Saving My Enemy: How Two WWII Soldiers Fought Against Each Other and Later Forged a Friendship That Saved Their Lives

by Bob Welch

“A quintessential tale. Once read, never to be forgotten.” —Erik Jendersen, lead writer of Band of Brothers on HBO

Saving My Enemy is a “Band of Brothers” sequel like no other.

Don Malarkey grew up scrappy and happy in Astoria, Oregon—jumping off roofs, playing pranks, a free-range American.

Fritz Engelbert’s German boyhood couldn’t have been more different. Regimented and indoctrinated by the Hitler Youth, he was introspective and a loner.

Both men fought in the Battle of the Bulge, the horrific climax of World War II in Europe. A paratrooper in the U.S. Army, Malarkey served a longer continuous stretch on the bloody front lines than any man in Easy Company. Engelbert, though he never killed an enemy soldier, spent decades wracked by guilt over his participation in the Nazi war effort.

On the sixtieth anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Bulge, these two survivors met. Malarkey was a celebrity, having been featured in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers , while Engelbert had passed the years in the obscurity of a remote German village.

But both men were still scarred— haunted—by nightmares of war. And finally, after they met, they were able to save each other’s lives.

Saving My Enemy is the unforgettable true story of two soldiers on opposing sides who became brothers in arms.

Genres: Nonfiction, World War II, History, War, Historical, Military History

380 pages, Hardcover

Published April 27, 2021

Reviews

[John Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I begin with a mea culpa for the profound bias in this review. Sgt. Donald Malarkey was my father-in-law; I knew him for nearly 45 years as his beautiful daughter Sharon is my wife. I have spent thousands of hours with Don; those of the greatest joys and the worst of times bound in sorrow.

All war is horrific. Any combatant will tell you so. Tribes and nations have sent their young to slaughter since time began. We honor the warriors particularly the victors. When the adulation fades the warriors are left mostly alone with battle scars buried deep. War and remembrance and the choices that forever changed their lives.

I am haunted by one of Sgt. Malarkey's choices. Fighting in Foy, Belgium in January 1945. Sgt. Malarkey was leading a squad to eliminate a German sniper in an upper story window. Don prepared to dash across a road to a better position. A private beside him told Don that as a lower rank that he should move forward as Don was the higher ranked and leader. In a flash the private stepped forward and was met with a bullet to his throat dying instantly. In that moment I reel thinking if Malarkey had caught that bullet; no daughter Sharon; no Malarkey grandchildren or great-grandchildren...

Saving My Enemy documents the choices that Don Malarkey and Fritz Englebert made in leading up to war, in combat and their struggles following the war. The youthful Englebert sucked into the cult-like Hitler Youth and dreams of a world under Nazi domination and purged of Jews. Malarkey of boundless hubris; cocky as a bantam rooster with strut and swagger, driven to seek vengeance against the Germans in the name of his two uncles who died in World War I and afterward.

Those who have read Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers, watched the mini-series or read Malarkey's autobiography, Easy Company Soldier already know his story. Author Welch stitches in additional details and deftly avoids retelling things readers might know. I found Englebert's youth, in pre-war rural Germany as the son of an innkeeper, illuminating and remarkably insightful in the psyche of a nation, willing or unwilling, jackbooted to the temple of tyranny.

Both men returned from the war physically capable and yet troubled; imperfect through little fault of their own. Malarkey a lauded victor and Englebert drowning in bottomless shame and regret. Both men driven to take desperately frightening measure of their lives and the futility of living yet another day.

Both men made choices that led to their chance meeting at a dinner gathering in Bastogne in December 2004. Malarkey in his element with an audience and a drink. His lifelong friend, Buck Compton, would lovingly chide Don about being a "professional veteran" and gently remind him that "Easy Company did not win World War II singlehandedly." Englebert entered the room wound tight with apprehension, reticent about agreeing to attend and and buried in an avalanche of war time memories sweeping over him....

