The soldier who toasted his son's Bar Mitzvah with Hitler's private cognac stash

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Edward Shames was the last surviving officer of the legendary Easy Company, 101st Airborne. From the beaches of Normandy to the liberation of concentration camps, his war was defined by grit. Yet, his most famous souvenir was a bottle of cognac he liberated from Hitler's personal mountain retreat.

Born in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1922, Edward Shames enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942. He quickly distinguished himself within the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, notably serving as an Operations Sergeant who constructed the sand tables essential for planning the D-Day airdrop. His leadership during the Normandy campaign earned him a battlefield commission to second lieutenant in June 1944, making him the first non-commissioned officer in his battalion to receive such an honor during that operation. He subsequently transferred to the famed Easy Company, where he led the third platoon through pivotal engagements, including Operation Market Garden and the brutal winter fighting at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.

Beyond his tactical contributions, Shames was deeply impacted by the horrors he witnessed while liberating Nazi concentration camps in Germany. This experience added a profound personal weight to his military service. As the war drew to a close, Shames and his men were among the first Allied troops to reach Hitler's Eagle's Nest in the Bavarian Alps. There, he discovered a cache of cognac marked for the Fuhrer's exclusive use. He secured two bottles, gifting one to his commander, Robert Sink, and keeping the other for a significant future occasion. In 1961, he finally opened the bottle to toast his son's Bar Mitzvah at a synagogue in Norfolk, marking a symbolic victory over the regime he had helped dismantle.

Following the war, Shames transitioned to a long career with the National Security Agency, specializing in Middle East affairs from 1945 until 1982. He also continued his service in the U.S. Army Reserve, eventually retiring as a colonel in 1973. Shames passed away in 2021 at the age of 99, leaving behind a legacy as the final surviving officer of Easy Company. His life remains a testament to the citizen-soldiers who shaped the mid-20th century, bridging the gap between the intensity of wartime combat and the quiet persistence of post-war civilian life.

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