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Hey guys, Jerry sent me this and I just had a chance to read it...
One of the "Band of Brothers" soldiers died on June 17, 2009. We're
hearing a lot today about big
splashy memorial services for such as Michael Jackson. 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 24/7 news coverage.
No weeping fans on television.
And that's not right.
Let's give Shifty his own Memorial Service online. Please forward
this email to everyone you know,
especially to the veterans.
Rest in peace.
"A nation without heroes is nothing." Roberto Clemente
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