Full Interview: Ed Shames (Part III)
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 18 дек 2014
- Part II of Ed Shames' full interview with the American Veterans Center. Shames was a member of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division--better known as the "Band of Brothers."
Recorded May 27, 2014.
One of the best WWII 101st ABN first person accounts ever. Ed Shames recounting of his experiences was enthralling.
I could listen to this gentleman all day. Great stories!
Everyone has their own perspectives and viewpoints based on their own experiences. No two experiences are the same, especially in war. What one mans sees, feels and hears may be completely different to a man in a platoon in the next hedgerow over. Both may be fighting in the same battle against the same enemy but have two completely different viewpoints. Shames and Winters had two very different wars, different backgrounds, different combat experiences. Naturally that would shape their post war viewpoints especially as they got older. I don't see either man being 'all right' nor 'all wrong', likely (like most things) the truth lies down the middle. Shames' only real mention in the series is Winters dismissing him saying 'he shouts a lot at his men'. Shames says he was hard on his men. Both may be right or not. But it matter little in the grand scheme of the war and the wider 'story' of the 101st and the 'Band of Brothers'. Shames may not be part of Ambroses 'version' but he is very much the living embodiment of that famous 'Band of Brothers' forever.
This was a fantastic interview, one that I enjoyed immensely. It's fantastic to hear 'living history' directly from the men who were actually there. It's important we capture these recordings and memories while we can. In the next few year we will see 'Living History' become just 'History', as we did a decade ago with our now departed WW1 veterans. We lost most of their stories and memories, and we will lose most of the WW2 veterans stories - so its extra important we record those we still can.
Thank you Mr Shames, it was a pleasure, and an honour, hearing your story.
Well stated. "Different view points" is an important consideration is assessing incidents and histories. I found that to be true in the construction trade, where there was pressure on people, especially foremen, and project managers, and often enough inaccurate judgements were made and wrong blame assigned. It would be more so in the pressure of the battlefield and the theater of war. Emotions run high when people are dying. People butt heads and make judgement without enough information, but they have to make those judgments because in the mayhem of war, information is rare, and decisions and judgments are urgent. Historians have their viewpoints, sources they believe, and biases, and that is why it's necessary to read more than just one historian's version of any event.
Yes, It is so great that they are doing these interviews. I could kick myself for not having my father do an interview like this as he was a Korean and Vietnam war veteran. He just died two years ago. And now his history is lost forever!
This series is superb as is. The background it adds to “Band of Brothers” and the 506th is phenomenal. I looked up Shames on the internet and found his unit contained many names featured in that dramatization. What an incredible individual, another great national asset. Thanks to the creators of this so much for the vital history lessons
God Bless you Sir!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for your BRAVE and SELFLESS Service for our Nation !
I'm just speechless with gratitude for this interview.
Thank you, great stories. All accurate as his mind can remember it. Unbelievable journey and decisions made to stay alive throughout his service. Truth can be told.
This was an incredible interview. It's fascinating to hear the story from the perspective of another officer. Even Winters admits in his book that there was an incredible amount of animosity in the unit and that stories would change depending on who told them. Not that any of that will ever diminish the accomplishments of these men. Mr. Shames is obviously embellishing some of his stories, though.
Thank You for your service and your stories Colonel Shames. You are one tough bastard. 🇺🇸🪖✡
I’ve watched - and commented - on all 3 parts of this prolonged interview with Col. Shames. He is a good and honest, albeit admittedly tough, man. His recall of the events he lived through in the war are truly remarkable, what struck me most about this last past what the last 10 minutes. I’ve no reason to dismiss this man’s recollections of his interactions with Mr. Ambrose, and his platoon sergeants statements reinforce that. Neither can I possibly refute his description of Col. Winters - a man I had come to admire over the course of the book and the series (and in interviews) - as an anti-Semite; that is never something that is said lightly. It was painful to hear, but at the same time - having watched 3 hrs of interviews with this man - his character seems above reproach. He is blunt to a fault, yes, and I can see how he might have gotten on the nerves of his superiors, but he is honest and was obviously an excellent soldier/officer.
