Staff Sergeant Darrell Powers: Currahee

Former Staff Sergeant Darrell Powers, United States Army fought in the famed Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Regiment, 101st Airborne Division during World War II. This is the unit featured in the popular television series, Band of Brothers. Sergeant Powers came from Clinchco, Virginia; he passed away of natural causes on 17 June 2009 —another of America’s true heroes who faded away with not a single mention by the national media.

Staff Sergeant Powers jumped into Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944 along with the other members of his now-famous company. After the airdrop, prevailing air currents moved Powers away from the designated drop zone and separated him from his company. He and another solder joined up and eventually located, and rejoined their company. Powers remained with Easy Company throughout the rest of the war. He participated in Operation Overlord (Normandy), Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge.

After Germany’s surrender in 1945, Powers suffered serious injuries in a vehicle accident enroute back to the United States; his lengthy treatment and recuperation caused him to remain in Germany long after Easy Company returned home.

Actor Peter Youngblood portrayed “Shifty” Powers in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, appearing in all ten episodes.

Staff Sergeant Powers’ decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with combat "V," Presidential Unit Citation, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, the French Croix de Guerre (with Palm), the Belgian Croix de Guerre (with 1940 device and Palm), the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army, and the Belgian Fouragere.

We can never repay our debt of gratitude to men like Staff Sergeant Powers, but we do know this: he is not standing alone.