Alex Penkala

Alex Penkala
File:Pfc alex m penkala jr 506e.jpg
Nickname(s)	"Penk"
Born	August 30, 1924 South Bend, Indiana
Died	January 10, 1945(1945-01-10) (aged 21) † Foy, Belgium
Place of burial	Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1942-1945
Rank	Private First Class
Unit	Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of Normandy Operation Market Garden Battle of the Bulge
Relations	-Irene (sister)

Private First Class Alex M. Penkala, Jr. (1924 - January 10, 1945) was a paratrooper with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. Penkala was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Tim Matthews. Penkala's life story was featured in the 2010 book A Company of Heroes: Personal Memories about the Real Band of Brothers and the Legacy They Left Us.

Youth

Penkala was born in South Bend, Indiana in 1924. His parents emigrated to the US from Poland in 1907. He had 12 brothers and sisters. His mother died when she had her thirteenth child, and Alex's sister, Irene, looked after Alex and the others. He dropped out of high school during his sophomore year. Enlisting in the army on February 27, 1942 at Toledo, Ohio, he became a cook. He volunteered for the paratroops of the United States Army, after his friends in the cook school told him about the unit.

• Penkala Grave.jpg

  The grave of Penkala in Hamm, Luxembourg

• Alex M Penkala Headstone.JPG

  Alex M. Penkala's grave at Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial

Military service

In August 1942 after training in Camp Toccoa, Georgia, Penkala made his first combat jump on June 6, 1944 (D-Day) as part of Operation Overlord. In September 1944, he jumped into the occupied Netherlands as part of Operation Market Garden, which eventually failed. After being pulled off the line, Easy Company returned to France, where they were transported to Bastogne, Belgium to fight in the Battle of the Bulge. Alex Penkala was killed in action, just outside the Belgian town of Foy, by fire from German artillery. His friend Sergeant Warren "Skip" Muck was in the same foxhole at the time and was also killed. Penkala is buried at the American cemetery in Hamm, Luxembourg.

	Purple Heart
	Presidential Unit Citation with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster
	Good Conduct Medal
	American Campaign Medal
	European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 service stars and arrow device
	World War II Victory Medal
	French Liberation Medal
	Belgian World War II Service Medal
	Combat Infantryman Badge
	Parachutist Badge with 2 jump stars