You nailed it, those last 10 minutes were tough to listen to, I also admire Maj Winters and I’ve seen all of his documentaries and videos that have him speaking and recollecting his experience during WW2 and the statement Mr Shames made about winters being an Anti-Semite caught me off guard: something I literally have a hard time believing. I have a theory maybe Maj Winters and Lt Shames clashed at some point and when I mean clash maybe there was a power struggle between the two, no chemistry or just didn’t quite get along well. Mr shames was direct, possessed great mapping and planning skills and Winters was an exceptional combat/field leader and favorited by many, something tells me Shames probably took some of winters fan base to heart and left a bad taste, but overall that statement did catch me off guard.
I can see many/most of the men telling Ambrose to take a hike.
This man is a true hero. No doubt his amazing memory and the recounting of his exploits can be corroborated. I am in complete awe. May God bless his bright shining soul.
THANK you so much American Veterans Center for this OUTSTANDING interview and now piece of history that can be shared with posterity. And GOD bless you LT Shames for your brave service to the Nation and to defeat Hitler's Nazi Socialists !
Thank you very much!!! What an amazing man and very interesting interview. It's too bad that Mr. Shames didn't write several books like Mr. Borgett did. This would have greatly helped to set the story straight about the Band of Brothers book and movies. I like most men liked the Band of Brothers movies. I almost bought the series on DVD. Even last week, I was at Walmart doing some shopping and I looked at the DVD's and once again, I almost bought it. After listening to Ed Shames interview I wouldn't waste my money on a fairy tale. However, I did just buy all four books written by Don Borgett on half.com and I can't wait to receive them. I certainly will read them in the proper order and get the truth about how it was to be a Screaming Eagle of the 101st Airborne.
Do you really believe that a Regimental CO (Colonel) would directly contact a Platoon Lieutenant, bypassing his Battalion CO and Company CO? I'm sure he did and went all of the places he saying but he's certainly embellishing some of the details. You need to be objective when listening to people's stories, even when given in person.
The stories about Shames come from multiple people. Shames called Winters an anti Semite, and Sobel a good officer. No one else has ever said that about Winters. And Shames said this after Winters and most of the regulars in E company had passed away. Shames wasn't incompetent in the field like Sobel but apparently he yelled a lot. He admits he yelled a lot. But do you really believe that Shames had all of this contact with Sink and the people at regimental and batallion headquarters?
@@iShaymus I agree. Shames called Winters an anti Semite and this was after he and most of the regular E company guys were not around anymore. No one else ever called Winters an anti Semite. Shames makes it seem like he was buddy buddy with Sink.
@@ltrain4479 When did Shames call Winters "anti-semite"? I didn't find it in these videos. Maybe I missed it. Could you please point it out?
@@xieweijia6977 start around 55:00
love this guy. thanks Lt Shames
Colonel shames
great interview...
NEVER FELT SO SMALL ,I HOUPE I CAN TAECH MY KIDS ABOUT MAN LIKE THIS . ILL NEVER FORGET
May this hero Rest In Peace. The Winter’s Nixon connection was eye opening! I’m a fan of Ambrose for sure, but I feel this gentleman was completely telling the truth.
Not buying his bit about Winters. Sure he could have felt the way he felt and have percieved slights, not buying it though. In his own words he didn't make friends with the other officers. If you're going to stir the crap pot, don't be bitter when it comes back at you, and don't fall back on I'm a jew and all these other guys are jew haters. And the way he called everyone else but himself a drunk, but there he is getting hammered with the rest of them... it's ironic. He was the "call it as I see it" type. It only means he was truthful by his way of seeing things.