The final third of the book is where author Welch goes deep into the societal denial of the existence of PTSD in World War II vets in the decades after the war. Post-war vet's families bore the brunt of the former soldiers angst and horror; spouses and children wrought in a shared pain they could never fully understand yet feeling helpless, frustrated and emotionally battered.

Malarkey consulted with the HBO producers of Band of Brothers. As production was wrapping up, Don was invited to Los Angeles to view the entire 10 hours over the course of two days. The studio execs and a few of the vets were dining at a glittery Hollywood restaurant after the first days viewing. During the dinner, after seeing the horrors of his war on the big screen and his persona for six hours, Malarkey began weeping uncontrollably, so much that nearby diners felt uncomfortable and requested to be moved to another table.

Whether it was the luck of the Irish or the fortitude and iron will of the German, the choice that Don and Fritz made to attend that dinner began their journey to redemption in each other's eyes. A God sent catharsis that allowed each man to put their demons of war at bay.

Some people have referred to Saving My Enemy as life changing and deeply thought provoking. The compassion, forgiveness and understanding of two aging vets is a model for our lives.

[Steven Hunnicutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

We hear today of PTSD, something new, the term, but nothing new. PTSD is associated with War, but not contained to. We have associated The Greatest Generation with WWII, 'The Band of Brothers' a best sellers, Movie, but when you read 'Saving My Enemy', your going to have a different view, opinion on War. Bob Welch book reminded me of a Paul Harvey, he would say "The Rest of the Story" and that what this book is, The Rest of the Story.
Saving my Enemy is about WWII, but tells both side of the story, it is what you learn, the reason this book that was written will change your thoughts of War.
'Easy Company Soldier' is the story of one of the principles in this book, Don (read if you haven't), 'Band of Brothers' another book that if you haven't read, should.
The Band of Brothers is the reason Don and Fritz (NAZI) ended up meeting, and learned what they were going through after the war was the same. The War Never Ends, it is how to deal with, accept, that was never addressed.
I don't wish to go any further in this review, will spoil it. Such an outstanding book, you will not find such a book about war on the shelve. It truly is 'The Rest of the Story' that has finally been told.
Today we 'Thank a Vet for his Service', but you are just saying it, you don't know, this will open your eyes, the next time you say it, it will have meaning.
Read Easy Company Soldier and Band of Brothers after reading Saving my Enemy, it will add the what this book is all about.
What is also interesting about this book, is how it came about, but I'll let you find that out.

[David Cordero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Bob Welch classic. The storytelling is brimming with details, perhaps best in the second half of the book when the two protagonists are struggling to make sense of their experiences after the war.

At times melancholy but more often uplifting, Saving My Enemy will give you an even greater appreciation for those who suffered wounds the eye is unable to see.

[mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I’ve read a few books from the Easy Company men (working on reading the rest), and this one was very different from the others cause it allows us to see into the world of war from both sides. I enjoyed reading Fritz’s story and how he and Malarkey met years later and became close friends. I’m glad they were able to tell their stories before they passed away. This book was amazing 🖤

[Timothy Gretler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice story of forgiveness, something that's needed a lot more these days.

[Anne Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saving My Enemy: How Two WWII Soldiers Fought Against Each Other and Later Forged a Friendship That Saved Their Lives by Bob Welch is a true "Band of Brothers" story. It tells a story not often told when one chronicles war--that of friendship and forgiveness.

Back in 2007 Bob Welch met and interviewed a WWII Band of Brothers hero, Don Malarkey, a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne's 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, E Company. Together Welch and Marlarkey wrote the World War II memoir, Easy Company Soldier. During more than a dozen interviews that Welch conducted to get material for the book, Marlarkey mentioned befriending a German soldier after the war. Welch, more concerned with a looming deadline, didn't think much about it and went on to publish the book in 2008 without exploring the comment further.

Don Malarkey was an outstanding soldier. He served more consecutive time on the front lines--177 days--than any other member of Easy Company. He and the other members of the company gained notoriety when their unit was featured in Steven Ambrose's 1992 book The Band of Brothers and later in a Spielberg/Hanks-produced HBO series in 2001. Before Malarkey died at age ninety-six in 2017 he had been the oldest living member of Easy Company.

