By Jay Jones, August 4, 2008

Today at the University of Oregon’s Media Day, I had the chance meet, and interview, any Duck on the football team.

But it’s the Duck I met yesterday that was still on my mind.

You could have called it a media day, of sorts. There was a book signing at Borders in Eugene earlier in the day. Afterwards, it was more of a backyard-family-barbecue that followed, than a fully catered media event.

Sure, there were lots of Ducks in attendance. But only one of them was answering questions and signing autographs. And he was the one I wanted to meet.

Sgt. Don Malarkey. Oregon ‘49.

As a member of E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, Sgt. Malarkey spent more days in combat during World War II than anyone else in the most recognized fighting unit in American history.

That’s E Company, as in Easy Company. And that’s Easy Company, as in Band of Brothers.

If you haven’t read Stephen Ambrose’s book or watched the Steven Spielberg-Tom Hanks produced mini-series, I would strongly encourage you to do one or the other, preferably both. In my experience, watching the mini-series sets a good frame of reference to be filled in by the details of the book.

But if you have read the book or seen the mini-series and you’re a Duck fan, you might remember one particular incident involving a captured German soldier from Eugene. And you might also remember what happened to him and his men.

One of the American soldiers involved in that episode was Sgt. Malarkey. And things didn’t quite happen the way they were portrayed in the mini-series.

Now you can read Mr. Malarkey’s account of his experiences in World War II in his memoir, “Easy Company Soldier”, with The Register-Guard’s Bob Welch.

I’ve met my share of celebrities. I’ve shaken the hands of famous politicians. I can even call some current, and former, professional athletes friends, and family.

But I’ve never met anyone in my life whose accomplishments can bring a tear to my eye.

Until I met Mr. Malarkey.

This member of The Greatest Generation did nothing short of help save the 20th Century.

Sgt. Don Malarkey sitting on a Unversity of Oregon quilt, signing books.

Sgt. Malarkey reminded me a bit of my grandfathers, World War II veterans and members of The Greatest Generation.

But neither of them were in Easy Company.

And neither of them were Ducks.

So, while I’m sure I’ll have plenty more opportunities to ask Oregon athletes questions, I don’t think I’ll remember any of those answers to pass along to my grandchildren.

Instead, I think I’ll tell them the answers I heard to questions about Eisenhower, Patton, and Captain Ronald Spiers.

Because the memory of Sgt. Malarkey, and men like him, his Band of Brothers, will probably still be on my mind.

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