Why was Shames done dirty in "Band of Brothers"? The mission to rescue Dobie's troops was portrayed as being led by Moose Hyieliger. The only time Shames is mentioned in the show is being sent back to the states for 30 days after Bastogne....
Sounds to me like He should have had a much larger part.
I think Lt Peacock was sent back to the states for 30 days. Lt Shames was described briefly as a good officer but yells too much. I agree Mr Shames has great information about the 506 Easy co. I intend to read his book.
Shames was S3
The battalion S3 officer is responsible for training at the brigade and battalion level when the units are not deployed. He defines and writes manuals for the tasks that the unit and its individual soldiers are expected to perform. He spent most of his time probably running back and forth to Bat. HQ then dug in on the front line.. That is his job to give HQ situational awareness. Unfortunately It sounds to me like He is embellishing the part he did play. If he did over emphasized his position in front of the men of of E co. that would have put them off.
@@davsim4116 he was the operations sergeant (presumably in the S3) prior to Overlord. He then jumped into Europe as part of operation Overlord, after this he was given a field commission to 2LT. He was then made the PL for 3 platoon Easy Company during Operation Market Garden. He took shrapnel. He fought at the Battle of Bulge and destroyed a tank with a bazooka in Foy.
Your characterization of him as just part of the S3 skips over most of his service in WW2. Its weird how anyone who criticizes Winters gets met with skepticism and hostility. But very few people are willing to consider Winters might not have been as great as he gets portrayed by Ambrose.
Bud, they can't concentrate on the proper extent of everyone's story. You need to pick a few characters and even with them, a few key points and a certain spin/point of view. There's a lot in the unit equally brave that weren't in the show, did you care to look into them?
It would be interesting to hear of his promotions between lieutenant and colonel.
People need to use their damn brains.
Band of brothers is written from the perspective of one small group and focuses on the unquestioned word and perspective of Winters.
If ANY other officer outside of Winters clique of chums was black out drunk like Nixon was they’d be called the most disgraceful and disgusting thing to ever be in a uniform. They wouldn’t be portrayed as charming and happy go lucky.
It says a lot that people can’t think and use some perception and understand things may be biased..
Focuses on the unquestioned word and perspective of Winters? Did you read the book the series is based on, where Ambrose talked to more than several members of Easy Company?
No need to hate, Winters' story has more than just Ambrose's book to stand on.
Not saying that Shames is a total liar either. The fact is by there were plenty of voices that concurred that men like Dike or Sobel, while they might have done well in other places at other times were not good C.O.'s of E company.
I think Winters made Nixon's struggles abundantly clear, but just like Shames had guys that he went all the way back to the beginning with. Those types of bonds aren't just broken because of their own personal issues.
It seems to me just listening to Shames interview that he gave himself a lot of self importance.
watching on the 16th of december SIR,,,,,
This has to be one of the most interesting and entertaining interviews I've had the pleasure to watch. Thanks
I can’t concentrate who the hell is eating by the microphone during his
Life story serving the United States that is not the time to lip smack in my ear
It’s unbelievable that audio was allowed in this, why would they let that in?! It was unbearable and honestly disgusting hearing someone’s mouth chewing directly in my ear
Watch your mic, I can hear the camera man's mouth.
It's so annoying.
I knew it I knew it, Ambrose tells the reader what to and how to think. I don't read second oR third hand stories, being a 23rd Infantry Div AMERICAL VN 1970 Disabled Veteran.
How do you like that. I knew it. War is timeless.
Having read a couple of his books, I feel safe saying your claim is not accurate at all. His stories are based on thousands of hours of interviews with the actual people that he wrote about. Can’t get more authentic than that.
@@Brees1986 There are a lot of proven historical inaccuracies in the BOB book. And because Colonel Shames told Ambrose that he was mostly left out of the book and miniseries. The Colonel was no bullshitter. I'll give you one example, in the BOB miniseries it is shown that Albert Blithe was killed during WWII. That's incorrect. He survived WWII and fought in the Korean War as well.
