Edward Shames

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Edward D. Shames
File:Edward Shames CROP.jpg
Shames in 1945
Nickname(s) "Ed"
Born (1922-06-13)June 13, 1922
Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
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Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service 1942–1973
Rank Colonel
Service number 13117836 (enlisted)
Unit 101st Airborne Division
Battles/wars World War II
Relations David Shames (father)
Sadie Shames (mother)
Anna Shames (sister)
Simmie Shames (sister)
George Shames (brother)
Other work Expert on Middle East affairs for the National Security Agency

Colonel Edward David Shames (13 June 1922 – 3 December 2021) was a United States Army enlisted man and officer who later served in the U.S. Army Reserve. During World War II he was assigned to the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.

At the time of his death, Shames was the last surviving officer and, following the death of Roderick G. Strohl in December 2019, oldest surviving member of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He was Jewish and reported being deeply affected by his personal viewing of Nazi Germany's concentration camps.

Early life

Shames was born in Norfolk, Virginia in June 1922, to David and Sadie [Winer] Shames. Born in Latvia, David and Sadie were Russian-Jewish immigrants who came the United States in 1904 probably emigrating from Odessa. [1][2]

Edward was the youngest of 4 brothers and sisters. [1] Their father died in 1927 when Edward was five.[3][4] Sadie's brother Ben Winer moved in to help raise the family.[5][1]

By age 18 Edward was married to Lillian Hoffman age 16, and lived with his in-laws, Sam and Gussie Hoffman in 1940.[6]

Edward was divorced and remarried Ida Aframe in 1946.[7]

Military Service

World War II

Edward Shames enlisted in the US Army, September 25, 1942.[8] Shames read about and applied for duty with the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He was sent to Toccoa, Georgia for training, starting as a private in I Company, 3rd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment.[3][full citation needed]

In England, Shames was promoted to Operations Sergeant.[9][full citation needed]

Prior to the paratroopers making their jump on D-Day, he built the sand tables the airborne unit used in planning the airdrop into Normandy.

Shames made his first combat jump into Normandy on D-Day as part of Operation Overlord. On 13 June 1944, he received a battlefield commission to second lieutenant, although the formal commission was completed in England.[10][full citation needed]

He was the first NCO in the Third Battalion to receive such a commission in Normandy.[11][full citation needed] He was transferred to Easy Company and took charge of its third platoon.

Shames fought with Easy Company in Operation Market Garden and volunteered for Operation Pegasus led by Frederick Heyliger.[12][full citation needed] He was wounded once in his left leg during the campaigns.[10][full citation needed] He then fought with the rest of E Company in the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne. In Foy, Shames and Paul Rogers knocked out a German tank with a bazooka.[13][full citation needed] In Germany, he saw some of the concentration camps in which the Germans imprisoned and murdered Europe's Jews and, like many American soldiers, was deeply affected.[10][full citation needed]

Post-war

After World War II, Shames worked for the National Security Agency as an expert on Middle East affairs from 1945 to 1982. he also served in the United States Army Reserve and retired as a colonel in 1973. He married Ida Aframe (April 9, 1922 – February 21, 2019) in 1946 and remained married for 73 years until his wife's death on February 21, 2019 at the age of 96.

Shames died in his home in Norfolk on December 3, 2021, at the age of 99. Shames is survived by his sons Douglas and Steven, four grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.[14]

In popular culture

Shames was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Joseph May.

He also provided an audio interview for the documentary Greatest Events of World War 2: In Colour where he briefly described the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes, Belgium.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:CH18-LW2 : accessed 5 December 2021), Eddie Shames in household of Sadie Shames, Norfolk, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 71, sheet 3B, line 97, family 51, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2471; FHL microfilm 2,342,205.
  2. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJJZ-1MC : 4 February 2021), David Shames, 1920.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Airborne: The Combat Story of Ed Shames of Easy Company, Ch 1
  4. ↑ "Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVRW-CZY4 : 16 August 2019), David Shames, 26 Jun 1927; from "Virginia, Marriage Records, 1700-1850," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2012); citing Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia, United States, entry #, Virginia Department of Health, Richmond.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VTM8-8DW : 2 June 2020), Edward Shames in household of Sam Hoffman, Clay Ward, Richmond, Richmond City, Richmond City, Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 118-35, sheet 11B, line 48, family 214, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 4320.
  7. ↑ "Virginia, Marriage Certificates, 1936-1988," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVBB-K44S : 20 February 2021), Edward David Shames and Ida Aframe, 27 Jan 1946; from "Virginia, Marriage Records, 1700-1850," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2012); citing Norfolk, , Virginia, United States, certificate 661, Virginia Department of Health, Richmond.
  8. ↑ "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8PG-6T6 : 5 December 2014), Edward D Shames, enlisted 25 Sep 1942, Richmond, Virginia, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
  9. ↑ p.54, Alexander
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Edward Shames's Biography
  11. ↑ p.117, Winters
  12. ↑ Location 895, Ooms
  13. ↑ p.298, Alexander
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Sources
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External links

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