ROCKLAND, Maine — A new Maine State Ferry Service vessel being built to serve Matinicus Isle will be named the Charles Norman Shay after a heroic Maine veteran and member of the Penobscot Nation who served as a combat medic during the D-Day invasion during World War II.
Shay was 19 years old and living on Indian Island when he was drafted to serve in the war, according to a release from the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT). He served as a combat medic during the D-Day invasion and saved many lives on Omaha Beach. He is believed to be the last living Native American who stormed the beaches of Normandy, according to the release. Shay's heroic efforts on D-Day earned him the Silver Star and the French Legion of Honor.
Shay also served in the Battle of the Bulge and, after World War II, he served in Korea. He's now 99 years old and living in France. He will turn 100 in June, the release stated.
In August 2022, MaineDOT awarded the ferry vessel construction contract to Steiner Shipyard in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. Construction on the 104-foot-long diesel ferry began in November 2022, and it will have the capacity to carry 149 passengers and seven cars, MaineDOT said. The cost of construction is approximately $10 million.
Selecting a name for a new Maine State Ferry Service vessel is done through consultation between the MSFS Advisory Board and the commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation, according to the release. Earlier this year, Matinicus residents recommended to the MSFS Advisory Board that the island's new vessel be named after Shay due to the Penobscots' presence on the island for centuries prior to the arrival of European settlers.
Shay has deep family roots in the areas that will be served by this vessel, MaineDOT said, adding this will be the first MSFS vessel named for a Native American.
The Charles Norman Shay is expected to arrive in Rockland in the first half of 2024.