Several months after Malarkey's death his youngest daughter, Marianne McNally, contacted Welch to find out if he would like to write a second book about her father. This one about his friendship with a German soldier. This book is the result of that request. It is about "Don and Fritz's true-life adventure: the rare war story with a happy ending. All because a couple of former enemies who made the most of their own second chance" (Author's note).

Read my whole review here: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/...

Bob Welch did an incredible job weaving together the story of these two men who fought and were damaged in the same war. Though I had previously read several books about Hitler Youth, I was struck anew by the similarities of the strategies that were used back to Germany in the 1930s with what is happening today with Trump and his followers..."Don't believe what you hear, believe me only. The media are bad. Don't listen to them. Burn books that don't say nice things about me. Turn against family members if they disagree with you/me." Welch didn't say these words. I was reading between the lines but what I saw frightened me again for how easily millions of people can be duped by a con artist of the likes of Hitler or Trump.

At the end of the source notes Welch asks three very important questions which we should all ponder: What can war teach us about peace? Why do nations devote so much time, money, and energy preparing soldiers for war and so little to help them heal when they return from it? And when will be begin to respect the power of forgiveness?

Just as I was finishing the book and pondering those questions last night my husband, also named Don, asked me to join him in the hot tub for a soak. I posed those three questions of him as I climbed into the hot water. Don, a veteran of the Iraq War, had a lot to say about the poor mental health services that soldiers receive after they return home, though they are better than what the WWII vets received. As a long time member of a National Guard Brigade, he had the instant support and camaraderie of the men and women he served with in Iraq the very first time (and every time) they drilled together once they returned home from theater. The soldiers in WWII came home from Europe or the South Pacific, separated from their units and dispersed across the country. They didn't have a built-in support system awaiting them during the next drill session. Don also talked about how his relationship with other combat vets changed once he came home. My uncle Gordon, two old WWII vets in our church, and even his father, a Korean War vet, suddenly had a lot to talk to Don about. He said that his war experiences bonded him to these men. what a relief to have someone to talk to who understood the horrors of war.

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to read this book. It is so inspiring and vital. We've heard the war stories before. We know the mental health failures that come from war efforts. Here we learn about a way out. A way that will hopefully lead to less wars and more peace in the future. Forgiveness!

Read my whole review here: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/...

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in narrative nonfiction, SAVING MY ENEMY weaves the true-life tale of two soldiers, one American and one German, from before World War Two until after their deaths. Most of the story focuses on the after-effects of the war on “Band of Brothers” Don Malarkey and Fritz Engelbert and their families. This is a compelling, powerful story of loss and redemption.

SAVING MY ENEMY is a must-read for anyone, especially those who have been in the military or have PTSD or who knows someone in either of those categories. It’s a story I’d recommend even for people who don’t normally read about military history. SAVING MY ENEMY is a book that could change hearts and lives.

[Joanne Hattersley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erik Jendersen, lead writer on HBOs Band of Brothers called this book “a quintessential tale. Once read, never to be forgotten”. He was not wrong.


I love Band of Brothers, that’s the worlds worst kept secret to my friends and family. I’ve seen the show (mmm..a few times!). I’ve written articles about it. I’ve reviewed the TV show and even interviewed actors and veterans families. I have read many books but this was one that had slipped through the gaps, until now.

Saving my Enemy takes the spoils of war and changes your outlook. This book introduces to us Don Malarkey, the scrappy kid from Oregon, who of course we know from Band of Brothers. This book also hands us Fritz Engelbert, a young German indoctrinated by Hitler youth. These men were from the stereotypical ‘opposite ends of the world’, widely different in their origins & lifestyles.

What brought them together was the act of war.There was a mutual understanding of what they had been through. They both had the underlying guilt and emotions over what they had both witnessed, what they had been party to.

These two men, both fought in the Battle of the Bulge. It’s well known that Malarkey served a continuous stretch on the front line , longer than any other man in Easy Company. Fritz however, had never killed an enemy, but suffered badly due to his participation in the nazi war effort.

