He Ain’t Heavy. He’s My Brother

(Regarding the reunions)

Like Babe said, we mostly have fun, drink, dance, laugh. But when we see each other it’s emotional, too, just nobody talks about it. The first year I convinced Malarkey to come—now Malarkey’s sentimental anyway, cries like a baby when he sees us—he got so overwhelmed, he started drinking and went for a walk, and come nighttime, he went missing. We all got in cabs and went looking for him, even the police went looking. The next morning, someone found him sleeping at the back entrance of a store. He was drunk, got lost, and fell asleep. We gave him holy hell. He’s come every year since.

~ Bill Guarnere

Where's Scott Grimes' 'O Donny Boy' song he recorded for his Malarkey's audition?!

happy webgott wednesday (but it’s real)

Ambrose envisioned a book about their exploits as a filler, Winters later recalled, something to write and get out on the market while he worked on his lengthier D-Day project. Winters, Gordon, Guth and Lipton split the company roster into equal portions and began contacting their comrades, asking for their memories. Almost all seemed to be enthused, although some needed prodding. “Malarkey would write and come in with good stuff, but he was always a step late,” Winters remembered. “Like, we were on Holland, and he’d come in with Normandy. I’d say, ‘Shit, Don, get on the ball and get me Holland. We’re gonna hit Bastogne next.’ ”

~ Larry Alexander

(c) dvoyd

may not have always agreed with him but malarkey's commitment to being a bitch is inspirational

I heard the crunch of feet in the snow and turned to see Roe coming my way. I could tell by the look on his face that this wasn’t a social visit. “Malark, I’m sorry, but it’s Skip,” he said. “He’s dead. Penkala, too.” I simply sat on the edge of a slit trench like a man who’d been out in the cold too long. Numb. My brain told my mouth to speak but it was like the words were frozen in place. “How’d … it… happen?” I asked, my voice but a whisper. “‘Bout a hundred yards down the line. A major shelling. Muck and Penkala were caught out in the open, then finally found a hole. George Luz had been scurrying around during the blitz, too. Muck and Penkala yelled for him to get in their foxhole.” Roe paused. I kind of nodded, rocked forward and backward a bit. Put my hands over my face, fingers as numb from the cold as my brain from the news. “Luz is down on the snow, snaking his way toward them, and—boom—direct hit on the foxhole. Shell found them as if it had eyes.” I looked away, toward nothing.

~ Don Malarkey

it would've been really interesting to get some more scenes with father john maloney on band of brothers — the perspective of the chaplains anointing the wounded and dead whilst running headfirst into danger, the need to help in any way they can, many of them performing medic duties during the war. recurring to mass while everything else seems hopeless; it's interesting (and heartbreaking) that in the scene where father maloney is tending to the wounded soldiers amidst all the explosions, with muck and malarkey watching the whole thing, you can actually see skip's rosary peeking out of his pocket. “we die now, we gonna die in a state of grace” :(

Don Malarkey's daughter is active on Reddit and was kind enough to do an AMA on him. A lot of great information and love in this thread if you are looking for a read.

[...]that movie was an emotional roller coaster for me. I was called in as a consultant on some scenes, and it was tough. It brought everything back, especially later on when we all got to go to France for the premiere. Skip’s family was there. What’s so interesting is that the actor who I became closest with was Richard Speight Jr., the guy who played Skip in the miniseries. The first time he called me, he was politely asking me questions about Skip so he could better portray him, and damned if I didn’t hang up on him. Not because he’d done or said anything wrong. Because I just couldn’t take it. But as the filming began and we got to know each other, Richard became a great support to me, this kid half a century younger than me. Never made me feel like some sentimental old fool. Told me he understood my emotions. Said it was OK, that I was emotional because Skip and I had meant so much to each other and that was a good thing, not a bad thing. That meant the world to me. You have to understand that it took me nearly forty years before I could look at our 1942 company picture and not break into tears, particularly if it was December or January.

~ Don Malarkey

un-ironically titled ‘warm up sketch’

He was closer than a brother to me.

~ Don Malarkey about Skip Muck

quotes from easy company soldier by don malarkey

Ok if Nix HATED Buck just because he competed with him for time with Dick then there HAD to have been others who Dick was much closer to and who he spent more time with that he would have hated even more then right?!? Like Speirs?!? Harry?!? Even though Nix was also friends with Harry, Dick was closer to him and the two of them were always wrestling each other shirtless!!! And Talbert?!? HELLO?!? Nix had to have DESPISED him right?!?