We're hearing a lot today about big splashy memorial services.

I want a nationwide memorial service for Darrell "Shifty" Powers.

Shifty volunteered for the airborne in WWII and served with Easy

Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st

Airborne Infantry. If you've seen Band of Brothers on HBO or the

History Channel , you know Shifty. His character appears in all 10

episodes, and Shifty himself is interviewed in several of them.

I met Shifty in the Philadelphia airport several years ago. I didn't

know who he was at the time. I just saw an elderly gentleman having

trouble reading his ticket. I offered to help, assured him that he was

at the right gate, and noticed the "Screaming Eagle," the symbol of

the 101st Airborne, on his hat.

Making conversation, I asked him if he'd been in the 101st Airborne

or if his son was serving. He said quietly that he had been in the

101st. I thanked him for his service, then asked him when he served,

and how many jumps he made.




Quietly and humbly, he said "Well, I guess I signed up in201941 or so,

and was in until sometime in 1945 .. . . " at which point my heart

skipped.




At that point, again, very humbly, he said "I made the 5 training

jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy . . . . do you know

where Normandy is?" At this point my heart stopped.




I told him "yes, I know exactly where Normandy is, and I know what

D-Day was." At that point he said "I also made a second jump into

Holland , into Arnhem ." I was standing with a genuine war hero . . . .

and then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of

D-Day..




I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France , and he said

"Yes. And it's real sad because, these days, so few of the guys are

left, and those that are, lots of them can't make the trip." My heart

was in my throat and I didn't know what to say.




I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in

Coach while I was in First Class. I sent the flight attendant back to

get him and said that I wanted to switch seats. When Shifty came

forward, I got up out of the seat and told him I wanted him to have

it, that I'd take his in coach.




He said "No, son, you enjoy that seat. Just knowing that there are

still some who remember what we did and who still care is enough to

make an old man very ha
ppy." His eyes were filling up as he said it.

And mine are brimming up now as I write this.

Shifty died on June 17, 2009 after fighting cancer.

There was no parade.

No big event in Staples Center .

No wall to wall back to back 24x7 news coverage.

No weeping fans on television.

And that's not right.

Let's give Shifty his own Memorial Service, online, in our own quiet

way. Please forward this email to everyone you know. Especially to the

veterans.

Rest in peace, Shifty.

Chuck Yeager, MajGen. [ret.]

I am going to post this on my myspace page in my blog. I slaute this man! I do hope he is resting in peace amungst his Easy Company comrades with all the glory he deserves!

As promised here it is.

*


RIP

One of my best friend's father was with the 101st during the war and we could never get him to talk about it. He only lived to his 50s but I wish I could have talked to him about it. He was a nice man.

I salute Shifty and all of the men of the 101st Airborne Division.

My best friends Father was also in 101st during the WW2 he jumped in support of Utah Beach and in support of the Battle of the Bulge the VFW Post Commander read his record at his burial said he had fought in at least 5 different Campaigns he had numerous French Metals 6 PH,3 USA combat metals a Bronze Star with a Gold Cluster the Army finaly made him come home and tour the US in support of the War Bonds progams.Like Harry said Bill did not talk much but after I came back home from Vietnam he would talk to me about it. to Bill and old Swifty

Semper FI Shifty!

Coachman...thanks for posting this.

tks for sharing your experience here. It's quite well if some

illustrations were following here.

quote:

Originally posted by koble:
tks for sharing your experience here. It's quite well if some

illustrations were following here.

That Koble thing is a bot I believe, Nvr. I would ignore it till the mighty Admin is able to make it go away.

RIP Shifty

This link is from an older tribute to Shifty. Includes some photo's and stories.

Koble just does not speak English well. Thanks gunny for posing the link.

Coachman

Thanks for sharing that, it was wonderful! Nice of you too as well.

RIP Shifty

My Dad was in the 82nd in WWII (they called it the 'suicide squad') He made it back too... (I'm glad or I wouldn't be here)

quote:

Originally posted by Weatherman1956:
RIP Shifty

My Dad was in the 82nd in WWII (they called it the 'suicide squad') He made it back too... (I'm glad or I wouldn't be here)

I am glad, too! Did he ever tell you his stories?

I had to ask...mostly he spoke of the technical tactical things.

He did laugh over a classic moment at jump school when a P-40 made a low pass over his formation.
The instructor made everybody who looked up at the aircraft hold their arms out and double time around the field shouting 'I'M A P-40!', 'I'M A P-40!'





He did tell me about his third jump when he had a chute malfunction and had to use his reserve.
A split second decision made at 1K feet.
A hard landing and a wrenched back. He made his 4th jump the next day.

The night jumps were a matter of chance as to who landed intact often off drop zone.

He carried the B.A.R. for his squad or stick as he called them...always wanted one for deer hunting (he had a dream once that the shot a duck out of a tree with the B.A.R.) (go figure)


And a funny picture comes to mind when he related one about the troop transport coming back from Europe...an announcement on the loud speaker that a general welfare inspection would be conducted in an hour...and any 'contraband' found would result in automatic transfer to the Pacific theater...all these troops dumping their duffel bags full of their 'souvenirs'
over the side: Lugars; Nazi flags; Kraut Helmets; French bottles of wine; schnapps;
Mausers; potato mashers; Fräulein photos;
you name it...it went into the drink!

One hour comes...no inspection, another hour comes no inspection, no inspection ever came...all the 'disgruntled grunts'!



Of course Paratroopers are usta that.



God bless him, I've still got his 'garrison cap'
although he had another name for it...



another thing he could do which I saw as really cool...he could take his tie and snap it out in front of him like a bull whip...and actually tie a single windsor knot in one a one handed motion!



I figure he could do anything...

Great stories W-man,thanks for sharing.

Weatherman, my deepest thanks to your father for his service to our country, and I thank you for sharing a glimpse into his service. If I may go so far as to ask if he is still around, and if he has any words to offer as to the current issues facing the ARMY today?

Elizabeth_Archuleta,

I appreciate yours and nvrbtdt's thanks...and everyone's thoughts and prayers.

Dad passed a few years back as we were losing about 1100 WWII vets a day...the hospice
folks gave him a hotshot and I heard his last words... I believe he was flashing back to one last jump. He mentioned his 'stick' I think he was saying "stand up...hook up...stand in the door." of course he might have been dreaming of a night at the USO club with Betty Davis...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLargNxIE9k

http://www.mishalov.com/Bush_WWII_Memorial.html

His advice to me about AArmy issues still sounds as good now as when he told me before I went to boot camp at Fort Leonard Wood...and then to AIT at Fort Sill.

"Don't believe anything you hear, and only half of what you see."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iznnTvMZyi0

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Weatherman1956,