When these two extraordinary gentleman met, it was the 60th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. It was a time when the name Malarkey was well known, having been featured in the HBO series Band of Brothers. But it was a time when Engelbert was unknown. He had lived his life in obscurity since the war. Just a man living in a German village. However, these men had that commonality that brought them together. Nightmares of war.

If you pick up this book expecting a war story along the lines of Band of Brothers, then put it back on your bookshelf. If you pick up this book, wanting to see how too men dealt with the ghosts of war and what it can do to a soul, then keep reading. Saving my enemy looks at life lived. While one of those lives became a celebrity, that life was also fighting a constant battle of memories. The other life had to live with the constant guilt of having following Hitler

This book is many things. It is history told. It’s a memoir unfolding. It’s a friendship that developed between two of the most unlikely of comrades. Soldiers from opposing sides of the war. It’s an insightful and yet scarring journey of two men who fought demons of their past. When these two lives collided sixty years after the war, a friendship developed. Not just soldier to soldier, but also family to family. That friendship enabled the burdens of war to be lifted and a forgiveness that they never saw coming.

This book is stunningly written. It does not sugar coat anything and that is vital in a memoir like this. War memoirs, in whatever way they are presented should always tell it like it is. This book does just that. It doesn’t hide from a dad who rarely said “I love you”. It doesn’t hide from alcohol dependancy. It doesn’t hide from another Easy Company soldier finding it hard to comprehend that a German soldier is at a reunion. It tells it like it is. To Bob Welch, thank you for that

The memories and stories from Fritz and Don are interwoven so that they compliment each other beautifully. Neither one outweighs the other. The inclusion of moments from friends and family punctuate the memoir to show that while these men were veterans of war, they were also flawed men. This book shows that war is a horrific event that leaves scars, scars that can shockwave through a family. This book also shows that you can come out of the other side with a new friendship.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book, both heartbreaking and beautiful, about the terrible psychological trauma the young men who fought in WWII (or any other war for that matter) had to carry back home with them, if they were so lucky as to make it home. It follows the post-war lives of an American soldier, deeply affected by the people he had to kill, and those that died under his command, and a German soldier, formerly indoctrinated by the Hitler Youth, who grew deeply disillusioned with the cause and sickened by by himself after the true evil of the Fuhrer's regime.

Welch tells a truly human story, presenting a view of war that is so much more mature, enlightening, and important than so many movies that glorify the act of killing, whether the enemy regular rank-and-file Wermacht, zealous Nazis or stone-eyed Russians. Inglourious Basterds this is not. In fact, it explores the way less sadistic works like Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers came out - as opposed to those that gloried in the killing of one's enemy - and helped validate these severely damaged men, helping their family to recognise the hell they had to go through.

Saving My Enemy is a deeply humane and thoughtful book that looks towards reconciliation in place of vengeance and ideological hatred. I strongly recommend it to those who are not satisfied with the infantile celebration of violence (in war or any other context) that defines Hollywood these days.

[David Devine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bob Welch takes you on an insightful journey into the lives of two men who had fought against each other during the Battle of the Bulge. Both men who fought for their own reasons and then spent the post war years fighting the demons of their experiences. Saving My Enemy is not a war story, but a story that looks at the lives of an American and German soldier before, during, but mostly after the war. One who had become a celebrity in his own right, yet battled the memories by immersing himself in alcohol. The other who battled the guilt of his early convictions that made him blindly follow the fervor of Germany under Hitler by immersing himself in work almost at the expense of his family. Finally, 60 years after the end of the war, these two men met at a gathering of active duty soldiers and veterans of Easy Company in Belgium. From this meeting a friendship grew, not only between these men, but their families as well. Sitting together, speaking of their experiences and the guilt that they felt, lead to both forgiveness and the lifting of a burden they thought they could never lose and a friendship that lasted to their final days.

