestige" or visibility accorded to the GIs that fought in Europe or the Pacific.
Most of their work was in deep cover behind Japanese lines under terrible conditions and heavily
outnumbered. Of the 3000 volunteers that crossed into Burma, only about 100 were left at the end of
the conflict. When their mission was completed, all surviving Merrill’s Marauders had to be evacuated to
hospitals to be treated for everything from exhaustion and various tropical diseases to malnutrition or
A.O.E. (“Accumulation of Everything”). They were awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation in July 1944,
which was re-designated the Presidential Unit Citation in 1966. Every member of the commando force also
received the Bronze Star, a very rare distinction for an entire unit.

Amazingly, a few of those survivors have lived to be 100+ years old. :shock:

The Army has a nice story on these guys here https://www.army.mil/article/173880/expendable_wwii_merrills_marauders_survive_into_their_100s

hawgdawg · Oct 4, 2017

Rudy said:
These guys didn't get the "prestige" or visibility accorded to the GIs that fought in Europe or the Pacific.
Most of their work was in deep cover behind Japanese lines under terrible conditions and heavily
outnumbered. Of the 3000 volunteers that crossed into Burma, only about 100 were left at the end of
the conflict. When their mission was completed, all surviving Merrill’s Marauders had to be evacuated to
hospitals to be treated for everything from exhaustion and various tropical diseases to malnutrition or
A.O.E. (“Accumulation of Everything”). They were awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation in July 1944,
which was re-designated the Presidential Unit Citation in 1966. Every member of the commando force also
received the Bronze Star, a very rare distinction for an entire unit.

Amazingly, a few of those survivors have lived to be 100+ years old.
The Army has a nice story on these guys here https://www.army.mil/article/173880/expendable_wwii_merrills_marauders_survive_into_their_100s

This was an amazing unit. The old fella I met was a battlefield commissioned officer, and said when he was medi vacd out , he spent 6 months in the hospital for injuries, and malnutrition was his main reason for staying so long in the hospital.
I could probably sit for hours and listen to the stories these men could tell.

Rudy · Oct 4, 2017

hawgdawg said:
This was an amazing unit. The old fella I met was a battlefield commissioned officer, and said when he was medi vacd out , he spent 6 months in the hospital for injuries, and malnutrition was his main reason for staying so long in the hospital.
I could probably sit for hours and listen to the stories these men could tell.

Indeed, I sorta made "friends" with our field first sergeant and the stories he would tell me over a pitcher of 3.2 beer at the on-base pub where almost unbelievable.

Mike1961 · Oct 5, 2017

Gauntlet said:
My dad was a WWII Vet, they were in fact the greatest generation.

R.I.P.

Absolutely!

Dezertyote · Oct 10, 2017

R.I.P Sgt. Don Malarkey

My Dad was a Marine in the South Pacific islands during WWII.
He never would talk about the war in front of me.
He would be 98. :cool:

R.I.P Sgt. Don Malarkey

Ron 71

Gauntlet

Wom 27

Elite Member

hawgdawg

Digger-Dave

Rudy

hawgdawg

Grumpa

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hawgdawg

ZR2guy

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Rudy

hawgdawg

Rudy

Mike1961

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Dezertyote

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