During World War II, Shames was a member of “the famed Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, now known worldwide as the ‘Band of Brothers,'” according to the obituary of Easy Company. The story was later immortalized in the HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers,” based on the New York Times bestseller by Stephen E. Ambrose. (CNN and HBO are part of WarnerMedia.)
Shams” was involved in some of the most important battles of the war. He made his first combat jump in Normandy on D-Day as part of Operation Overload. Shames “earned a reputation as a stubborn and very outspoken soldier who demanded high standards of himself and his comrades,” he said.
“In Germany, he was the first member of the 101st to enter the Dachau concentration camp a few days after his release”.
When Germany surrendered, “Shams” and his Easy Company men entered Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest where “Shams” managed to obtain a few bottles of cognac, a label stating that they were “only”. “Use Führer” were for.
After the war, Shames worked with the National Security Agency as a Middle East affairs specialist. He later served in the US Army Reserve Division and retired as a colonel.
CNN has reached out to the US military for comment.
Sharms was “predeceased by his devoted and beloved wife, Ida.” “They had a beautiful, loving marriage of 73 years. They traveled the world together, making lifelong friends.
A funeral service will be held Sunday morning at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk, Virginia.