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]

Rain is all we expect. It’s just a tropical depression now. Might get a rumble of thunder.

I hope Peaches is outside tonight so you can get some sleep.
Have a good day tomorrow.

[mylife]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tPIq5UOpOg

Today I took around the wreckage of Major Duane Dively and shed tears

[Kathy in Alaska]

Oh no, my....that’s terrible to lose everything to fire. I hope they had some help saving some things.

[E.G.C.]

Well, I lost the rabies tag and the city tag out at the lake yesterday as I was trying to get Gizmo to come back to the pickup so we could head back home. At first I thought I lost one of his leashes but it turned out he had just one.((LOL)) We will go the vet and get a new rabies tag and get a new city tag later.

We had fun though out at the lake. Got to walk the beach and do a few other things.

[Kathy in Alaska]

So glad you didn’t lose power. Good that you can talk to someone that was there.

[mylife]

The place was a fire trap.

I suspect boiled linseed oil

[mylife]

BLO is great stuff but volatile.

[mylife]

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=james+may+u2+flight&view=detail&mid=B741195C83693C2B80E7B741195C83693C2B80E7&FORM=VIRE

[Kathy in Alaska]

Still sad to see...but you must help yourself.

[mylife]

RIP Duane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=65&v=w-COlil4tos

[mylife]

?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, E...((HUGS))...sounds like you and Gizmo are having a grand time running around at the lake and in the tall grass, and even wading in the water.

You boys have a great Monday.

[radu]

Bummer losing Gizmo’s tags. I hope it won’t be too much hassle to replace them.

Glad you two had a large time at the lake. It sounds like you had the place pretty much to yourselves.

[Kathy in Alaska]

As an owner you need to take precautions for fire. Fire is a horrible thing, but you must be careful with things that can burn.

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, Canteen.

Good morning to our

Military, our Allies, and their families.

Thank you, Star (and Ma) for preparing
the Canteen for today's activities.

Checking in to see how everyone
faired over the weekend.
Hope all FReepers in Barry's path are safe and sound.

We're in for a hot, hot week: pushing toward high 90s.

Gonna run. Checking out pings and then off to do chores.
Please stay right where you are.
Chat up the military or a family member.
No need to fret...you know I'll be back!

The FR Canteen is

Come in and sit for a while.
There's always plenty of coffee, tea,
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and plain old BS

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Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allied military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before.

[E.G.C.]

Thanks, I just got back from city hall and got a new city tag for Gizmo.

I will get the rabies tag later this week.

[left that other site]

Penny also loves the porch in the morning. It is on the west side, and doesn’t get hot and sunny there till the afternoon.

[left that other site]

Oh yes.

My favorite ride is on 3A through Duxbury, a 400-year-old town founded by Myles Standish.

Yes. You read that correctly.

Oh...and BTW, although it is a hotbed of liberalism, Duxbury is all decked out for the upcoming Quadricentennial, with a preponderance of BETSY ROSS FLAGS!

(((I guess they never got the memo)))

[left that other site]

Good Morning, Beachie! :-)

[luvie]

If I hide, will the dental appointment go away?
You're right....I guess not. *sigh*
Might as well bite the bullet.
So to speak.
Don't need another broken tooth, huh!
Hope all y'all will have a Mahv'lus Monday!
....and a Wonderful Week!
(((hugs)))