

By Marcus Brotherton
Darrell “Shifty” Powers was a soft-spoken machinist who never aspired to greatness. He was born, grew up, got married, raised his family, worked, retired, and died in Clinchco, a remote mining town in southwest Virginia. Aside from a few years he spent working in California and his years in the war, he seldom traveled outside his tiny hometown. Shifty was a self-described mountain man, a hillbilly. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, working in his vegetable garden, and shooting rifles at targets from his front porch. He began the war as a lowly private and ended the war as a squad leader, never leading a group larger than 12 men. After the war, he was never the boss of anything. He never held public office. He never made much money. He never chased any of the contemporary definitions of success—popularity, power, or position. Yet, despite this humble life, the world knows his name today.
Why?
Certainly much of Shifty’s notoriety has to do with his association with the Band of Brothers. Shifty Powers was a soldier with the now-legendary Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.
The Band of Brothers formed and trained at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, under the tough and controversial Captain Herbert Sobel. After training stateside, the men rode the troop ship Samaria to Aldbourne, England, for further battle preparation. They parachuted into Normandy on D-Day and later into Holland for Operation Market-Garden. They fought their
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12 thoughts on “Darrell “Shifty” Powers: Easy Company’s Sharpshooter”
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God Bless America with heroes like Sergeant Darrell “Shifty” Powers.
God bless all of them — the long and the short and the tall.
Excellent story of a good man. A fine soldier. We need more like Shifty.
What a true hero and a true gentleman.
Thank you Mr. Powers.
Great story of a true and humble american Hero! In the Netherlands, we are all still gratefull for his and his buddies’ sacrifices that brought us freedom!
Super article best I read in along time
Great article! My late uncle was a Toccoa man from Fox Co.506th. Look forward to reading the book! Thx!
Some story. These guys walked the walk. I knew Babe Hefron from Easy Company. He’d come into Dos Gringos bar in St. Pete. and drink one beer usually, they had just finished filming “Band of Brothers.” What an honor it was to know him.
Good men all, Heroes, those that stayed and those that came home to a thankful America.
Class gentlemen, Thanks/
TOO BAD THAT OUR POLITICIANS ARE NOT LIKE SHIFTY. WE WOULD BE IN A LOT BETTER SHAPE IF SOME OF THEM WERE.
Its amazing to see at my age late sixties veterans I so admire like Shifty. My first experience was live TV where a civil war confederate soldier and a union soldier were decked out and talking to each other on a live camera… both more than a century old. Then in my 20’s I met a well known ww1 vet (Dwight Kelly) … he was in his 90’s then. I grew admiring his humor and fun attitude about life. I also trained for Vietnam.. but my most endearing memory are ww2 vets… many my friends (Hans Jacoby) a German Jew that fled Germany in 1936 and become a hero and my dearest friend. I just wish I had a chance to meet Shifty.. just to laugh and see his generous smile. God Rest your Soul..
Mike Saigh
Thanks for this…enjoyed hearing the tales of the 101rst from Hank DiCarlo, Co. H. He talked of how they relied upon their best marksman when they were at Foy, on the outskirts of Bastogne…and when they attacked a German tank, the commander threw his hatch open–leaving the opportunity for their best shot to drop him…which he did. They then clambered onto the tank, throwing in grenades, which set the tank on fire.
Never underestimate the single soldier who can shoot well.
Thanks, Shifty. You did your duty…you had nothing to ”explain” to anyone.
Tom Fowler