Begin forwarded message:
Subject: FW: Memorial Service: you're invited. > Vets, > > This is from Glenn Tegtmeyer. Every once in a while a real hero > passes through our lives -- I once met a Marine Colonel (ret) who had > been at Chosun Reservoir. The subject of this e-mail is Darrell > "Shifty" Powers, a WWII Veteran and member of the 101st, and he made all > the jumps. > > > David > > Veterans Committee > > > > Subject: FW: Memorial Service: you're invited. > > > > Don't normally forward these kind of things, but I'm making an exception > for Shifty. > > > > Subject: Fw: Memorial Service: you're invited. > > > > > > After all the fall-d-rah in LA a couple of weeks ago this is refreshing > and timely......Rest with God Shifty..... > > > > Warmest to all, > > cj > > _____ > > > > Memorial Service: you're invited. > > > > > > 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. > > And that's not right. > > Let's give Shifty his own Memorial Service, online, in our own quiet > way. Please forward this email to those who you know still care, > especially to the veterans. > > Rest in peace, Shifty. > > "A nation without heroes is nothing." > (Roberto Clemente) -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: ATT00201.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 14272 bytes Desc: not available URL: <http://okiebenz.com/pipermail/mercedes_okiebenz.com/attachments/20090715/09bcf510/attachment.jpg> _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
