WW2 war hero Donald Malarkey who inspired TV series ‘Band of Brothers’ dies aged 96

Donald Malarkey was a member of Easy Company, which was portrayed in the HBO series.

His son-in-law John Hill announced Mr Malarkey died on Saturday in Salem, Oregon from age-related causes.

Mr Malarkey fought across France, the Netherlands and Belgium.

He fought off Nazi advances while surrounded at Bastogne during the battle of the Bulge in December 1944.

The war veteran was awarded the bronze star for his role parachuting behind enemy lines to destroy German Artillery on D-Day.

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He was also given the Legion d’Honneuer in 2009, which is the highest honour awarded by the French Government.

Mr Malarkey told Oregon Public Broadcasting in 2012: “You could look back and with great pride realise that you had done a very significant thing and acted responsibly in what amounted to saving the world.”

The former paratrooper met historian Stephen Ambrose in 1987 and two years later he and other members of Easy Company travelled to Europe to provide oral histories of their war experiences.

These became the basis for a book called Band of Brothers by Mr Ambrose which was later turned into a TV series where Mr Malarkey was portrayed by actor Scott Grimes.

The executive producers for the HBO series were Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.

Mr Malarkey’s family members said he was haunted by memories of combat and losing fellow soldiers and friends.

Mr Hill said the release of Band of Brothers helped him come to terms with the emotional scars of battle.

The war hero also detailed his experiences in a 2008 autobiography written with Bob Welch called “Easy Company Soldier”.

Mr Malarkey was a freshman at the University of Oregon when he was drafted into the US army in 1942, he volunteered to be a paratrooper.

After the war, he returned to university and received a bachelor’s degree in business in 1948.

At university he met Irene Moore, they married in 1948 and had four children: Michael Malarkey, Marianne McNally, Sharon Hill and Martha Serean.

Mr Malarkey had attended the final reunion with Easy Company with other survivors in Portland, Oregon, in August.


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