<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;">I want to add that I almost nevr forward anything, but this deserves to go around the world a million times. RIP Darrel "Shifty" Powers, and your extended Band of Brothers in the military who fought and continue to fight for our freedom.<br><br>-Larry "mrgrooism" Steller, Master Mendicant <br><br>"<strong><em>I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.</em></strong>" Edgar Allan Poe <br><br>Favorite Links: <br>YANKEE STADIUM TOURS: http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/ballpark/stadium_tours.jsp <br>FORGOTTEN NEW YORK: http://www.forgotten-ny.com <br>LIBRARYTHING: http://www.librarything.com <br>NEWS FROM ME: http://www.newsfromme.com <br>POVONLINE: http://www.povonline.com <br>THE FAB FAUX: http://www.thefabfaux.com/index.html <br>PENGUIN PERSPECTIVES: http://janetharriett.blogspot.com <br>DEFECTIVE YETI:
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memorial service, you are invited
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<p class="EC_MsoNormal"><u><font face="Times New Roman" size="5"><span style="FONT-SIZE:18pt;">We're hearing a lot
today about big splashy memorial
services.<br><br>I want a nationwide memorial
service for Darrell "Shifty" Powers.
</span></font></u><br><font size="4"><span style="FONT-SIZE:13.5pt;"><br>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 <i><span style="FONT-STYLE:italic;">Band of
Brothers</span></i> 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.<br><br>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.<br><br>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.<br><br>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. <br><br>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.<br><br>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. <br><br>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.<br><br>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.<br><br>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.<br><br>Shifty died on June 17 after
fighting cancer.<br><br>There was no
parade.<br><br>No big event in Staples Center
.<br><br>No wall to wall back to back 24x7 news
coverage.<br><br>No weeping fans on
television.<br><br>And that's not
right.<br><br>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.<br><br>Rest in
peace, Shifty.<br><i><span style="FONT-STYLE:italic;"><br>"A nation without
heroes is nothing."</span></i><br>Roberto
Clemente</span></font>
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