Edward D. Shames, Last Living ‘Band of Brothers’ Officer, Dies at 99

Edward D. Shames, the past surviving serviceman of the World War II paratrooper institution whose exploits were recounted successful the best-selling publication and consequent mini-series “Band of Brothers,” died connected Dec. 3 astatine his location successful Virginia Beach. He was 99.

His decease was confirmed by his lad Douglas.

Mr. Shames’s Easy Company, Second Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division parachuted down Utah Beach successful the D-Day penetration of Normandy connected June 6, 1944. It fought the Germans successful France, jumped into the German-occupied Netherlands successful Operation Market Garden and held disconnected Hitler’s troops successful their prolonged siege of the Belgian municipality of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.

When the Germans surrendered successful May 1945, Easy Company had reached Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s abandoned upland retreat adjacent the Austrian border.

The historiographer Stephen E. Ambrose interviewed veterans of Easy Company for his publication “Band of Brothers” (1992). (He took the book’s rubric from Shakespeare’s “Henry V,” successful which the king, successful a St. Crispin’s Day oration, seeks to animate his troops to decision the French successful the conflict of Agincourt:

“We few, we blessed few, we set of brothers;/For helium to-day that sheds his humor with me/Shall beryllium my brother. …”

Edward David Shames was calved connected June 13, 1922, successful Norfolk, Va., to David and Sadie (Winer) Shames. His begetter owned a market store.

Ed joined the Army precocious successful 1942 and volunteered for work successful the paratroopers.

Entering combat arsenic a sergeant with Easy Company, helium was among its galore paratroopers who recovered themselves scattered and mislaid upon hitting the crushed down Utah Beach earlier dawn connected D-Day.

“I landed successful a clump of cows successful a barn,” helium recalled successful a July 2021 interrogation with the American Veterans Center. “I had nary thought wherever I was.”

He rounded up his men and recovered a farmhouse. The husbandman didn’t talk English and helium didn’t talk French, but helium took retired his maps and, done the farmer’s gestures, recovered that helium was successful the municipality of Carentan, immoderate 5 miles from a span wherever helium was expected to person touched down. When helium got determination with his men, helium received a battlefield committee arsenic a 2nd lieutenant for his resourcefulness.

Lieutenant Shames’s institution entered the Dachau attraction campy successful Germany a fewer days aft it was liberated by American troops successful April 1945.

In “Airborne: The Combat Story of Ed Shames of Easy Company” (2015), written with Ian Gardner, Mr. Shames, successful 1 of galore recollections successful the book, told of the battlefield carnage helium had encountered. But Mr. Shames, who was Jewish, struggled to find words for what helium had seen astatine Dachau.

“The stench and fearfulness of that spot volition unrecorded with maine arsenic agelong I live,” helium wrote. “Now, 70 years later, I’d similar to archer you more, but it’s buried truthful heavy successful my psyche that I don’t deliberation the remainder of the communicative tin ever travel out.”

After the war, Mr. Shames worked for the National Security Agency arsenic a specializer successful Middle East affairs. He entered the Army Reserve and retired arsenic a colonel.

In summation to his lad Douglas, helium is survived by different son, Steven; 4 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. His wife, Ida (Aframe) Shames, died successful 2019.

When Easy Company reached Eagle’s Nest, it recovered 5 Mercedes limousines that had evidently been reserved for Hitler oregon his aides. Lieutenant Shames took a joyousness thrust of sorts astir the retreat. But determination was much celebrating to come.

As helium told it successful his 2021 interview, helium recovered “two bottles of cognac labeled ‘for the Führer’s usage only.’” He kept 1 for himself and saved the different for Col. Robert F. Sink, the commandant of his regiment.

Lieutenant Shames took his vessel location arsenic a warfare souvenir and yet enactment it to bully usage astatine a milestone infinitesimal for his eldest son.

“At Steven’s barroom mitzvah,” helium recalled, “I decided to unfastened it up and portion it.”