- Written by Chuck Yeager, MajGen. [ret.]
We've heard a lot 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 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 page to everyone you know. Especially to the veterans, by
clicking on
Rest in peace, Shifty.
Chuck Yeager, MajGen. [ret.]
*************************************
- THIS PAGE WAS MADE STRICTLY TO HONOR
- SHIFTY AND ALL OTHER OF MY HEROES WHO
- HAVE GIVEN SO MUCH, THAT WE MIGHT HAVE
- THE FREEDOM THAT WE ENJOY
Texas Bob
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