Charles Norman Shay, Commemorative bust and memorial in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, France
Charles Norman Shay is a bronze likeness placed on the edge of Omaha Beach, near the sand and the low sea wall. The face is set at eye level on a stone base, with a small plaque beside it and open grass around the spot.
The sculpture was put in place in 2020 to mark the role of Charles Norman Shay, a Penobscot medic who landed here in June 1944 at the age of nineteen. Under fire he pulled wounded soldiers from the water and was later awarded the Silver Star.
Near the bust, small stones, flowers and handwritten notes are sometimes left by visitors as a quiet gesture of thanks. Local school groups and families come here to hear the story of a Native American medic who helped wounded men on this shore.
The memorial stands outdoors and is easy to reach on foot from the beach path, with no steps around the base. Wind from the sea can be strong, so a jacket helps even in summer when you stop to read the panel.
Shay returned to the beach every year for the D-Day ceremonies and often stood beside this bust to greet visitors in person. The bronze also marks one of the few memorials on Omaha Beach dedicated specifically to Native American soldiers.
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