AFFIDAVIT OF DONALD C. MALARKEY

State of Oregon 
County of Marion

 I, Donald C. Malarkey. (39 316 320) make this affidavit in support of the recommendation that Major Richard D. Winters Distinguished Service Cross be upgraded to the Congressional Medal of Honor.

 BACKGROUND

 As a member of Company "E", 506 parachute Infantry. 101^st Airborne Division. I parachuted into Normandy. France about 1:00am on June 6, 1944 landing a short distance east of St. Marie EgIise. I landed in the same field as Sgt. William J. Guarnere, Philadelphia. PA and Joseph D. Toye, Pittston, PA. We joined others from the 101st during the night working our way to the coast. We captured a three-cart ammunition detail including about 15 Germans. Reaching the coast road we left the group and headed south toward the location of Causeway 2 and 3 that we were assigned to secure. Nearing the Causeways we ran into a fairly large group of 506, 2nd battalion paratroopers. A1so, there was 1st Lt., Richard D. Winters, Lt. Lynn D. Compton, plus 5 or 6 others from our company. Lt. John Kelly of Company "D" was excitedly telling Lt. Colonel Robert Strayer, Battalion Commander that there were "four German 88's" in nearby hedgerows.

 Company "E" was the assault company of the battalion and we were called up front without realizing how many men we had. Richard Winters, who was highest ranking "E" company officer present was ordered to take his men and attack the position. Winters gathered the "E" company men together, about ten of us at that time, and briefly explained our objective:

knock out the four guns firing on Utah Reach. Winters led us from Le Grand Chemin, through no orchard to a point west of the German guns.

 Affidavit  Donald G. Malarkey

The Attack

 The German artillery battery of four 105 mm cannon were dug in and camouflaged. The cannon were dug directly into the hedgerow approximately 50 yards from a large farmhouse known as Brécourt Manor. We did not know at the time that the guns emplacements were connected by a what I would describe as a WWI style trench. We later learned that there were approximately two platoons of German infantry holding the position with the gun cannons.

 Lt. Winters lined us up along a hedgerow and us that the attack would be a quick frontal assault supported by a base of fire. He broke us up into several groups, had two machine guns set up and ordered us to place rapid, withering fire with our small arms into the German position. I was grouped with Lt. Compton and Sgt. Guamere. We were directed by Winters to move across the field to the right and hit the first gun emplacement from the right flank. Lipton and Ranney were sent to the left and instructed to put flanking fire into the Germans. Winters, Joe Toye and Popeye Wynn, and a fellow from battalion named Lorriane would hit the position from the center.

 When initial base of fire lifted, Winters ordered the assault, Lt. Compton. Guarnere and I crossed an open field toward the hedgerow where the first emplacement was located Lt. Compton was in the lead and was first to leap through the hedgerow brush and surprisingly dropped into the trench. A German a short distance from him turned and ran down the trench toward the first gun. As Compton was assaulting the first gun, Winters, Guarnere, Toye and the rest of us ran across the field and also jumped into the trench. I ran up toward to first gun and as I arrived there I lofted a grenade. Before my grenade exploded, I could see Winters in the trench placing heavy fire into the German infantry and artillery manning the first cannon.

 As our little band surged forward Winters was shouting and directing the squad as the surprised Germans began to run from their positions. When I got to the first gun, one German was dead, another had run about 30 yards toward Brécourt Manor before he was cut down. I could see a leather holster on his side. My training left me and I ran out to get what I thought a Luger. As I knelt down by him I could see he was dead and I discovered that the holster was a carrying case for a sight fixture.  As I raised up, Winters yelled at me from his position in the trench something about me being "stupid" and that there were "Germans all over the place." Lt. Winter's intervention brought me back to my training and I realized how exposed I was. As I ran back to the first gun a couple of German machine guns were firing at me without success.

I dove under the gun that was dug down and, although the Germans continued firing, they could not hit me. Bullets were flying all around just above my head, While lying there, Sgt. Guarnere told me to wait and he would time the bursts before having me run out of my semi-exposed position. With the help of Winters and Guarnere I escaped to the relative safety of the trench.

 I heard heavy firing going on at the 2nd and 3rd artillery locations with most of it involving Dick Winters. As I began to move down the trench, Winters yelled at me to help the... [end]