At 96 years of age, the World War II paratrooper recognized by his awarding of the Bronze star when he parachuted just behind the enemy’s lines to demolish Germany artillery at Normandy on the D-day, Donald Malarkey has died.
The latter was among the several members that were referred to “Easy Company”, portrayed widely in the HBO miniseries, “Band of Brothers”.
His son-in-law, John Hill said on Sunday that Malarkey Donald died on the 30th of last month, September and that the cause of his death is Oregon of old age related issues.
Donald fought in different fights. He represented the team in the fight across France, the Belgium and the Netherlands and while with Easy Company, he fought off Nazi advances during the battle of the Bulge while surrounded at Bastogne in 1944, December.
In 2009, he was presented with the highest honor award by the French government, The Legion of Honor Medal, and was often praised by the state for his actions the times of war.
Hill, speaking of his father in law, also said that Malarkey had always been haunted by memories and thoughts of combat and the traumatization of losing family members, friends and fellow soldiers. The release of the “Band of Brothers” miniseries was really beneficial and cathartic for him because it aided him to come into good terms with the emotional scars developed and experienced at the battles during wars.
He was born on July 30th, 1921 in Oregon. Before becoming a paratrooper volunteer when drafted to the state army in 1942, he was a freshman at the University of Oregon.
After the war, he went back to the University of Oregon in 1948, to accomplish a degree in Business. It is during his student life at the University of Oregon that he met Irene Moore and fell in love with her. He later took her to the altar in 1948 and the marriage bore fruits to four children, named, Michael Malarkey, Marianne McNally, Sharon Hill and lastly Martha Serean.
He met with the historian, Stephen Ambrose in 1987 and in 1989, he travelled with the other members of the Easy Company for research and the providence of oral histories of the war happenings and histories in Europe. It is those relocations that are the basis development of “Bands of Brothers” and an earlier book authored by the same name written by Ambrose.
Malarkey told Oregon in a Public Broadcast back in 2012 that he could look back and with great pride come to the realization that he had done a very significant thing and acted very responsibly in what amounted to saving the world.
May his soul rest in peace.
