This is a rebroadcast of an earlier show (original air date June 24, 2024); no calls will be taken.
On D-Day, 19-year-old Charles Norman Shay from the Penobscot Nation was among the first units to land on Omaha Beach. The combat medic found himself pulling injured men ashore, saving many lives. He was awarded the Bronze Star, Silver Star and Legion d'Honneur. After D-Day, Shay served in several other WWII battles and the Korean War. In 2017, the U.S. Army dedicated a memorial statue to Shay at Omaha Beach. Shay, who lives in France now, just turned 100 on June 27th. We learn more about Charles Norman Shay’s remarkable service and the role many Wabanaki soldiers have played in U.S. wars.
Panelists:
Bunny McBride, author, journalist, exhibit curator; co-author of From Indian Island to Omaha Beach: The D-Day Story of Charles Shay
Harald Prins, professor of anthropology, Kansas State University; co-author of From Indian Island to Omaha Beach: The D-Day Story of Charles Shay
Donna Loring, Penobscot author, broadcaster, Army veteran, and former Senior Advisor on Tribal Affairs for Maine
VIP Caller:
John Dieffenbacher-Krall, executive director, Wabanaki Alliance
