Charles Norman Shay was born on June 27, 1927. He was married to Lilli Shay. He was drafted in 1943 at age 19 and trained as a medical technician, learning surgical skills before joining the Medical Detachment of the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division (“Big Red One”). As a platoon medic with Fox Company, he treated and evacuated wounded soldiers during the D-Day landings on Omaha Beach, saving many from drowning in the rising tide. He continued serving through major campaigns, including Aachen, the Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. Later, while attached to a reconnaissance squadron near Auel, Germany, his unit was captured by German forces and marched 50–60 miles to Stalag VI-G prisoner-of-war camp. He remained there until April 12, 1945, when the camp was liberated by American troops, after which he was sent home.

After returning home from World War II, Shay struggled to find employment like many veterans. He re-enlisted and was stationed in Vienna, Austria, where he served as a medic with a Military Police Battalion. When the Korean War began, Shay joined the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division as a combat medic, serving in both Japan and Korea. He was promoted to Master Sergeant and awarded the Bronze Star with two oak leaf clusters for his service.

A respected Penobscot elder, Shay restored his aunt Lucy Nicolar Poolaw’s “Teepee” shop into a family museum and helped establish National Native American Veterans Day. In 2007, he returned to Europe to revisit battlefields, a journey later chronicled in his 2012 book Project Omaha Beach. He was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007, a Distinguished Member of the 16th Infantry Regiment in 2008, and, in 2017, inaugurated the Charles Shay Indian Memorial at Omaha Beach. Having moved to France in 2018, Shay continued to represent fellow veterans at D-Day commemorations. As of 2025, there are no confirmed public records regarding whether he is still living; the last known update was his 100th birthday celebration in 2024.

Source of photo and information: en.wikipedia.org