[Davina · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book. Don already published an autobiography, and he got good coverage in Ambrose's Band of Brothers, as well as a leading character in the HBO mini-series. This gives a new depth to Don and adds some important lessons from war. It is surprising we don't see more Post Traumatic Stress, but perhaps it's just under reported, and, of course, we've got such big tails in modern warfare, that I had a grandfather who was a vet, but never left New York, and a great uncle, who was a postman in the US Army, but his closest brush was getting lost during the Bulge and likely ending up behind the lines. The two men featured are interesting as are the lives of their families. We can focus on heroic deeps during war, but those that survive, have lives and families. For both men, it is notable that both families were relieved on their veteran father's passing as the nightmares would finally end. The book is not full of gore, but there is enough there to understand what memories these men brought home.

[Sheri S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐ - Saving My Enemy is an incredibly moving story about two war heroes. They are truly war heroes because of their demonstration of courage and bravery when facing one another, in a completely emotionally vulnerable state, and genuinely offering one another the gift of forgiveness. Don and Fritz were able to bring healing to each other in a way no one else could. Through the actions of these two admirable men, so many others were brought together. I appreciated the reflections about peace and the value of family. Additionally, it was interesting to learn about the indoctrination of the Hitler Youth and the intense pressure that both German young people and their families experienced to join the organization.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welch has written a gem. Band of Brothers, Don Malarkey leaves behind an untold story of friendship between himself and a German veteran of WW2, Fritz Engelbert, which led to the beginning of healing of memories towards the end of their lives. Don grew up in Astoria, Oregon; Fritz, the son of an innkeeper in rural Germany. Don’s life was ordinary, but unsettled by an absent father. Fritz was indoctrinated in Hitler Youth starting at age 10. Fritz became a soldier at age 17 and Don, not much older. Both left the war disillusioned and permanently wounded by their experiences. Their unexpected meeting and subsequent friendship which included their extended families is superlatively told.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the most important book ever written for the children and grandchildren of the greatest generation.

My grandfather was a pacific war vet who served in the marines from Guadalcanal through Iwo Jima and the occupation of Japan. The dark distance that cast a shadow of my hero and kept those closest to him at arms length are explained vicariously through the experiences of those in this book.

I could not put this down.

Thanks to the authors and families that made this book possible.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Donnie malarkey so much I can’t even put into words. His memoir was one of the best books I’ve ever read (several times!). I can’t even tell you how happy I was to see he had a new book about him. Amazing. What a truly inspirational story and this made me love him even more. Masterpiece would be the correct word for a book of this caliber.

[Wil · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read. Part history and part memoir, this is the story of two men on opposite sides of WWII's Battle of the Bulge. Were I still in my classroom, I would give serious consideration to making this a summer reading assignment with student response to the work in light of the divided partisan society they live in today.

[David Lubin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply Moving

This book resonates with those of us who had family members in service during WW2. My uncle and my father in law both served and saw much combat. They both carried survivors guilt for the rest of their lives. This story showed that meeting “the enemy” and giving forgiveness and solace was deeply moving. A true gem.

[Rick Wahler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique "war" remembrance where a German soldier and a well-known member of the 101st Band of Brothers share their wartime experiences and the life-long suffering that resulted. Both experience healing and emotional release when they meet some 60 years later.

[Carl Nurick · Rating 5 out of 5]

My enemy is my friend

A remarkable read. Two totally different soldiers from two totally different
countries haunted by vivid memories of war become healing catalysts for each other.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational!

Very moving book about the people who served their countries in a time of war and the subsequent guilt and shame; but forgiveness would be life-changing for both of them.

[Jack Martin]

Peace for Soldiers

Having read more great books on WW II this was the most heartwarming book.
From surviving the horrors of war to be 'saved' by your enemy this was a great read.
JM

[Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best and gut wrenching stories I've read in a long time. Read this book if you really want to understand what PTSD means for combat veterans, and how it affects them for their entire lives.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very tender story. Why do we have war? Who really wins? Bob Welch uses alliteration creatively.

[Mike Pitonyak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story! Well told until the end!!!

