#PenobscotArmyVeteran #CharlesNormanShay dies at 101
Maine Public | By Kaitlyn Budion
Published December 3, 2025
"Decorated Army Veteran Charles Norman Shay, who at 19 saved lives at Omaha Beach on #DDay, has died. A citizen of the #PenobscotNation who was raised in #OldTown, Shay was known for his heroic work as an army medic, and as one of the first indigenous soldiers from the era to share his experiences.
"Born in Bristol, Connecticut, Charles Norman Shay grew up on the Indian Island Reservation, and was one of the first children from the reservation to attend school across the river in Old Town.
"After the United States joined WWII, Shay was drafted into the army. He was trained as a medic, and transferred to the 16th Infantry Regiment — one of the three combat regiments of the 1st Infantry Division that spearheaded the Normandy Invasion, known as D-Day.
"In an interview with Maine Public in 2007, Shay recalled coming out of the water onto Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, and racing to an embankment for cover."
Read more / listen:
https://www.mainepublic.org/maine/2025-12-03/penobscot-army-veteran-charles-norman-shay-dies-at-101
