

Lipton studied the spot with his binoculars.

Lipton expressed soume doubts, but Powers insisted it had not been there the previous day. One reason Lipton had trouble was that the object was not an isolated tree there were a number of trees along the road in that area. Looking through them, Lipton could not see anything unusual, even after Powers pinpointed the spot for him. “Sergeant,” he said, “there’s a tree up there toward Noville that wasn’t there yesterday.” Powers had no binoculars, but Lipton did. Shifty Powers came in from an OP to report to 1st Sergeant Lipton. “Don’t miss, Shifty” is from the HBO adaptation. “That’s exactly how Powers was, too,” Schwarz said. They were good guys who were kind of shocked that, 50 years later, people were making a big deal over them for just doing their duty. “He was like most of the other soldiers we met for the series. “Shifty was an incredibly humble human being,” said Schwarz, now executive director of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission in Cleveland, Ohio. Ivan Schwarz, a producer on the “Band of Brothers” HBO series, remembers Powers as a “kind, generous soul with a great sense of humor.” Army unit that fought bravely and fiercely across Europe.īravery – and dignity – was a constant, running thread in the life of “Shifty” Powers, both during and after his life as an Army sharpshooter in the actual “Band of Brothers.”ĭuring the war, he fought brutal battles against the German army across France and Belgium.Īfter the war, Powers served as an eloquent representative for the men he fought with: At one point during the “Band of Brothers” mini-series, he appeared on camera to talk in moving, humane fashion about his grim but necessary task during the war – killing the enemy.Īnd, too, Powers served as a loyal, steadfast representative for the country he fought for: from graciously meeting with a former enemy German soldier to eagerly accepting any chance to speak with modern-day members of the U.S. 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. Like millions of veterans, Powers lived a simple productive life and would have slipped into history unknown if it were not for Stephen Ambrose and the story “Band of Brothers”, which was turned into an HBO mini series. Shifty survived the war only to be seriously injured in an auto accident while en route home and his return to civilian life. Powers and the 506th then entered Germany, liberated concentration camps and captured Hitlers, “Eagles Nest” in Berchtesgarden. The 506th was encircled by superior German forces in the Battle of the Bulge and against incredible odds, successfully defended the city of Bastone. Powers fought in the battle of Carentan and the airborne invasion of Holland as part of Operation Market Garden, where millions of French and Dutch citizens found freedom. He was involved in the assault on Bracore Manor, which saved thousands of lives on Omaha Beach. A quiet, unassuming man, Shifty joined the Army and then volunteered for the Airborne.Īfter intensive training, Powers was assigned to the famed Easy Company 2nd Battalion 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, where he jumped into Normandy on D-day. Shifty, and may God be good to you!!ĭarrell “Shifty” Powers, like millions of Americans, answered the call of World War II. Darrell “Shifty” Powers, one of the soldiers depicted in “Band of Brothers,” passed away on Wednesday, June 17, 2009.ĭarrell “Shifty” Powers (Ma– June 17, 2009) – A True American Hero.
