FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Darrell "Shifty" Powers ~ April 13, 2015

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[Kathy in Alaska]

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

~ 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....

---

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

---

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!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Janey!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Honoring Our Heroes

2LT Rebecca USA (Daughter of U S Army EOD)
3 sons (armymarinemom and amdad)
86th Fighter Weapons Squadron "Combat Hammer" (saminfl)
AbnSarge USA (RET)
Allegra
Anoreth USCG (daughter of Tax-chick)
Arrowhead1952 TX Natl Guard (RET)
aviator USAF
BIGLOOK USN
Brett USN (CindyDawg)
Brother and Son-in-Law (kalee)
Cannoneer No. 4
CAPT Future Snake Eater USA (RightOnline)
CAPT Jason Clendenin (friend of Frou)
Chris USA (amom)
Chuck USA (RightOnline)
CMS USA
COL Mike (gpapa)
ConorMacNessa FMF Corpsman
Cpl Don USMC 1963-1967 (Diver Dave's twin)
CPT Carol USA, Nurse Corp (Vineyard)
David USAF Retired (LUV W)
Defender2
Deven USA (Shimmer)
Diver Dave USN
Drumbo USN
E3 Mike USA (Colonel_Flagg)
Ethan USMC (georgiabelle)
forgotenknight13 USA (grandson of Monkey Face)
Fred (DocRock)
GulfWar1Vet USA
HiJinx USA
IS2 Brianne USN (My Hearts in London - Everett)
IS2 Heather USN (My Hearts in London - Everett)
Jade Falcon USN
James USA (Grumpybutt)
JemiansTerror USA (Jemian)
Jet Jaguar USAF
Joel (NEMDF)
Jonathan USMC (AZbushgal)
Josh USN (doug from upland)
Karen USA (fatima's granddaughter)
Kenneth (Sweetbaby/LadyPilgrim)
Kevin USMC (skimask)
Kevin and David USA (vigilante2)
KJD USAF (SuzyQue)
Laurita USA
LCpl Carter USMC
LCpl Joe USMC (Don’tMessWithTexas)
Lindsay (Sweetbaby/LadyPilgrim)
LT David (Coldwater Creek)
LT Gerald USN (Vineyard)
M1911A1 USMC (M0sby)
M1Tanker
Major Bryan USA (Diver Dave)
Major Jennifer USA (Diver Dave)
Major joma89 USAF
MEG33's Navy Grandson
Michael USAR (RightOnline)
Mike1Sg USA (mystery-ak)
Milo828 USA (mystery-ak)
MSgt Eddie USAF (Son of ThomasPaine2000, CMSgt USAF, Ret)
MSGT Glen Ignasiak USAF (nephew of AirForceMom)
Nate USN (sneakers)
Navy Chaplain, Lt Nathan Rice (Coldwater Creek)
Old China Hand USA
Old Sarge USA
OneLoyalAmerican USCG
PFC Jake USMC (son of Enough_Deceit)
Philetus USA
PROCON USA
Rick USAF (Doogle)
Robert, Jeremy, Daynnis USA (SoldierDad)
SandRat USA
Sat-Com Chris USA (son of KC Burke)
SGT Alex USA (son of Enough_Deceit)
SGT Ev USA (Mozie)
SGT Gray USA (colorcountry’s son)
SGT Matt USMC (SuzyQue)
SGT Robert USMC (MarineMom613)
SGT Sean Reed (preed)
Son USCG (GodBlessUSA)
SPC Drew USA (brother-in-law Stonewall Jackson)
SPC Ted USA (nephew of hoagy62)
SPC William Akin USA (Step-son of BlueLancer)
SPC4 Dan USA (son of swmobuffalo)
SSG Brian USA (repubmom)
SSG Dustin USA (SIL of U S Army EOD)
SSG Dusty USA (MountainDad)
SSG Mike USA (RET) (AbnSarge)
SSG Mitchel USA (tina07)
SSG Spencer USA (grame)
SSGT Adam USA (Diver Dave)
SSGT Chris USA (son of Vineyard)
SSGT Don May Jr USMC (debm29palms)
SSGT John Linde USA (JFoxbear)
SSGT The Black Knight USAF
Stevan USA (Grumpybutt)
Terrence USN (Sweetbaby/LadyPilgrim)
The Sailor
TMSuchman USMC
tongue-tied USN/USA
Tonkin USN/USCG
TSGT Jason M Kibler USAF (son of AirForceMom)
SFC txradioguy USA
USAFSecurityForces (son of visualops & TheStickman)
Valerie USAF (Shimmer)
Victor and Tony D USMC (weldgophardline)
Vineyard USN
William USA (jackv)
WOs Bob and Michelle USA (nephew, and his wife, of BnBlFlag)

 

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good Monday morning to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country.

((HUGS))Good morning, everyone. Thanks for this morning's thread, Star. Today is my birthday. I'm 51. How's it going for everyone this morning?

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Mondays are the best. Thanks for this ping.

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, Canteen.

Good morning to our

Military, our Allies, and their families.

Thank you, Star, for preparing the Canteen for today’s activities.

Checking in, and I see some interesting details I need to address.
First and foremost,

R I P Shifty! Job Well Done.

And second, Happy Retirement, AbnSarge
and thank you for your "extraordinary" service.
A job well done to you as well, sir!

Now to make my rounds before it gets busy...busy.

But 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,
pancakes, conversation, silliness,
and plain old BS

REMEMBER THEM ~ DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT

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.

[beachn4fun]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EG ((HUGS))

[beachn4fun]

might as well...

[beachn4fun]

might as well...

[beachn4fun]

might as well...

[beachn4fun]

might as well...

[E.G.C.]

((HUGS)) Thanks, Beach. Raining here in Comanche OK as I type this. :-{}

[beachn4fun]

Lucky today...you’re 51 and you land on #51.

[PROCON]

Hiya Beachie!

I have the day off today as I travel again to my last post-op eye appt. Vision is doing great.

The weekend was mostly restful with just a little grocery shopping on the agenda. Our weather is suppose to be summer like by the end of the week, Woo-Hoo!

Have a great day!

[E.G.C.]

((LOL)) :-{}

[beachn4fun]

Good morning Pro ((HUGS))

Aw-right! The last post-op eye exam! I bet you’ll be happy that’s over.

My weekend was so-so. Hubby and I had dental appointments and found that we both need deep cleaning; he got half of his done, but we needed to schedule (ran out of time) for another day to get mine and the rest of his done. And even with insurance, CHA-CHING! And we owe Fed. taxes. UGH! I need to go back to drinking, and I don’t mean coffee! LOL.

Our weather is still a little up-n-down. Nights are still down in the 40s and days, 60s-70s. I did do a little yard work this weekend. Now, I need to go plant shopping.

Have a safe trip and take time to smell the roses while you are out of town.

[left that other site]

Our harmonica player is back

Now we are a five-piece.

It is a little like herding cats.

They are all bikers, musicians, and “under grace”! LOL!

[dware]

Just watched the entire “Band of Brothers” series over the weekend, so I was delightfully surprised to see “Shifty” Powers this morning when I logged in!

[luvie]

Happy 51st Birthday to youuuuu!!!

:)

[luvie]

It's Monday!
We also got nearly an inch of rain last night!
It's also my day off!
Good combination!
I might read a good book..*wink-wink*
Or....maybe even do a bit of cleaning. Bah!
Anyhoooooooo....it's all good! :)
((((hugs)))


Arrow? Please keep getting better!

[beachn4fun]

Good morning night owl ((HUGS))

A day off...rainy day...reading a good book (wink-wink back)...a great combination, IMO