101st Airborne, Shifty

Shifty

"Shifty" By Chuck Yeager

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 is,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 who 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 Jan. 17 after fighting cancer.

The Perfect Solution-Get A Job

This was in the Waco Tribune Herald, Waco , TX Nov 18, 2010

Put me in charge . . .

Put me in charge of food stamps. I'd get rid of Lone Star cards; no cash for Ding Dongs or Ho Ho's, just money for 50-pound bags of rice and beans, blocks of cheese and all the powdered milk you can haul away. If you want steak and frozen pizza, then get a job.

Put me in charge of Medicaid. The first thing I'd do is to get women Norplant birth control implants or tubal ligations. Then, we'll test recipients for drugs, alcohol, and nicotine and document all tattoos and piercings. If you want to reproduce or use drugs, alcohol, smoke or get tats and piercings, then get a job.

Put me in charge of government housing. Ever live in a military barracks? You will maintain our property in a clean and good state of repair. Your "home" will be subject to inspections anytime and possessions will be inventoried. If you want a plasma TV or Xbox 360, then get a job and your own place.

In addition, you will either present a check stub from a job each week or you will report to a "government" job. It may be cleaning the roadways of trash, painting and repairing public housing, whatever we find for you. We will sell your 22 inch rims and low profile tires and your blasting stereo and speakers and put that money toward the “common good.”

Before you write that I've violated someone's rights, realize that all of the above is voluntary. If you want our money, accept our rules. Before you say that this would be "demeaning" and ruin their "self esteem," consider that it wasn't that long ago that taking someone else's money for doing absolutely nothing was demeaning and lowered self esteem.

If we are expected to pay for other people's mistakes we should at least attempt to make them learn from their bad choices. The current system rewards them for continuing to make bad choices.

AND While you are on Gov’t subsistence, you no longer can VOTE! Yes that is correct. For you to vote would be a conflict of interest. You will voluntarily remove yourself from voting while you are receiving a Gov’t welfare check. If you want to vote, then get a job.

Sarah in 2012

THE MSM AND OTHERS  HAVE TOLD  US THAT SARAH PALIN HAS TOO MANY NEGATIVES AND CANNOT BE ELECTED---WHAT A CROCK! THEY ARE AFRAID OF PALIN AND  THOSE LIKE HER! THEY WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO SUPPORT SOME MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD ER,  WHO STANDS FOR NOTHING AND WILL DO LITTLE TO CHANGE THE STATUS QUO.  IT'S TIME FOR A REAL CHANGE AND TO SET AMERICA BACK ON ITS REAL COURSE.  THE STRUGGLE IS  BETWEEN COLLECTIVISM OR INDIVIDUALISM----YOU MAKE THE CALL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Obama the Ham!!!!

WHAT A HAM! HE NEVER KNOWS WHEN TO SHUT UP!!
WE ALL KNOW HE TALKS TO MUCH, BUT THIS IS WAY
OVER THE TOP!! POOR GUY---HE JUST CAN'T HELP IT!

Freedom of Choice

FREEDOM OF CHOICE IS NOT THE AMERICAN WAY ACCORDING TO AMERICAN LIBERALISM.  IN MY LAST YEAR AS A TEACHER MY SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS OPERATING UNDER "FREEDOM OF CHOICE" A SYSTEM THAT ALLOWED THE PARENT OF ANY STUDENT IN THE COUNTY TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO THE SCHOOL OF THEIR CHOICE.  THAT WOULD SEEM TO BE THE AMERICAN WAY, BUT LIBERAL PROGRESSIVES IN WASHINGTON DECIDED THAT THE SYSTEM WAS NOT PROVIDING THE DESIRED RESULTS AND A LAWSUIT PUT THAT SYSTEM INTO THE FEDERAL COURTS.  AND AS YOU MIGHT GUESS THE FEDERAL COURTS CONCLUDED THAT "FREEDOM OF CHOICE" WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND UN AMERICAN.  MY OLD HIGH SCHOOL WAS TOLD TO ABANDON THAT AND FORCE MY STUDENTS TO GO TO A SCHOOL NOT OF THEIR CHOICE, AND DESPITE MY CONTRACT I WAS REASSIGNED TO ANOTHER SCHOOL.  I RESIGNED AND NEVER TAUGHT AGAIN.  THAT WAS MANY YEARS AGO, BUT I'M STILL MAD AS HELL AND WILL NEVER FORGET THE ARROGANCE OF  THE ALL-POWERFUL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL MY LIFE.  GOVERNMENT IS NOT THE SOLUTION BUT THE PROBLEM!!!!

And for those who clicked on the "freedom of choice" link thinking it was a pro-abortion post and supported the murder of the unborn I really feel sorry for your  twisted logic---"freedom of choice" is not freedom to take a life!!!

FREEDOM OF CHOICE IS THE AMERICAN WAY!!!