Had this drop into my email box today

[BHawthorne]

Had this drop into my email box today from the local EAA chapter mailing list and thought it might be of interest to some of you.

Subject: 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.

Last edited by BHawthorne on Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[adflyer]

This letter was mentioned on the NBC nightly news last night.

[warbird1]

Is that e-mail for real? I'm not saying it isn't, but a few things on it are suspect:

1) It has Yeager's personal e-mail address on it. That should have been sanitized and left off, IMO. Maybe Chris (mustangdriver) can verify if that's actually his e-mail address.

2) Yeager is being very, very uncharacteristically different. Since when did Yeager start having an emotional, sensitive side, especially in recent years, where he is being more "crotechety" than ever before? Those words he spoke don't sound anything like what he has ever said or written before. Why would Shifty call Yeager "Son" when they are almost exactly the same age? Also, why would Shifty ask, "do you know where Normandy is?" to someone who is obviously the same age and probably a W.W.II vet himself. Unless Shifty was blind, he would not have asked another person his age where Normandy was? That just sounds fishy to me. There are a lot of inconsistencies in that e-mail. Perhaps, General Yeager was talking about someone else who helped out Shifty at the airport?

3) Since when did Yeager start caring about people other than himself?

All 3 of these items are "red flags" for me. Are you sure this isn't a "viral e-mail" that is making the rounds?

Sorry for diverting attention from "Shifty". He is a true American hero who deserves to be remembered for all of his sacrifices. Thanks to him and his buddies for keeping us free! I agree with everything written above. We SHOULD remember and honor people like him, even though he didn't receive all of the glory and accolades like other Veterans.

I would love to be proven wrong in my perceptions here by someone who can verify that Yeager actually did in fact write this. If so, I will recant what I said, and hope that Yeager is starting a new kindler, gentler self.




***This is not meant to be a Yeager bashing thread, but rather pointing out some inconsistencies between the story and Yeager's past behavior.***

Last edited by warbird1 on Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Chris Brame]

The real story - no CY but inspiring nonetheless:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military ... powers.asp

[warbird1]

The real story - no CY but inspiring nonetheless:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military ... powers.asp

Ah, thanks for setting the record straight! I KNEW that couldn't have been Yeager who told that story!

[BHawthorne]

Makes me wonder why people edit emails like that and claim things. It would have been just as creditable if Chuck Yeager's name wasn't on it. I've edited out all reference to Chuck Yaeger in the email.

[Baldeagle]

This letter was mentioned on the NBC nightly news last night.

I saw that and thought some of the things warbird1 wrote. You'd think somebody at NBC would know what snopes is.




-

[Lynn Allen]

Perhaps the CY was added and the addy isn't any good.....

Still they should have atleast a one day coverage for all the WWII vets like they are still giving the other passing.....

Lynn

[Jiggersfromsphilly]

Just my two cents , but Shifty traveled through Philly several times in the last few years visiting the troops in Hospitals in Germany and attending ceremonies in Bastogne etc. He was usually sponsored by Valor Studios on these trips. I had the pleasure of greeting him in Philly and spending time with him and other vets at the airport between these flights. So the Philly part has some legs to it!

[Django]

Why would someone add CY's name to it? That completely ruins the whole thing. BTW, I got the original, w/o CY.

Maybe it's a guerilla marketing campaign to get CY's name out there.

[warbird1]

Why would someone add CY's name to it? That completely ruins the whole thing. BTW, I got the original, w/o CY.

Maybe it's a guerilla marketing campaign to get CY's name out there.

I think Jack Cook did it! Yea, that's the ticket. He did it with the Candlestick in the Conservatory. (obscure reference for you older forum members)






Just kidding, Jack!

[SPANNERmkV]

warbird1 gets the pony for figuring it ALL out!

[warbird1]

warbird1 gets the pony for figuring it ALL out!

Yay, I just hope I get a non-overweight, non-pregnant pony, so I can use it to haul away warbird parts from PNG!