[Ous-veterans] FW: Great Story

[Wymer, Mary]

Greetings Veteran Students:
I wanted to pass this story on to you.  You may know Gary Payne, who works in our buildings/grounds department.  He is a veteran of the Vietnam War.  This story is about a World War II veteran and was written by Chuck Yeager. Retired Major General Yeager, as you all most likely know, is from West Virginia, and was the first pilot to surpass the speed of sound.
Most of you have been involved in the Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan, but let's never forgot all of the others that came before you.
Take Care,
Mary Ann

From: Gearld Payne [mailto:gearldpayne at yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, February 15, 2013 9:19 AM
To: Wymer, Mary
Cc: Elizabeth Payne; Stump David; payne J.; Mark Tonkery; Bob Payne; lauraepayne at sbcglobal.net; bpayne at southpoint.k12.oh.us; Riehl, Adam; Aites
Subject: Fw: Great Story



----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Mary Deeds <medeeds at adelphia.net<mailto:medeeds at adelphia.net>>
To: Gearld Payne <gearldpayne at yahoo.com<mailto:gearldpayne at yahoo.com>>; Charles Edward Payne <cepayne at zoominternet.net<mailto:cepayne at zoominternet.net>>
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2013 9:42 PM
Subject: FW: Great Story


From: Jennings Deeds [mailto:anniedee at sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2013 7:34 AM
To: undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Fwd: Great Story





Shifty
And think of the media circus, flags at half staff, and all the things that were said
of Whitney Houston when she died and Michael Jackson when he died. .
This hero died with barely anyone's notice.
No Comment required




[cid:1.2401363631 at web140201.mail.bf1.yahoo.com][cid:2.2401363631 at web140201.mail.bf1.yahoo.com]

"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. l7 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 email to everyone you know. Especially to the veterans.

Rest in peace, Shifty.

Chuck Yeager, Maj. General [ret.]


P.S. I think that it is amazing how the "media" chooses our "heroes" these days...

Elvis, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston & the like.




[cid:3.2401363631 at web140201.mail.bf1.yahoo.com]
"SHIFTY" - an incredible American hero.
Please do me a favor and pass this on so that untold thousands can read it.
We owe no less to our REAL Heroes.











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