Robert Besser
07 Dec 2021, 17:31 GMT+10
NORFOLK, Virginia: The last surviving officer in the historic World War II US Army parachute infantry regiment known as Easy Company, Edward Shames, died on December 3 at the age of 99.
During World War II, Shames was a member of the renowned Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, made famous as the Band of Brothers.
Easy Company was later immortalized in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, based on The New York Times bestseller by Stephen E. Ambrose.
Shames was involved in some of the most important battles of the war. He made his first combat jump into Normandy on D-Day as part of Operation Overlord. In Germany, he was the first member of the 101st to enter Dachau concentration camp, just days after its liberation, according to the obituary.
When Germany surrendered, Shames and the men of Easy Company entered Hitler's home, the Eagle's Nest in Bavaria, where Shames acquired a few bottles of cognac, with a label indicating they were 'for the Fuhrer's use only.' Later, he would use the cognac to toast his oldest son's Bar Mitzvah, the obituary added.
After the war, Shames worked as an expert on Middle East affairs with the National Security Agency, later serving in the US Army Reserve Division. He retired as a colonel.
A graveside service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk, Virginia.
Get a daily dose of Austin Globe news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Austin Globe.
More InformationThe EU member-state's parliament says the move is a response to Moscow's ?violence? in UkraineLatvia's parliament, the Saeima, designated Russia ...
As Russian forces advanced in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, volunteers raced against time under deadly fire to convince the last ...
Bangkok - Vast oil and gas profits continue flowing to, and propping up, Myanmar's military junta a year and a ...
Arming Ukraine and keeping Europe united comes at a cost, which Brussels needs to explain to citizens, Josep Borrell saidHelping ...
KIGALI, RWANDA - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Rwanda, the last stop on his three-nation tour of ...
Washington [US], August 11 (ANI): The allegations that former Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and his senior advisors fled aboard with ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: In July, a Florida man was killed by exploding Takata airbag inflators, possibly becoming the 20th death in ...
White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson had surgery Wednesday morning in Chicago to repair a torn ligament in his left hand. ...
Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady was excused from Thursday's practice and will be away from the team through Aug. 20 ...
The Arkansas Razorbacks are coming off a nine-win season, including rare wins over Texas and Texas AM in the same ...
The Dallas Cowboys finally have figured out a way to get backup running back Tony Pollard on the field with ...
Of all the subjects taught in the nation's public schools, few have generated as much controversy of late as the ...