Edward Shames
| Edward D. Shames | |
|---|---|
 1st Lieutenant Edward Shames, 1945 | |
| Nickname(s) | "Ed" |
| Born |
June 13, 1922 Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States |
| Allegiance |
 United States |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army |
| Rank |
 Colonel |
| Service number | 13117836 (enlisted) |
| Unit |
|
| Battles/wars | |
| Relations |
David Shames, father Sadie Shames, mother Anna Shames, sister Simmie Shames, sister George Shames, brother |
Colonel Edward Shames (born June 13, 1922) was a United States Army enlisted man and officer who later served in the U.S. Army Reserve. During World War II he was assigned to the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Shames is the last surviving officer of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
Early life
Shames was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the son of David and Sadie Shames. His father died when he was five.[1]
Military Service
World War II
Shames read about and applied for duty with the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. In August 1942, Shames was called to active duty. He was sent to Toccoa, Georgia for training, starting as a private in Item Company, 3rd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment.[1]
In England, Shames was promoted to Operations Sergeant.[2] Prior to the paratroopers making their jump on D-Day, he built the sand tables the airborne unit used in planning the airdrop into Normandy.
Shames made his first combat jump into Normandy on D-Day as part of Operation Overlord. On 13 June 1944, he received a battlefield commission to second lieutenant, although the formal commission was completed in England.[3] He was the first NCO in the Third Battalion to receive such a commission in Normandy.[4] He was transferred to Easy Company and took charge of its third platoon.
Shames fought with Easy Company in Operation Market Garden and volunteered for Operation Pegasus led by Frederick Heyliger.[5] He was wounded once in his left leg during the campaigns.[3] He then fought with the rest of E Company in the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne. In Foy, Shames and Paul Rogers knocked out a German tank with a bazooka.[6] In Germany, he saw some of the concentration camps in which the Germans imprisoned Europe's Jews and was deeply affected, because he is Jewish.[3]
Post-war
After World War II, he served in the Army Reserve and retired as a colonel.
In popular culture
Shames was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Joseph May.
References
- Sources
- Alexander, Larry (2011). In the Footsteps of the Band of Brothers: A Return to Easy Company's Battlefields with Sgt. Forrest Guth. NAL Trade. ISBN 978-0-451-23315-8.
- Ambrose, Stephen E. (1992). Band of Brothers: Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7434-6411-6.
- Brotherton, Marcus (2011). Shifty's War: The Authorized Biography of Sergeant Darrell 'Shifty' Powers, the Legendary Sharpshooter from the Band of Brothers. Berkley Caliber. ISBN 978-0-425-24097-7.
- Ooms, Ronald (2013). Silver Eagle - The Official Biography of 'Band of Brothers' Veteran Clancy Lyall. Pneuma Springs Publishing. ISBN 9781782282648.
- Gardner, Ian; Day, Roger (2010). Tonight We Die As Men. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 184908436X.
- Gardner, Ian; Dicarlo, Mario (2013). Deliver Us From Darkness. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1782008306.
- Gardner, Ian (2014). No Victory In Valhalla. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1472801334.
- Gardner, Ian (2015). Airborne: The Combat Story of Ed Shames of Easy Company. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1472804856.
- Winters, Dick; Kingseed, Cole C. Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters.