DeeVeeEight
Fast Pedalphile
I am passing this along from a friend who teaches at
the Army Command and General Staff College.
It was written by James H. Willbanks, PhD,
Director of the College’s Dept. of History.
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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, 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.
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."
James H. Willbanks, PhD
Director Department of Military History
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
100 Stimson Avenue
Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027
the Army Command and General Staff College.
It was written by James H. Willbanks, PhD,
Director of the College’s Dept. of History.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------
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, 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.
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."
James H. Willbanks, PhD
Director Department of Military History
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
100 Stimson Avenue
Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027
