World War II Band of Brothers meets Operation Iraqi Freedom Band of Brothers

Photo By Lt. Col. Carol McClelland | Members of the 4th Sustainment Brigade, who provide escort security for convoy missions, pose in front of a M1151 gun truck with WWII vet Don Malarkey, 87, who was featured in the HBO mini-series "Band of Brothers."  

CAMP ARIFJAN, KUWAIT

09.23.2008

Story by Maj. Carol McClelland 

1st Theater Sustainment Command

By Maj. Carol McClelland
1st Theater Sustainment Command, Public Affairs

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait – Six World War II veterans featured in the TV mini-series "Band of Brothers" visited Camp Arifjan recently where they encountered a team of Operation Iraqi freedom soldiers eager to show off their "office."

Former Easy Company Soldiers visited to meet and greet troops and sign autographs. Spc. Matt Klinkenberg and some of his buddies wanted to meet the men they saw in the 10-part series that chronicles the experiences and stories of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division.

"We're hearing the stories from them in person that were portrayed on the show," said Klinkenberg, a member of the 129th Transportation Company. "It's cool meeting actual war heroes. It's amazing."

During the community center visit, gunner and truck commander Sgt. Daniel Moore and his buddies decided to act on an idea they had.

"At first we thought how cool it would be to get an M1151 gun truck up here with the .50-caliber machine gun on it. But then we remembered the arms room was not open, so we just brought the truck," said Moore, a 23-year-old Chillicothe, Mo. native who's assigned to 6 Transportation Battalion.

Thinking of the 80-plus-year-old war veterans navigating over gravel, the team drove the tactical truck to the fence closest to the building then arranged to have the fence unlocked driving it even closer. Eighty-six-year old South Philadelphia native "Wild Bill" Guarnere, who lost a leg in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium, said he appreciated the gesture and complimented the growing crowd for their military service.

"We wanted them to see what 60 years difference in Army equipment brings and how we do things," Moore said. The crew, who commonly spend seven hours a day for six to eight days inside the vehicle, showed off its up-armored protection platform that's pre-manufactured to handle the warfighter's defensive needs.

"Back home, we'd never get to meet these guys," said 40-year-old Spc. Jeffrey Noble from Bloomfield, Iowa.

Spc. Deigo Dela Vega, a 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry, Ohio National Guardsman from Lima, Ohio, agreed.

"This is a really cool day for me."

• Date Taken: 09.23.2008
• Date Posted: 09.23.2008 06:48
• Story ID: 24019
• Location: CAMP ARIFJAN, KW