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Saving my Enemy" is the true story of two men on opposite sides of World War II: Easy Company's Technical Sergeant Don Malarkey from Oregon, U. S. A and Fritz Englebert from Hilchenbach, Germany. The men couldn't have been more different, yet they both suffered torments after the war. This is the story of how they needed to find each other before they could find peace within themselves. It's a story of empathy, of compassion, and of forgiveness.

It is also a story of these two soldiers who suffered from PTSD long after the war ended. Welch goes deep into the societal denial of the existence of PTSD in World War II vets in the decades after the war. Post-war vet's families bore the brunt of the former soldier's angst and horror; spouses and children wrought in a shared pain they could never fully understand yet feeling helpless, frustrated and emotionally battered. This was hard to understand for many service men in WWII because this was an area of medicine that had not been explored to its fullest. Many of them suffered and were not treated but told to just go home and get on with your life.

All war is horrific. Any combatant will tell you so. Tribes and nations have sent their young to slaughter since time began. We honor the warriors particularly the victors. When the adulation fades the warriors are left mostly alone with battle scars buried deep. War and remembrance and the choices that forever changed their lives. "Saving My Enemy" provides a worthwhile reflection on the way we expect young men to endure trauma in war, then do little to reintegrate them into civilian life. We can be grateful that, for these two men and their families, peace finally crossed their thresholds. I recommend it to anyone who is, loves, or cares for, someone who has served.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a phenomenal book. Alternating points of view between Fritz and Don from the 1930s to the 2000s provided a robust and unique viewpoint of the buildup to the war, the fighting, and the men's lives afterward. I love a nonfiction book that provides the sensory experience of good fiction, and Bob Welch did an exceptional job of bringing both men, their experiences, and their families to life. I was inside Fritz's home in the third story of the inn, freezing in the cold of the Belgian 1945 winter, even sitting quietly in Don's nursing home room with his daughter and the chaplain. For all the literature devoted to World War II, I know so little about people's experience inside Germany. What was it like to be a German before, during, and after the war? Bob Welch brings us directly into the middle of Fritz's internal struggle as he, and therefore we, sort through the complexities of the German experience.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moral Salvation through forgiveness and love.

From trained soldiers looking to kill others that were earmarked as the enemy, to the witnessing of hell that became their mental aftermath. "Saving My Enemy" shares a true story in how peace can be achieved after the dust settles from war as the remnant implants still remain in the survivors - soldiers and civilians.
Little did the descendents know of the battling ghosts that will impact their families from from their elder's stories and past enemy families. Many messages had lessons about freedom and it's costs that become vastly discounted over time; but mutual acknowledgement, respect, and forgiveness can sow humanity's peace efforts.

[Roberta Westwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very moving

I intentionally listened to this book on November 11th, Remembrance Day in Canada. I usually read something war related, lest we forget. For me it important to read a story that takes me to the front lines, to remember the brutality of war on the men who fought. I also like my choice to be something that has aspects of hope, or warms my heart in some way, so that my faith in mankind is restored. This was a great choice for today’s read: two men, in their 80’s, with their private wars still tearing them up inside, begin to open up, and fate brings them together, former foes. The gift of forgiveness they both gave each other was very heartening and restorative. Highly recommended.

[Gregory Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

One German and one American soldier fought miles away from each other during the battle of the bulge. Both their lives are exquisitely chronicled here. Eventually, although it sounds improbable, they actually meet. Together they heal each other from the adverse effects of combat and serving their nation during time of war. This book is a moving tribute to these two men who paid a high price for having answered their nation's call during WWII. The writing style is great and easily flows back and forth from soldier to soldier.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

There couldn't be a better book about 2 men on opposite sides in WWII. Each soldier's background from childhood to old age is explored. We follow how both men suffered haunting memories and terrible sadness and guilt and we see why, when we follow them on the battlefield.
A chance encounter offers a time for healing and what an emotional read this is!
At times it is also an edge of your seat experience. You may have met one of the characters in "Band Of Brothers," but hang on to your hat, because as good as that one is, this book seems it's equal in every way.