@@DutchiesOnVacation That and Liebgott was not jewish, he was Catholic. So that narrative just gets ruined since they kind of focused a major part of an episode on it. Lt. Harry Welsh was not very liked by Winters. He didn't like the fact that he was always drunk. Apparently the shooting of Moose has to do with Harry being drunk and not at the right area, which is why the kid fired. Harry went off drunk when he should have been watching with that kid. Which is all ironic since Winters was bff's with the biggest alcoholic in E company. Harry was apparently worse according to Winters. Something they do not show. I also believe Spiers was not involved with the show in much of any capacity. In the documentary, Winters says that he mailed "Sparky" Spiers and asked him once and for all if the shootings of the PoW's is true. He responded in writing that yes, its true he shot a drunk sargeant, and yes he did shoot those PoW after giving them cigarettes. He signed his name and all. Saying they can use it in the show.
ruined by interviewer scratching his balls
i like knowing even the greatest of us throw out valuable stuff unknowingly
I'm not questioning this man's honor or bravery. I appreciate what he did but his accounts of events where commanding officers go right to him with orders, instead of following the chain of command, makes me doubt the accuracy of his statements.
I have 30 years of service as a Regular Army Infantry Officer. I kept my boots muddy (stayed in line units) I generally tried to use and thus preserve the chain of command ....but if you really want something to happen you realize that you need to delegate to where there is a level of competence. You want to find a warrior who can make it happen and tell him directly what is at stake. I often did that. I have the greatest respect for Ed Shames.
Smart guy...
Did he go to work for the CIA???? What is the company he mentioned that you never retire from??? Would not surprise me that this brave man served in the CIA after the war!
The NSA. He worked in the middle east for the American government well into his 90's.
@@DutchiesOnVacation NSA is what he openly declares because he is not going to say he worked for the CIA!
@@LeesTexan He didn't work for the CIA he worked for the NSA and I know that for a fact. I have personally known the Colonel for many years and even had the NSA transfer telephone calls from him to me.
The drunk he's talking about is in Band of Brothers played by Ron Livingston
Rest In Peace sir. And thank you. I live along Hell’s highway
Shames claimed Winters was an anti semite and a suck up to the senior officers. I find this incredibly hard to believe considering Shames is the only person claiming this, while everyone else in the company worshipped his high character and leadership.
I’m in that same boat, I’ve seen interviews with Bill Guarnere and people like bill are also like shames. Straight and as honest as you can get, if someone like bill commences winters on being a great officer/competent combat leader; it sort of discredits what shames said about the guy. I have a serious hard time believing winters was an anti-Semite, it just doesn’t sit well with me believing that..
* side note
I believe shames was as upfront and honest with his recollections of the war but a theory of mine is that maybe there was a form of jealousy towards winters since he was the fan favorite.
Worship? What an insult to enlisted men. They don't "worship" officers. Officers need to EARN their respect and work FOR them. They RESPECTED Winters because he did a good job SERVING them, keeping them alive and a force to be reckoned with.
"I never knew what war was until i got married" thats hilarious! This guy would have been fun to serve with. What an experience these guys had. When they came home it was probably boring. Imagine being 20 and seeing what they did.
Richard Nixon.... thought it was Lewis Nixon. Either way, it seems to be common knowledge that Nixon drank too much.
It was Lewis Nixon. Richard Nixon was in no way attached to the the 506th.
It is Lewis, he's mixing up Major Richard Winters, intelligence officer Lewis Nixon and President Richard Nixon lol. To be fair though he was in his nineties here.
What a great interview about the 506 and easy company. It's a shame that so much history is lost, due to not fitting the narrative of a writer or Hollywood producer. I'm sure there may have been some embellishment to his story but same goes for every story. I'm sure the account given on the Band of Brothers is quite accurate but it doesn't include the whole story of easy company. It is likely that the mutiny staged by the officers of easy company before D-day, was in part due to prejudices that existed in our society at that time. We can't correct history but those whole fail to learn from it are doomed to repeat it.
