Muck, Warren H “Skip”, born 31-01-1922 in Tonawanda, New York, to German parents, father Elmer Julius Muck and mother Loretta M Muck and Warren was fluent in the language. Brother of Elmer J Muck, Jr. and he had one sister Ruth. When he was a child, he swam the Niagara River.
He loved his younger sister Ruth. As children, when she was in need of money, he never failed to lend it to her and he would also go out and buy her roller skates and toys simply out of generosity. When they got older, Skip and his sister had many common friends and often went on double dates together. When they would go to a dance Skip always bought his sister a new dress to wear to the dance and she would always iron his clothes just right since he always wanted them to be perfect.
One day, Skip’s older brother Elmer returned home all bruised up. When Skip asked him what happened, Elmer told him a bully had beat him up. Without hesitation, Skip went out, found the bully and took care of him on his brother’s behalf. Never again did that bully go near Elmer Muck.
Warren became was a non-commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, “Band of Brothers.” in the 101st Airborne Division
during World War II. Muck was born and raised in Tonawanda, New York. He
attended St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School,
and graduated from Tonawanda High School in 1942. After working briefly for the Remington Rand Corp, he enlisted on 17-08-1942 in Buffalo, New York.
Not only was he good-hearted but he was also smart. When Skip’s high school best friend Fritz Niland (“Privat Ryan”) joined the army, Skip said, “I’m going!”and enlisted in the Airborne.
After training in Camp Toccoa, Georgia,
Muck with his friend Alex Mike Penkala,
and his Band of brothers’s friends, Darrell “Shifty” Powers,
Fritz Niland,”Privat Ryan”
Cliford Carwood Lipton
and Forrest Guth,
Major Richard “Dick” Winters,
made their first combat jump on June 6, 1944 (D-Day) as part of the Battle of Normandy, France. Shifty many years later visited Muck’s grave in Germany.
In September 1944, he jumped into occupied Netherlands (see About) (see nun Peters)
as part of Operation Market Garden ( see Maxwell Taylor),
which eventually failed. Easy Company was assigned to support the British forces around Eindhoven, by defending the roads so that the British armoured divisions could advance into Arnhem and force a crossing over the major bridge across the Rhine River in September 1944. During Operation Market Garden Urqhart’s 1st British Airborne Division
of 10.005 men had the next casualties, killed 1.200, misses wounded or prisoner 6.642. On German side with the 9th
and 10th Panzer
Divisions, there were 1.100 killed and 2.200 wounded in battle. 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
(see Anthony McAuliffe)
.Before leaving for Bastogne, Edward Heffron
and Skip Muck attended a mass together. At the end of the mass, “Babe” Heffron said to skip, “At least if we die, we’re going to die in a state of grace.’ Skip replied, ‘You’re right, Heffron.” For the rest of his life, whenever Babe would attend a mass, he’d think of his lost brother, Skip Muck. The 101st was in France in December when the Germans launched their offensive in the Ardennes. They were told to hold the vital cross-roads at Bastogne and were soon encircled by the Germans. Easy Company fought in cold weather under German artillery fire without winter clothing and with limited rations and ammunition. The Allies defeated the German offensive. Afterward, Easy Company and the rest of the 506th PIR moved into Germany. The 101 airborne division was awarded a unit citation for holding the line at Bastogne
Muck and his friend Alex Penkala were killed in the battle of the Bulge
from a direct hit in their foxhole from German artillery just outside the Belgian town of Foy, on 10-01-1945. When the smoked cleared, the only thing left of Skip Muck was a piece of his uniform. radioman George Luz,
who had been crawling over to the foxhole but luckily didn’t make it, hollered “I can’t see nothin’ of ’em, there’s nothing there!” Muck, age 22, is buried on the Cemetery of Hamm, Luxembourg next to Penkala his comrade, 21 years old. Also buried there is General Georg Smith Patton
The casualties of the 101 Airborne Division during their campaign in Europe; In Normandy, killed/died of wounds 868, wounded in action 2.303, missing/captured 665. In Holland, Operation Market Garden, killed 752, wounded 2.151 and missing 398. In the battle of the Bulge in Belgium, killed 482, wounded 2.449 and missing 527, in total killed 2.043, wounded 2.782 and missed 1590.




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