Henry C. Zimmerman

Henry Charles “Hank” Zimmerman (March 26, 1925 – October 3, 2011) was an American Army soldier and World War II veteran. He served as a Private First Class with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, joining the company as a replacement shortly before the Battle of the Bulge.

Born in Larksville, Pennsylvania, Zimmerman was the oldest of seven brothers. At the age of 15, he joined the Civilian ...

Henry Charles “Hank” Zimmerman (March 26, 1925 – October 3, 2011) was an American Army soldier and World War II veteran. He served as a Private First Class with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, joining the company as a replacement shortly before the Battle of the Bulge.

Born in Larksville, Pennsylvania, Zimmerman was the oldest of seven brothers. At the age of 15, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and later worked briefly in the coal mines before moving with his family to Elizabeth, New Jersey. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943 and completed basic training at Camp Croft, South Carolina, before volunteering for the airborne forces. He completed parachute training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and was subsequently sent to England.

In November 1944, Zimmerman was assigned to Easy Company at Mourmelon, France, as a replacement. He joined the company near Foy shortly after it was sent to Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. He participated in the fighting in Belgium and subsequently remained with Easy Company during its advance into Germany and Austria.

Following the end of the war in Europe, Zimmerman reenlisted and was transferred to the 82nd Airborne Division. He was stationed at Fort Benning until his final discharge from the Army. After leaving the military, he settled in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where he worked for M&M Candy Company for 33 years before retiring and moving to the North Carolina coast.

Zimmerman's wartime experiences were featured in Marcus Brotherton's 2009 book We Who Are Alive and Remain: Untold Stories from the Band of Brothers, to which he contributed his recollections. He also contributed to Easy Company: 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment – In Photographs, a photographic history of the unit.

Zimmerman died on October 3, 2011, at the Rockhill Mennonite Community in Pennsylvania, at the age of 86.