Our nation owes this to Shifty!!

rokntoy

rokntoy

FUCKIN SLAYER!!!
Joined
Sep 2, 2006
Location
Elkin, N.C.
Got this in a email. God Bless :usa:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/31929477#31897155
> Memorial Service: you're invited.
>
> 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 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 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.]
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14
 
That bout brought a tear to my eyes too. Good stuff right there. Makes me think of and miss my Uncle Joe Hanes.

He stormed the beach. He used to always tell me stories about that day and the days that followed. He would always end up weeping as he told me those stories.
One day I asked him why he always talked about it, if it made him feel bad enough to cry..he said'' I'm not crying because I feel bad about the war...I 'm doing it because I am happy you want to learn about it, Dylan..then he would always say...I'm not crying anyway, must be allergies.lol
He was a good man and I miss him terribly. Maybe he's chillin' with ole Shifty.
 
I don't care how many times I watch Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers, or read a letter like this, it always brings a tear to my eyes. gets me every time! I don't recall who which one, but my brother Met one of the Easy company guys in a very similar fashion. He was out and saw a guy with the 101st patch. My brother being 82nd asked him about it. My brother was also a big History buff, and recognized this man as being from Easy Company.

Here's to you Shifty Powers.
 
My wife and son got me the box set for fathers day,and I am currently reading the book.It's a miracle any of those guys survived.
 
It is truly sad that our media don't even show these guys the respect to give proper coverage. I sometimes wonder though if some of these guys would rather not have all the media attention and be remembered by those who really care instead.

To Him, His family, and all fellow service members thank you and god bless!
 
Thank you, Shifty, and all the veterans who put their life on the line for my freedom.
 
:beer:

It's a shame more people aren't aware of some of these modern day hero's, or what they went through and what they faught for.

Makes you sit back and appreciate things a little more.

Here's a beer to Shifty:beer:
 
Thank you Shifty.
For those of you that are Band of Brothers fans, there was a new book that was just released in June that the remaining survivors of Easy Co. contributed to. We Who Are Alive and Remain: untold stories from the Band of Brothers , I just finished it and it is a great book.
 
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