FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Darrell "Shifty" Powers ~ 09 May 2022

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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!

[luvie]

Hi, Kathy! ((hugs))

Yes, we went to Rosa’s for some Mexican food. Yum. It was a nice day except for being so darn hot. Hope you had a relaxing day yourself!

[PROCON]

Hi Kathy!

Robin is in MD visiting our daughter this weekend, son was working so I just spent some time with her pups today, they enjoyed my company. 😁

[luvie]

That sounds like you had the perfect day to me. I expect it’ll be a while till we get to enjoy that again. I’m sorry that it didn’t happen yesterday, too. Darn! There would have been plenty of folks wanting a tour in that kind of weather.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, radu...are you all recovered from a couple days of being on your feet? Able to run errands?

I didn’t water, but I got a load of stuff over to Value Village, got gas ($4.55/gal) , AND got my car washed. I got a major work project done, and this evening I’m working on getting cheat sheets done for the new units I’m getting because Kathryn is leaving and going to work for the parent company. *sigh* They all used to be mine, so I’m familiar with most of the EEs and the “rules of the game” for each unit.

[radu]

It sure was a perfect day. It’ll be a while before we have another one like it. The temps will drop a teeny bit next weekend but chances of rain come with it. Slight chances and that means muggy.

Yes, it would have been a busy morning for us if the weather had been nice yesterday. It was graduation day at the university and family members were in town for that. They have free time early in the day and a lot of the students pick visiting the museum as something to do with their families then. We’ve been slammed in the past but not this time.

There was very little traffic on the highway so apparently no one wanted to leave the house. I don’t blame them. It was a nasty day.

[luvie]

I don’t blame them either. Nasty days are not the day to drive up a mountain. Ever. LOL! Or down!

I love perfect days. Ours was Friday. Perfect temp, just enough breeze to feel nice and the sun wasn’t killing it just yet.

[radu]

I didn’t run any errands because I didn’t need to. Just relaxed for the most part but did a little housework. Just put away a load of laundry a minute ago.

It sounds like you had a busy day, but a good one. Other than getting gas, that is. Ouch! I’m going to fill up tomorrow since the tanker usually shows up Tuesdays and it’ll probably go up again. It’s $4.37 for real gas now. Can’t use that ethanol crap in my car.

How soon does Kathryn leave? At least the units being dropped in your lap were yours before and you’re familiar with them. And already a step or two ahead regarding cheat sheets for them. :-)

[radu]

The university is ON the mountain - just 5 miles or so from the museum - so everyone was already up there. It just wasn’t a day to get out unless absolutely necessary and the lack of traffic showed it.

I hope we don’t get slammed next Saturday since there’ll just be two of us working. I’ll need to have enough energy to drive home. LOL

At least you had a perfect day before your thermostat was cranked up. Every little bit helps.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Fairly well rested...2 busy physical days make for a tired/sore back and knees. BUT satisfaction of getting things done.

I will start watering tomorrow or Tuesday, but it means lots of upping and downing of the deck stairs, but the grass will be happy.

And now the wind is starting up...

[luvie]

Oh, well then, never mind. LOL! Buncha sissies staying home when they’re already close by. 🤣

I try to remember the nice days when I’m sweating profusely on the burning ones. 🔥

[E.G.C.]

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

How's everyone doing this morning?

[Kathy in Alaska]

I don’t know if Friday was her last day, or she is with us for one more week. I guess we’ll find out Monday. At least I will be ready for “me”.

[radu]

I can sympathize with the sore back. If you break out that chain saw, it’ll really be sore.
But you got that chore out of the way for now and that’s got to feel good. And look better too.

Now for the watering. Got plenty of ibuprofen on hand?

It’s too bad you couldn’t see the sunset tonight. The clouds broke up over Mt. Susitna just as the sun was setting behind it and the sky was fiery. Really pretty.
I could tell the wind was kicking up. It’s noisy on the cam’s mic and it’s ruffling the lake surface. At least it isn’t blowing hard enough to create whitecaps ..... yet.

[radu]

If it hadn’t been a museum day, I’d have been a sissy and stayed home too. LOL It really was a miserable day. I didn’t even step outside for a smoke break. LOL

I’ll be doing the same this w eek - - remembering how nice today was while I’m sweating when running errands. Tomorrow I go back to the optometrist to have my eyes rechecked in hopes I can get some new glasses that work. I’ll make a couple of quick stops while I’m in that town for a few things we need. Nice to have my car running again since it has AC!

[radu]

Howdy, E.G.C. ((HUGZ))

Did Gizmo find something special to roll in again yesterday? LOL He sure enjoyed whatever he rolled in Saturday.

[luvie]

Thanks to your hubby for getting that car running. This is NOT a good time to have to drive a vehicle with no AC.

Dang! I thought you’d finally gotten a pair that worked. This has to be very annoying to keep having to go back. One time is too many for that stupid test that is always wrong.

[radu]

I didn’t realize it would be so soon. Good thing you already had what you needed to get your cheat sheets ready quickly.

[radu]

I’m VERY glad to have the car back on the road. Driving his truck with no AC wasn’t fun. Poor guy beat himself up last weekend working on it.
This weekend is the dishwasher. The one in this house is 30 years old and it gave up the ghost the other night. The one in the other house, we’d bought a year or so before we moved over here. He got it out of that house yesterday and he’s spent two days cleaning it up and making sure it still works as it should before he makes the swap. He’ll do that tomorrow I guess. I hope so because I hate washing dishes.

Nope, third time with the new glasses wasn’t a charm. Still can’t see with them. He said they were correct according to the prescription and I told him my eyes say NOPE. Maybe he’ll figure out where he went wrong tomorrow. If he comes up with the same result, I’m going to insist he make my current, old prescription again. I’m tired of the BS game. This has been going on since January. I can see well enough with these glasses but they’re very scratched.

[E.G.C.]

Yesterday was a great Mother's Day for me and Gizmo. We had a great visit to the lake.Pics:

[radu]

A pretty day y’all had for your romp. Judging from Gizmo’s lolling tongue, it was a bit warm. :-)