Posted on 06/25/2009 2:01:18 PM PDT by Flavius
Edited on 06/25/2009 2:09:09 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
“The world depended on them. They depended on each other.”
That was the tagline for “Band of Brothers” – an award-winning 2001 HBO mini-series drama on the World War II experiences of Easy Company, a U.S. Army unit that fought bravely and fiercely across Europe.
But for Bristol’s Margo Johnson – daughter of Darrell “Shifty” Powers, one of the soldiers depicted in “Band of Brothers” – two more lines could be added to describe her heroic father: “The world truly admired Darrell Powers. I absolutely adored him.”
“I loved everything about my daddy,” Johnson said. “He never bragged about what he did in the war. And for a lot of years, he never even talked much about what he did – unless someone asked him about it.
“But he truly was a hero to me,” Johnson said. “Just like he’d been to the people who know him as a soldier in a [mini-series].
RIP, Shifty. Well done.
“We might have had a lot in common. He might’ve liked to fish, you know, he might’ve liked to hunt,” Powers said. “Of course, they were doing what they were supposed to do, and I was doing what I was supposed to do.
“But under different circumstances, we might have been good friends.”
And that is the hell of war.
We are losing them so fast, soon they will all be gone and we will be so much the poorer for it.
At easy soldier and thank you.
RIP.
Rest well, screaming eagle. Thank you for a job well done.
I own a copy of Band of Brothers as well as the book. It’s a great story about real citizen soldier heroes. Soon, none will be left with us.
I do not know if we have the calibre of men and women today to step up and fill the shoes of our forefathers should the threat arise. These men and women are a dying breed.
RIP
This is a guy that truly deserves the title of hero.
I have no idea what kind of name “Powers” is but he looks very Scottish in that picture.
Thank you for my freedom, Sgt Powers.
Rest In Peace.
Someone posted recently that Dick Winters isn’t doing well either.
I am going to be very sad when he passes, I almost feel like I personally know the guy although I never met him.
They're in Iraq and Afghanistan right now.
But in terms of the broader population of Obama voters back here, I take your point.
Scots-Irish-—he’s from my neck of the woods in Southwest Virginia, and a relative of U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers, also from Southwest Virginia.
My Mother was a McDuffie and I was struck by how much he resembled some of her Brothers, and Grandpa too for that matter.
Well, damn. RIP Shifty. You were a man’s man. CURRAHEE!
I did reserve backfill at Pope AFB for 6 months during Desert Storm. Being older, I had to give up ECM and avionics and took a slot doing Services, because of my hearing (waivered to stay in, though).
What I saw at midnight chow when I fed those kids that worked the flight line on A-10s, in the middle of the night, far from home and loved ones, in freezing weather, working in hydraulic soaked overalls, proved to me that our young fighting men and women of today are just as dedicated, and willing to endure harsh conditions required of warriors.
You can damn bet that ole Sarge made sure those kids had the best meals we could produce in the best environment that we could arrange. And that they had a shoulder to cry on, or an ear to hear them brag.
Some of our kids are good.
/johnny
Don't sell today's warriors short. You would be pleasantly surprised and reassured.
Careful, my oldest joined during this war and is currently enjoying (sarcasm) the Kuwaitee summer. They may be rare, but they are the definately there.
God bless Shifty.
Thank you for posting that video memorial.
You must be DAMN good when among a team of highly trained, decorated and combat experienced veterans, YOU are the guy they want to put behind the trigger to make the difficult shot.
Rest in peace Shifty, the boys of Easy Company await you at the currahee in the sky.
Prayers up... RIP.
I get your point, as my father is now 89, while my two Uncles, who were in the RAF, are gone.
Good men,all.
But keep in mind, we still have a WW1 vet alive, Henry Allingham, in the U.K.
Let us all give them the honour they all deserve.
Hopefully, we will still have some WW2 vets alive 15 years from now.
"Don't miss, Shifty."
(Shifty didn't miss.)
I know you were probably caught up in the moment, but, I can tell you today’s armed forces are filled to the gills with people just like Sgt Powers.
Today’s armed forces are 100% volunteer. They are among the best and most advanced trained in the world, if not THE best.
I can tell you from experience you have no need to worry. The finest people I ever met in my life were those who I served with.
I now ensure I go out of my way to personally thank and shake the hand of anyone I see in uniform. Or I’ll offer to buy them lunch or a coffee.
Thank you for your service Sgt Powers!
“I do not know if we have the calibre of men and women today to step up and fill the shoes of our forefathers should the threat arise. These men and women are a dying breed.”
Plenty of them in the small towns and country, especially in the South and Mountain West.
My generation remembers you well, you were our heroes, fade away gently old soldier. Thank you the best years of our lives.
Thanks Homer Jay!
I was pretty sure he was the marksman of the group, and now recall the plaintive “Don’t miss, Shifty.” :) .
I also remember “Shifty” talking about the Germans he fought and killed and getting choked up saying that in different circumstances they could have been friends.
A gentleman warrior with a heart of gold and a crack shot.
The best we have serve in the Military.
Sad, that half of America will have no idea that he has passed away being too busy follow that pedophiles death instead.
Yep, I am sadder about this death than the others. These were heroes in the truest sense of the word.
Really, really sad to see these guys passing. Soldiers from WWII really defined the greatness of America, and we’re losing the last of them now without a generation of true heirs to replace them. Rest in well-earned peace.
Thanks!
"Nice Shot Man"
Trust in the fact that our troops serving in combat arms today are just like these guys of WW2.I have met several with three and four combat tours in I-CRACK and afganistan.Tough bunch to be sure.
My dad was there to. Unfortunately I know very little about his experiences as he was already pretty old when I was born. He has a medal, among several, for his participation of Bastogne, Beershtesgarden (sp?), and Anaheim. It’s a little late now but how would I find any of his surviving compadres? Shifty Powers would have known him, but who else?
RIP.
-PJ
You could register at www.wildbillguarnere.com and ask some questions in the forums there - lots of children of WWII veterans (101st Airborne especially) seem to frequent that site. The site is run by Bill Guarnere’s son, I believe, as a tribute to his dad.
Godspeed to a true hero.
He mentioned that he was nearing the end of his career and would retire within a year. I told him I hoped he would be rotated out soon. He said he didn't want to be rotated out. He wanted to retire from service in Iraq!
God bless him.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.