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Shay Charles Norman

Name:
Charles Norman Shay
Rank:
Master Sergeant
Serial Number:
Unit:
16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division
Date of Death:
0000-00-00
State:
Maine
Cemetery:
Plot:
Row:
Grave:
Decoration:
Silver Star; French Legion of Honour.
Comments:

Charles Shay was born in 1924. American Indian. Veteran of WW2 and the Korean War.
It's a time to reflect on the contributions and sacrifices Native Americans have made to the United States, not just in the military, but in all walks of life.
Charles Norman Shay, a Native American of the Penobscot tribe in Maine, was drafted into the Army in 1943 at the age of 19.
He trained as a combat medic and was assigned to the 16th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division, aka the "Big Red One."
On June 6, 1944, during the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, Shay waded ashore on Omaha Beach. He was soon busy tending to the many wounded.
Later in the war, he applied his medical skills to the wounded at the Battles of Aachen, Hurtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge.
Shay was later attached to a reconnaissance squadron near the village of Auel, close to the Sieg River in Germany. The squadron encountered about 20 German soldiers accompanied by a tank with an 88mm weapon and were forced to surrender.
U.S. Army Europe and Africa Commanding General, Gen. Christopher Cavoli presents War World II Veteran, Charles Shay with a U.S. Army Europe and Africa command coin at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial during the International D-Day Ceremony on June 6, 2021, in Normandy France Charles Shay Indian Memorial on Omaha Beach, Normandy, France in 2017.
The squadron was then marched about 60 miles, moving only by night, to the POW Camp Stalag VI-G. The column of prisoners steadily grew along the way as more Americans were captured. Shay was interrogated and held there until April 12, 1945, when U.S. troops encircled the camp, trapping 350,000 enemy soldiers and liberating the camp.
Upon returning stateside after the war, Shay was unable to find work so he reenlisted in the Army. He was stationed in Vienna, Austria, serving as a medic with a military police unit.
On June 25, 1950, the Korean War started. Shay was assigned to the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division as a combat medic.
His many awards include a Silver Star Medal and a Bronze Star Medal with two oak leaf clusters. He was also awarded the French Legion of Honour.
Shay remained in the Army and retired as a master sergeant.
Today, Shay is an elder member of the Penobscot tribe of Maine. He currently lives in France, and he is active in a number of American veteran projects.

Silver Star Citation: Charles Norman Shay; DATE OF BIRTH: 1924
PLACE OF BIRTH:
Bristol, Connecticut
HOME OF RECORD: Old Town, Maine

Charles N. Shay, 83, of Old Town, Maine, a combat medic who served in the First Division, landed on Omaha Beach on D-day, and spent six weeks as a prisoner of war. A Penobscot Indian whose ancestors were allies of George Washington during the Revolutionary War, Shay received a Silver Star and four Bronze Stars
Silver Star: AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING World War II
Service: Army
Rank: Private
Division: 1st Infantry Division
GENERAL ORDERS: Headquarters, 1st Infantry Division, General Orders No. 39 (July 16, 1944)

CITATION: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private Charles Norman Shay (ASN: 31308724), United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving as a Medical Aidman in the 1st Infantry Division, in action in the vicinity of Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, on 6 June 1944. Subordinating personal safety to the welfare of his comrades, Private Shay repeatedly plunged into the treacherous sea and carried critically wounded men to safety. Private Shay's unselfish heroism exemplified the finest traditions of the Medical Department.