[Blindvet-talk] Fw: [abrcaalist] FW: Memorial Service For Shifty

[Clarence Huggins]

--- On Tue, 11/10/09, Bufford <rroberson at sc.rr.com> wrote:


From: Bufford <rroberson at sc.rr.com>
Subject: [abrcaalist] FW: Memorial Service For Shifty
To: "ABRCAA List" <abrcaalist at yahoogroups.com>
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 12:48 PM


  







Subject: Memorial Service For Shifty
 

PLEASE PASS THIS ON

 












 
  

 
  







 







 






 






  







We're hearing a lot today about big splashy memorial services for the likes of a drugged-up, wacked-out entertainer and a cowardly drunk who happened to be a U.S. Senator.

I would like to propose  a nationwide memorial service for Darrell "Shifty" Powers. 

Here's why...  





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  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 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, 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.] 




 




 






 
 
  



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