D-Day veteran who relocated to Normandy in his last years passes away at 101

Charles Norman Shay, a medic from the Penobscot Indian Nation in Maine, who heroically rescued soldiers during the D-Day landings, has died at the age of 101. As a teenager, Shay pulled fellow troops from the waters of Omaha Beach, earning the Silver Star for his bravery during World War II.

In the final years of his life, Shay lived in a small town in Normandy, just a short distance from the historic beach. There, he shared his experiences with visitors and American troops, recounting the intense challenges faced on June 6, 1944. A statue honoring Shay now stands overlooking Omaha Beach, forming part of a memorial dedicated to Native American soldiers who participated in the landings.

Shay passed away at his home in Thue et Mue, France, near Caen, roughly 30 miles from Omaha Beach. He was believed to be the last surviving member of the approximately 500 Native American soldiers who landed on D-Day, including an estimated 175 at Omaha Beach. His company came ashore far from their planned sector, directly in front of German machine gun positions.

Shay later recalled, My concern was to get to the beach. I was thinking about survival. I began treating the men on the beach who had made it. With naval gunfire and the support of other soldiers neutralizing the machine guns, he focused on aiding the wounded. Observing many soldiers struggling in the incoming tide, he waded back into the water, rescuing as many as he could by lifting them onto their backs and carrying them to safety. I dont know where my strength came from. Once adrenaline starts flowing, you can perform incredible feats, he explained.

Separated from his unit later that day, Shay found a fellow medic mortally wounded and provided him morphine in their final moments together. For his heroism on D-Day, Shay received the Silver Star and went on to earn three Bronze Stars with V devices for his service in Korea. He retired after over two decades in the military.

Born in 1924 in Bristol, Connecticut, Shay grew up as one of nine children in the Penobscot Nation reservation in Maine. He was the only Native American student in his class and crossed rivers by ferry or ice during winter to attend school. After being drafted, he joined the 1st Infantry Division, known as the Big Red One, and landed in the first wave at Omaha Beach. He remained on the frontlines for nearly a year, fighting in battles including the Battle of the Bulge, before being captured and held in a German prison camp until liberation near the end of the war.

After the war, Shay returned home to the Penobscot Nation, reconnecting with his family after being listed as missing in action. He later served as a military policeman in Vienna, Austria, where he met his wife, Lilli. Shay eventually rose to master sergeant, served in Korea, and joined the Air Force, participating in nuclear test programs in the Marshall Islands before retiring in 1964.

Following decades in Austria and back in Maine, Shay returned to Omaha Beach in 2007 for the first time. Reflecting on the experience, he said it was difficult to comprehend the devastation and loss he had witnessed. He moved permanently to Normandy in 2017, the same year a memorial bust was dedicated to him overlooking Omaha Beach, where he spent the remainder of his life sharing his story and honoring fallen comrades.

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• D-Day vet who moved to Normandy in final years dies at 101