The interviewer really took away from this with all his movements and mic noise
0.49. Just the clarify, this isn't THE Richard Nixon. For a start he was in the US Navy, and his family was poor.
you need a sound guy bad.
The audio of the guy doing the interview is terrible! You can hear chewing and loud blasts of him moving his mic around blasting my ear drums! It’s terrible
All that wartime booty - says a lot!!!!
0:40 another Watergate....the Nixon name is cursed..
Why did the HBO series Band of Brothers portray him a a BUFFOON???? Also when he said "Richard Nixon", was his Co. I thought it was Lewis Nixon.
I caught that too. LT Lewis Nixon was a drunk from NJ tho & totally deserved to be woke up by a pitcher of piss. Squad leader Shames/Shamus felt he had to yell at his men ALL THE TIME per Capt Winters as they assaulted the village Foy thru a hay field.
Richar Lewis Nixon everyone called him by his middle name
@@howardfortyfive9676 per capt Winters ??? your statement doesn`t explain whether capt Winters told him to yell or not .
His mental acuity is failing...
17:22 good god that destroys the moment completely wth up with that
42:55 absolutely unbearable! I had to rip my ears buds as fast as I could I thought I was gonna have my ear drums blown out god dam
Thanks a lot for pointing this out now I've blown my ear drums.
It's horrible
Is that you moving around?
Man they did this guy wrong in the Series Band of Brothers. He was selected for Company Command at the end of the War, that would not have happened if he was not a good leader as they tried to say he was'n't in the show.
They said he shouted to much, which Shames himself has said he did. They never complained about his leadership.
WHAT is the ROOKIE interviewer chewing on in his mic. at the first part of this interview . GROSS . Jesus , nice job.
Interviewer may have been *nervous ya know.*
You want to see a lousy interviewer look up the interview of Bill Guarnere at his home in South Philly.😅
He was tapping the microphone. Give it a rest.
Well you dont want believe that Winters was any kind of a bad guy and we'll never know this side of heaven but dam he sounds legit to me. If he is making some stuff up then he's darn good at it.
Winter's version is the version I accept as legit.
Winters wasn't any kind of a bad guy. Shames just hated Nixon because he was a drunk who didn't want to be in the military and Shames had military written all over him (Shames worked for the American government his entire life!). Shames didn't want to work for Nixon and got himself transferred away from him. Winters and Nixon were good friends during and after the war. So it's not that big of a surprise that Winters wasn't Shames' biggest fan. It is a know fact that 3rd platoon was a highly effective platoon with great soldiers like Earl McClung, Shifty Powers, Buck Taylor, Paul Rogers and Rod Strohl. And the had a great soldier as their leader: Ed Shames.
@@DutchiesOnVacation I forget the timelines, but I think Winters was already promoted to battalion by the time Shames went into Easy Company. So their interactions would mostly have been S3 Staff Sergeant, the one with the maps, at briefings. And whatever interactions Battalion XO had with platoon leaders under them.
Also, while Winters and Nixon friendship was discussed in Winters book, with Winters working for the Nixon family plastics business, Nixon's alcoholism is also discussed. Nixon was kicked upstairs to Battalion S3 to get him out of the direct command structure of the battalion. But his alcoholism eventually got him kicked back downstairs. Winters mentions how he was asked if he could handle Nixon. Because of their friendship he agreed to take him on.. But it was years before Nixon overcame his alcoholism.
Who does a thumbs down on this?
Has this guy been vetted
He worked for the NSA I’m sure he was vetted by a government agent to not answer any questions on what his roles were during his time working for the American government..
It came out later that Ambrose was a damn liar in ALOT of ways!
