Bust of Penobscot Nation elder who stormed the beach at D-Day will be installed in Normandy
by Emily Burnham June 30, 2020
Charles Norman Shay, D-Day WWII veteran and Penobscot Elder from Maine, salutes after laying a wreath during a D-Day 76th anniversary ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, Saturday, June 6, 2020. Credit: Virginia Mayo / AP
A new bronze bust of a Penobscot Nation tribal elder and World War II veteran who is credited with saving soldiers’ lives at D-Day will be installed Saturday at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France.
The bust of Charles Shay, now 96, will be installed on July 4 at the Charles Shay Indian Memorial at Omaha Beach, a park that also features a turtle sculpture, sculpted by Shay’s nephew, Tim Shay. The turtle sculpture, unveiled in 2017, is a sacred animal in the Penobscot tradition, representing wisdom and longevity. Many Indigenous people refer to North America as Turtle Island.
https://bangordailynews.com/2020/06/30/news/bangor/bust-of-penobscot-nation-elder-who-stormed-the-beach-at-d-day-will-be-installed-in-normandy/