The last surviving officer of Easy Company featured in Stephen Ambrose’s book “Band of Brothers,” and the HBO miniseries of the same name has died.
Col. Edward “Ed” Shames was 99 and a Norfolk native.
The New York Post further reports:
Born in Norfolk on June 13, 1922, Shames was the oldest surviving member of the “renowned Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division now known globally as the ‘Band of Brothers,’ ” per the obituary. The late vet was “involved in some of the most important battles of the war,” according to the tribute, which noted that he made his “first combat jump into Normandy on D-Day as part of Operation Overlord.” He later volunteered for “Operation Pegasus and then fought with Easy Company in Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne,” noted the obit.
In addition, he was among the first U.S. soldiers to liberate Dachau concentration camp.
During his service, Shames developed a reputation as a “stubborn and very outspoken soldier who demanded the highest of standards from himself and his fellow soldiers,” according to the eulogy, which noted that Shames’ perhaps most memorable exploit came after Germany surrendered and he and other 101st members stormed into Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest.
“Ed managed to acquire a few bottles of cognac, a label indicating they were ‘for the Fuhrer’s use only,’” according to the obit. “Later, he would use the cognac to toast his oldest son’s Bar Mitzvah.”
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Following the war, Shames worked for the National Security Agency as an expert on Middle East affairs and served in the US Army Reserve Division until finally retiring after earning the rank of colonel.
The book and series “Band of Brothers” depict the triumphs and tragedies of E Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, from their training at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, to the surrender of the Nazis.
It is no exaggeration to call Easy Company one of the most admired military units of all time.
I can’t recommend the book or the series enough if you haven’t read or watched them.
Shames’ passing leaves 97-year-old Bradford Freeman as the last surviving member of Easy Company.
Here’s the touching end scene from the miniseries:
Rest in peace, Colonel.