Read on Twitter
Remembering Sgt Warren "Skip" Muck and Private Alex M. Penkala of Easy Company, 506th PIR, who were killed in action together on the night of 9 -10 Jan, 1945
1/
1/
On Jan 9, 1945, Easy Company were part of the mission of clearing the woods west of the town of Foy. They reached their objective & dug-in for the night. The Germans started shelling their positions with artillery.
2/
2/
Babe Heffron had been chatting from his foxhole to Skip Muck and Alex Penkala who were about 10ft away. They jumped into their foxhole as the shelling began.
3/
3/
George Luz, who was out in the open, started to run, trying to reach his foxhole, and Skip and Alex called for him to jump into theirs "Luz! Jump in! Jump in!"
4/
4/
When Doc Roe later broke the news to Don Malarkey, Skip's best friend, he would describe what happened, "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"
Luz had ran past & jumped into his foxhole
5/
Luz had ran past & jumped into his foxhole
5/
The artillery finally stopped & Shifty Powers heard a voice call out "Skip! Alex!", but there was no answer. He reckoned it was Luz's voice as he often shared a foxhole with the two men. Shifty left his foxhole and made his way through the trees toward the voice still calling
6/
6/
What he found was Luz on his knees in the snow, helmet off, using it to scoop away dirt off the hit foxhole. Luz just kept saying "They're gone".
The shell had scored a direct hit on the foxhole & had killed both men.
7/
The shell had scored a direct hit on the foxhole & had killed both men.
7/
Carwood Lipton & Bob Mann had a lucky escape when a dud shell landed just outside their foxhole during the barrage. This was depicted in the miniseries but with Luz's character with Lipton.
8/
8/
Skip and Penkala had lost their lives on the night of 9-10 Jan. Skip was just 22 years old, Penkala just 20. The men of Easy would always remember them as cheerful, friendly, happy go lucky young men. Skip had been considered one of the heart and souls of Easy.
9/
9/
The loss hit the remaining men hard. Many veterans recalled seeing many of the men breaking down in tears, something Don Malarkey said he hadn't seen in battle before.
10/
10/
Skip was portrayed by @dicksp8jr
& Penkala by @timmatmusic in #BandofBrothers in wonderful performances ofthe two friends.
Rest in peace Skip and Penk
11/
& Penkala by @timmatmusic in #BandofBrothers in wonderful performances ofthe two friends.
Rest in peace Skip and Penk
11/
