Band of Brothers Real-Life Last Surviving Officer Edward Shames Dies at 99

Real-life Band of Brothers soldier Edward Shames has passed away at the age of 99. The HBO miniseries aired in 2001 and chronicled the true story of American soldiers who fought during the Second World War. The miniseries was produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks and earned numerous awards at the time of its debut.

Unlike Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’ previous World War II collaboration, Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers brought an added sense of authenticity to the historical fiction by casting actors to portray real soldiers. This was made even more apparent by the inclusion of interview segments with the real-life counterparts of the soldiers depicted in the series. Throughout its run, the series focused on dozens of soldiers and provided early roles for many actors who would go on to become major Hollywood stars in subsequent years – such as Michael Fassbender, Tom Hardy, Andrew Scott, and others.

Now, the last of the Band of Brothers officers has finally passed away. Per a report from Deadline, Edward Shames died on Friday at his home. He was 99 years old at the time of his passing. Shames was the last surviving officer from Easy Company, leaving Bradford Freeman as the final surviving member of the company. Edward Shames was one of many soldiers depicted throughout the Band of Brothers miniseries. Portrayed by Joseph May, he participated in several different combat theaters – including the D-Day jump into Normandy, Operation Market Garden, The Battle of the Bulge, and he even helped liberate the Nazi concentration camps towards the end of the war.

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As portrayed by Joseph May in the series, Shames is shown to be a good officer, but an intense one prone to shouting at his men. In addition to his portrayal by May in Band of Brothers, Shames also provided numerous interviews about his experience in World War II in the years since his service ended. He began his service as a Private but would eventually rise through the ranks to retire as a Colonel at the end of his career. Following his time in World War II, he served in the National Security Agency as well.

The passing of Edward Shames serves as a stark reminder that World War II is getting further and further away in memory. Series like Band of Brothers and video games like Call of Duty keep World War II alive as a concept, but the number of real-life men and women who served in the conflict is dwindling. With that in mind, it arguably remains incredibly important for audiences to take advantage of the stories told by properties like Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan in order to remember these events. For now, audiences can still catch Joseph May’s portrayal of Shames on Band of Brothers, which is available to stream on HBO Max.

Source: Deadline