He sees it one way and 150 men seen it different and they are all dead and can't dispute his stories
When LT Shames got orders 2 work w/Dutch resistance as a civilian had he been caught by krauts he could have been shot as a spy. I'm betting that's why he was scared so much... 4.23.2019
possibly, however, the thought of war is a motivating factor of fear. I love to listen to interviews of Veterans of previous wars share their experience and they all to a man say that they were scared. I agree with you.
Unfortunately It sounds to me like He is embellishing the part he did play.
Every interview needs to be taken with a grain of salt. No doubt, Col Shames is a hero. However, nobody else interviewed agrees with his conclusions. Because of the climate of outspoken racism toward himself, his views are skewed. When placed into a larger picture, his views should be compared against others to give a clearer picture. For instance, as a battlefield commissioned 2LT, he was constantly trying to prove to the other officers that he belonged, regardless of how he personally felt about how he was received. His perceived racism towards himself helped to shade his opinions. He tells us that he didn't want to go to reunions because others are not telling the truth. The members of E Company continued to reach out to him until all of them died. He is the last man standing. He always considered himself as an outsider. This is my personal conclusion. Now, only Col Shames knows for sure. When he passes, we will have lost a great man.
Uhhh the Colonel did attent a number of Easy Company reunions
After his account of “Richard” Nixon I knew why he wasn’t portrayed in Ambrose’s book, BoB HBO series. He’s a nut!
Or just really old and he forgot a first name from 70/80 years before.
@@TheEnoEtile Or it was a slip of the tongue.
I’m sorry but if any other officer outside of Winters clique of buddies was blackout drunk all the time he’d be calling them a disgrace to the army and the worst officer he’s ever seen.
Instead the guy is lionised as a charming rough round the edges intelligent dependable guy.
And Shames is dismissed as “a guy who shouted all the time” and Dyke who received a bronze star for previous combat and was known to have stopped in Foy due to a heavy wound is called “fox hole Norman”
Despite Dyke actually having duties at regiment ( he literally had to go back to ensure his subordinates were doing their jobs properly) none of that is taken into account.
You got to realise band of brothers is told from the perspective of a small group and winters word was taken as gospel.
Even the “salute the rank not the man” situation is not so simple.
Malarkey honest to a fault points out in his book that Winters actually made a point to run up and ambush Sobel to make him salute him, which of course is more petty than it was portrayed.
Doesn’t make Winters a bad person or not a great officer. Just he wasn’t a perfect infallible magnanimous figure…
I call bullshit on Winters being anti-semitic. I’ve never heard a thing from other members of Easy or anyone else. Also Richard Nixon? Last I checked he wasn’t in Easy. Lewis Nixon was though. This guy seems to enjoy embellishment and bullshit.
I feel he's angry on how he was portraid in the book. He talks about Paul Rogers and Rod Strohl not liking the book and Ambrose, yet they participated in interviews in the series.
@@ThorSuzuki1 agreed. He was also portrayed poorly in the series.
He was talking about Lewis Nixon. Nixon's family owned all those companies in New Jersey, whereas Richard Nixon was from California and in the navy. He is 97 years old, so it is easy to imagine that he gets things confused sometimes.
I mean we idolize this men but as someone who’s been in the military it’s not hard to see how a spoiled rich kid like Nixon would be an asshole and an alcoholic doesn’t take away from his bravery and service but not hard to believe. Also the anti Semitic stuff probably my husbands been in 10 years and he started out a racist country boy from TN but joining the military he grew as a person, so not unbelievable that this man from the 1930s was a bit racist
@@NerdyGal28 I always trust these men that were there. They know how it really went down, they have no reason to lie.
Could U plz stop making all that noise on the mic? It's irritating.
Is it just me? I feel like I’m taking out the trash!!! This guy makes me sick to my stomach!
Yes it is you
Great man and patriot.
It's just you. Maybe you need to take out your own trash
seems to talks himself up a bit too much....