[JonPop]

I’m adding a small part to this page.
Swifty was born in Clinchco, Dickerson County , Virginia March 13, 1923 and passes June 17, 2009. He and his good friend Popeye Wynn joined the paratroopers together. Because of his country upbringing and being a hunter, he was considered the best shot in 101st. He was the one who won the fixed lottery for going home early, but a jeep accident put him in the hospital and he actually didn’t get shipped home until long after the rest of the 101st was sent stateside. He recovered from his injuries and then returned home. He passed at age 86. For those of us who love the Band of Brother series, he (Swifty and the rest of them) will live in our memories for the rest of our lives.

(Sorry, but the pictures wouldn't attach.)






MEMORIAL SERVICE: YOU'RE INVITED!

For the past few days we’ve heard about big splashy memorial services.

We want a nationwide memorial service for men such as 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 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 to everyone you know. Especially to the Veterans.

Rest in peace, Shifty.

[Swe_jo]

Swedish army ranger (pathfinder) for 3 years. 1 tour in A-stan. Just became a civilian in may.

[Loftus]

i might join the air force if school doesnt work out.

think ill have a chance to jelq in boot camp?!?! LOL

[JonPop]

A United States Marine was attending some college courses
between assignments. He had completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan
. One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist and a
member of the ACLU.

One day the professor shocked the class when he came in
looked up to the ceiling and flatly stated, 'God, if you are real,
then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly
15 minutes.' The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop.

Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, 'Here I
am God. I'm still waiting.' It got down to the last couple of minutes
when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and
cold-cocked him, knocking him off the platform. The professor was out
cold!

The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently..
The other students were shocked, stunned, and sat there looking on in
silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked
at the Marine and asked, 'What the heck is the matter with you? Why
did you do that?'

The Marine calmly replied, 'God was too busy today
protecting American soldiers who are protecting your right to say
stupid shit and act like an idiot. So, He sent me.'

[growing4her]

Originally Posted by JonPop

THE DAY PAUL NEWMAN DIED

You're an 18 or 19 year old kid. You're critically wounded, and dying in the jungle in the Ia Drang Valley , 11-14-1965, LZ Xray, Vietnam . Your infantry unit is outnumbered 8 - 1, and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 or 200 yards away, that your own Infantry Commander has ordered the MediVac helicopters to stop coming in. You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns, and you know you're not getting out. Your family is 1/2 way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you'll never see them again. As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.

Then, over the machine gun noise, you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter, and you look up to see an un-armed Huey, but it doesn't seem real, because no Medi-Vac markings are on it.
Ed Freeman is coming for you. He's not Medi-Vac, so it's not his job, but he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire, after the Medi-Vacs were ordered not to come.

He's coming anyway. And he drops it in, and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 2 or 3 of you on board. Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire, to the Doctors and Nurses.

And, he kept coming back.... 13 more times..... And took about 30 of you and your buddies out, who would never have gotten out.

Medal of Honor Recipient Ed Freeman died last Wednesday at the age of 80, in Boise, ID ......May God rest his soul.....

(Oh yeah, Paul Newman died that day too. I guess you knew that -- He got a lot more press than Ed Freeman.
This one is for you Dusty. JP

Damn that story gave me chills. That is a hell of a man. And i joined the NG when Desert Storm started up.Good times during RA training. But the NG wasnt so fun

[ElenaLisvato]

I just love your weblog! Very nice post! Still you can do many things to improve it.

[Lazy 8]

Originally Posted by ElenaLisvato

I just love your weblog! Very nice post! Still you can do many things to improve it.

Thanks for coming to the PE Gym, Elena. We'd love to have some women posting their thoughts.

[PhibbysHammer]

Welcome Elena!! Please make yourself at home!!

[Monkaman]

I pledge allegiance to warriors like Ed Freeman, who have an understanding beyond that which normal people understand as real. People like Ed Freeman are to be respected because they have somehting that so few humans have; people like Ed Freeman are to be learned from, because they have something unique to offer mankind; people like Ed Freeman are to be remembered, because humans so often forget great things so easily; lastly, people like Ed Freeman are to be imitated, because imitating grand things is something mankind usually lacks the courage to do. I thank Ed Freeman and any other warrior like him whose ever walked over the face of this interesting little world we call Earth, because although I did not know him, I know his spirit.

[JonPop]

Just a reminder. If you see some old man in say, the supermarket and he is still proudly wearing a hat with his branch of service, stop for a moment to shake his hand and tell him, "thank you for your service." We are losing our Vets at an alarming rate, over 1000 a day are passing. The men that fought in WW11 are a breed the likes of, we'll never see again.