Charles Norman Shay
U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townshed, left, Native American Veteran Charles Shay, U.S Army Lt. Gen. John Kolasheski at the Charles Shay Indian Memorial, honoring Native American troops who took part in the Normandy invasion on D-Day. Photo: United States Army.
Charles Norman Shay was a tribal elder of the Penobscot Indian Nation and a distinguished combat veteran. Born on June 27, 1924, in Bristol, Connecticut, he moved to the Penobscot reservation on Indian Island, Maine, at age five. After graduating from Old Town High School, Shay was drafted into the U.S. Army in April 1943 and served as a combat medic with the 1st Infantry Division (The Big Red One) during World War II. He was part of the first wave of the Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944, and received the Silver Star for his bravery in rescuing wounded comrades.
Shay participated in several key battles before he was captured in the Sieg Valley and spent nearly a month in German prison camps. After the war, he was awarded four bronze battle stars and re-enlisted. During the Korean War he earned the Bronze Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters for valor and was nominated for a second Silver Star.
After retiring from the military, Shay worked for the International Atomic Energy Agency and continued his service as a security officer for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. He settled back on Indian Island in 2003 and dedicated himself to preserving Penobscot cultural heritage through a museum and various publications.
In recognition of his contributions, Maine's Governor declared June 6, 2007, "Native American Veterans History Day," and in November of that year, Shay was awarded the Légion d’Honneur by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Shay passed away on December 3, 2025, in Thue et Mue, France.
Adapted from a biographical sketch by Bunny McBride and Dr. Harald Prins.
