FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Darrell "Shifty" Powers ~ 15 July 2019

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[Kathy in Alaska]

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~ Hall of Heroes ~

Darrell "Shifty" Powers
Story from this website.

           

Darrell "Shifty" Powers (March 13, 1923–June 17, 2009) was a former U.S. Army NCO during World War II who served with the famed E Co/2/506 of the 101st Airborne Division (the Band of Brothers). Shifty was an original member of Easy Company, training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia. Shifty's hometown was Clinchco, Virginia, in Dickenson County.

Powers was born in Clinchco, Dickenson County, Virginia and volunteered for the paratroopers with his good friend, "Popeye" Wynn. Shifty spent a great deal of time in the outdoors hunting game prior to joining the service. This would later prove useful as many of the skills he obtained helped him as a soldier.

Powers jumped into Normandy on D-Day, missing his drop zone. He eventually came in contact with Floyd Talbert and the two made their way to Easy Company. He participated in the assault of Carentan and every major battle Easy Company was involved with until the end of the war. He was considered by many to be the best shot in the company.

Because many men serving in the 101st lacked the minimum points required to return home, a lottery was put in place. Shifty Powers won this lottery after the rest of the company rigged it in his favor by removing their own names, and was set to return stateside. During the trip to the airfield, the vehicle Shifty was in was involved in an accident and Shifty was badly injured. He spent many months recuperating in hospitals overseas while his comrades in arms arrived home long before he did.

Honorably discharged from the Army in the postwar demobilization, he became a machinist for the Clinchfield Coal Corporation.

He is listed as one of 20 men from Easy Company who contributed to the 2009 book We Who Are Alive and Remain: Untold Stories from the Band of Brothers, published by Penguin/Berkley-Caliber.

"Shifty" Powers died June 17, 2009, of Cancer in Dickenson County, Virginia.

Thank you, sir, for your service and sacrifice for our country!

This email has gone around the internet, and it says a lot about our country and it's priorities.  Not a lot that's good either....

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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 in 1941 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 was, 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 still care is enough to make an old man very happy." His eyes were filling up as he said it. And mine are brimming up now as I write this.

Shifty died on June 17 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.

"A nation without heroes is nothing." - Roberto Clemente

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There's a really nice tribute over at Blackfive - worth a read.

VERY fun story here also.

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission!

[radu]

Howdy, LUV.

It’s been a good enough day. Nothing special. Had to run a couple of errands and now have laundry going.
The nice thing is it wasn’t as hot today as it has been thanks to “Barry’s” cloud cover. Hoping to get some rain out of the deal before all’s said and done.

The wall is still there. Surprise!

[The Mayor]

Yes, shipping week and then assemble the other two.
Praying for a good productive week.

Thank you Kathy!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Welcome to the Canteen, deadrock.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...did you and Penny get to go hiking this weekend? You and Blue get some time together?

We actually got a couple hours of rain today. Hurrah! I hope the fires got some of it, too.

[radu]

Howdy, JJ. *HUGZ*

How are things with you these days? I hope you aren’t sweltering as much as we’ve been this summer. Makes it hard to get outside to do anything.

[deadrock]

Thanks.

[left that other site]

I’ve been riding every day, filling the tank, riding some more, and filling the tank again.

Meanwhile, Penny is happy to nap in the A/C.

Since she is so short-haired, she really minds the heat, more so than any dog I have had before. So, she eagerly walks around the park with me, and loves rides in the car, but balks at serious hiking during these very hot days.

I can’t say that I blame her!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, mountainlion...they do tend to be quiet about what their experiences.

Nice that you have been able to meet a few.

[radu]

Howdy, Kathy.

So the sprinkle this afternoon WAS a precursor to a good rainfall? Yay!
There was rain down over the peninsula earlier and there’s more moving in now. Maybe the Kenai fire will finally be squelched.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Janey…((HUGS))...overnight in Vegas and limo to downtown. My goodness.

Enjoy your layover.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Charles Martel...

[luvie]

Surprise, surprise, surprise! LOL!
I guess you could do what my friend did,
and knock a hole in the wall.
And it got finished.
But I doubt if it would work in your case. :)

Good that you had clouds from Barry....
...Barry which started out in your 'hood to begin with.
Wish it had curved more to the west however. Ya know?

[Kathy in Alaska]

She knows what she likes. LOL!! Gives you and Blue more time together....and you like that!

[MoochPooch]

Evening, Kathy. Thanks for another great bio.

[radu]

Nope. Sure wouldn’t work to knock a hole in the wall. He’d just expect me to take the whole thing out. LOL
He spent today mowing as much as he could before Barry’s rains move in. That’s a legit excuse for not working on that wall. But a couple of wet days will be a good time to do it. We’ll see.

For a little while last night, it looked like the center of the storm was moving a little more westward and I had hope for you. That sure was dashed. :-(

[luvie]

Kinda what I thought. I know that is what would happen in my case. I’d have to live with a hole in the wall.

Hope getting the mowing done frees up time for more important things. LOL! I was sure hoping it would make a bigger curve. Maybe next time. ‘Cause there WILL be a next time.

[radu]

I hoped it would make a bigger curve before swinging back this way again too. Darn the luck.

But you’re probably right about the next time. A pretty good bet there’ll be one and you’ll get a dose.

[luvie]

Sometimes we even get rain from Pacific storm, but they’ve been scarce so far this summer. Anyway, we ARE ahead of schedule on rain. Not by much, but every little bit helps in the long run.

[radu]

You ARE ahead of schedule on rain? Shocker! But good.
We are, too, thanks to all the rain we got in Feb. but we need it now for the crops. Our corn could use a little more before it’s through growing and starts the next stage getting ready to be harvested.
But there are a lot of farmers here who planted later and their corn really needs rain.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, radu...Barry bringing you any rain help?

We got a couple hours of real rain! All day would have been nice, but we will take what we can get.

Sure hope some of the fires got some, too.