WWII veteran, Colonel Shames, honored as a Hampton Roads Hero


Suspended by a parachute, they dropped into war zones from mid-air. Now one of the original World War II Para-troopers is being honored as a Hampton Roads Hero.

A radio program on local station WHRV will feature Colonel Edward Shames. It's all part of a program leading up to Ken Burns' new World War II documentary "The War."

Colonel Shames was a part of the 506th infantry regiment and served as commander of the 3rd platoon for nearly a year. The 506th's "Easy Company" has been featured in a book and on the popular HBO series "Band Of Brothers."

Colonel Shames says that the men who made up this group were the start of special forces as we know them today.

Colonel Shames tells us what it was like dropping into war zones from mid-air, "Coming down I jumped into a hail of tracer bullets going through my parachute, it sounded like something you've never heard before."

The 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment was an experimental group developed at Fort Monroe in 1942

Fresh out of high school, with no military training what-so-ever, Shames thought he fit the bill to become a member.

"They advertised that they wanted the best people, they wanted smart people, and naturally we all thought we were the best and the smartest."

Shames says Army officers expected the civilian unit to be a failure, but to their surprise, it turned out to be a super outfit.

Before Special Forces, before the Seals, or the CIA, Shames says there was the 506.

"Every human in the 506 thought he was Superman."

He remembers one particularly close call on D-day when he landed about five miles off mark and right into the Carnation Milk Factory - in German Headquarters.

The famed "Easy Company" has been featured in a book and in an HBO series. Now shames will be featured as a World War II Hampton Roads hero.

Colonel Shames also says he was the first enlisted man to become an officer in Normandy.

The WHRV radio interview with Colonel Shames will air on September 20th at 1pm. Ken Burns' New World War II Documentary "The War" will air on WHRO, September 23rd at 8pm.

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Be good to listen to that one!!

Thanks for that sweetheart xxx

Some of the good Colonel's content is incorrect. He was one of 125 BFCs listed in a general order to bring the units back to strength after the D-Day losses.

Tony,

I think you are basically correct, but if memory serves me, I have a feeling Shames was made an acting lieutenant on or about June 13th or 14th whilst in the lines near Carentan. So yes his commission didn't come through until later, but I believe he could well have been "in the job" before anyone else.

Paul

Paul,

I don't disagree with you on those specifics of dates. However the article has several other discrepancies. FT Monroe was the HQ for the Coastal Artillery.

The First Special Service Force was activated the same day as the 506th. It was a pet project of Lord Mountbatten and General Marshall. It landed at Kiska, Alaska on 8/15/43, but did not partake of the fighting there. It was then designated for Operation Plough, an attack in Norway. It later served in Italy as its better know as the Devils Brigade. How it is connected to the Airborne is beyond me. They were both elite outfits but I fail to see how AB was the genus for the Special Forces.

Andy,

First of all, good to see you're back. And thanks for this post. About the content of the interview, could it be that the Colonel didn't mean this part about the Special Forces as literally as it seems and that the start of these Special Forces and the 506th were just very close to each other? Just an idea.

C U
Frank

Hi Frank and thanks, to be honest I dont have a clue, I just saw the article as a news story and posted it, just thought that people might be able to pick up the radio broadcast of the Colonel. I never take for gospel what these reporters say

Andy

Hey Andy,

Reporters always have some way of interpreting what they hear and turn it in something different. I don't know if this is the case. I know the Colonel pretty well and despite of what some other people think or say, he is a very humble person, not the bragging type.

Again, good to see you're back!

C U
Frank

I'm sure this has been posted somewhere around here before, but I'm terrible with the "search" feature, so I'll just take my chances. Here's an interview from 2006. Anyone know who the gentleman is with whom Col. Shames is shaking hands?

http://www.menofeasycompany.com/home/index.php?page_id=25

But more apropos of the topic, here is the piece referenced. You have to sign up to listen to it, but it's worth it:

http://www.prx.org/pieces/20779

I'm not sure, but it looks as if it might be Clancy Lyall.

Doug,

You're right, it's Clancy Lyall.

C U
Frank

Thanks to both of you.