On Saturday, November 15, 2014, Zeta Pi Chapter at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA initiated one of its hometown heroes: Col. Ed Shames - a member of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment in the 101st Airborne Division, United States Army during World War II. Easy Company is best known as the subject of the book and HBO series "Band of Brothers". A brief description of his actions in World War II is below:
At the age of 19, Shames entered the training camp at Toccoa, GA in September 1942 as a private in Item Company, 3rd Batallion, 506th Regiment. He endured the grueling training process and ran up the nearby Currahee Mountain numerous times. After Toccoa, he completed additional training and earned his jump wings and shipped out to England in September 1943. He was promoted to Staff Sergeant and was responsible to learn and brief the 3rd Battalion on every detail of the invasion. He constructed sand tables that were used in planning the Normandy invasion.
Shames jumped into Normandy on June 5, 1944 and landed amidst the cattle on a farm having no idea where he landed. After finding some other paratroopers, he opted to knock on the door of a local farmer to help identify their location. He knew from training that the last place that he wanted to be was in Carentan – where the German armor was headquartered. Shames and the others made a quick exit after the farmer was able to explain that they were in Carentan...(See video at around 2:40 mark):
Due to his leadership and actions on D-Day assisting in securing vital bridges and during the Battle of Bloody Gully, Shames was promoted to Lieutenant by Colonel Sink. He was the first NCO in the 3rd Battalion to receive a battlefield commission in Normandy. After returning to England, he was reassigned to Easy Company.
Shames participated in Operation Market Garden, jumping into the Netherlands. He later participated (as a volunteer) in Operation Pegasus, which evacuated more than 130 British paratroopers. He was assigned to serve as the Lieutenant for Easy Company’s 3rd Platoon. He defended Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge and led assaults in Foy and Noville. In Foy, he helped to disable a German tank with a bazooka.
Shames was known to be a rough and tough officer with a no-nonsense attitude. Shames explained that he knew he had to be serious as men’s lives were in his hands. Under his leadership, his platoon experienced the least amount of losses.
Following the Battle of the Bulge, Easy Company helped to liberate a concentration camp and was later sent to Berchtesgaden, where Shames visited Hitler’s Eagles Nest and claimed one of Hitler’s silver cups. He accepted the surrender of a German officer and relieved him of his side-arm, discovering later that the German was Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring, a top German commander.
Following the war, Shames served in the Army Reserves and retired as a Colonel.
Brother Shames is pictured proudly wearing his new Theta Chi hat provided by Zeta Pi with Past National President Carlton Bennett and Associate Executive Director Ben Hill. He is the cousin of Zeta Pi/Old Dominion alumnus Harold Winer 1971. We’ll have more on Brother Shames and his initiation in a future edition of The Rattle.
Brother Shames noted that he was very impressed with Theta Chi and our ceremony and is humbled to have been considered for membership.
We are honored to have Col. Ed Shames as a member of Theta Chi Fraternity - in our Band of Brothers.