(dramatic music) - [Narrator] For millennia, the Penobscot people have called the lands now known as Maine their home.

Their history standing as a powerful testament to resilience.

From the graceful artistry of dancer and writer, Molly Spotted Elk to the athletic triumphs of Olympic runner, Andrew Sockalexis, the Penobscots have shared their indomitable spirits with the world, yet their very existence was a relentless fight for survival.

- Whereas the tribe of Penobscot Indians have repeatedly acted in a deceitful manner, contrary to their solemn submission to his majesty, I hereby declare the Penobscot tribe of Indians to be enemies to his majesty, King George II.

The following bounty shall be granted.

For every scalp of a male Penobscot Indian above the age of 12 years brought in as evidence of their death, 40 pounds.

For every female Penobscot Indian captured and brought in and for every male Indian prisoner under the age of 12 years, 25 pounds.

For every scalp of such female or male Indian under the age of 12 years brought in as evidence of their death, 20 pounds.

This proclamation is issued at the Council Chamber in Boston on the third day of November, 1755 in the 29th year of the reign of our sovereign lord, George II, by the grace of God, king of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith.

God save the king.

(indigenous music) - [Narrator] Known as Little Muskrat on Indian Island, Charles Shay's journey would take him far from his ancestral lands.

Shay's story is one of paradox, a descendant of those who faced colonial violence, yet a warrior for the very nation born from that colonization.

- I am perhaps the last Native American survivor of bloody Omaha.

- [Narrator] For decades, his remarkable tale remained largely untold.

It would take the dedication and insight of Dutch anthropologist, Dr.

Harald Prins, to bring Shay's experiences to light.

Dr.

Prins's efforts not only secured international recognition for Shay, but also opened a window into a larger, often overlooked narrative of Native American contributions to world history.

Shay's journey stands as a testament to the transformative power of uncovering hidden histories and the profound impact one life can have when its story is finally told.

- His ancestors included the 17th century Grand Chief Madockawando.

- On Candlemas Day 1692, in the dawn of a January morning, Abenaki Indians attacked the settlement of York, burning the houses and killing or capturing 300 of its inhabitants.

About 40 were killed.

The rest marched to Canada, many dying on the way.

- [Narrator] This raid demonstrated the fierce resistance of the Wabanaki Confederacy to protect their way of life and ancestral lands from English encroachment.

The Wabanaki Confederacy was a coalition of tribes united under Grand Chief Madockawando, an ancestor of Charles Shay.

Madockawando's alliances were both strategic and familial, exemplified by his ally in the York raid, Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie, Baron de Saint-Castin, a French aristocrat, fur trader and military officer who married Madockawando's daughter, Pidianskwe.

- One of their mixed blood daughters gave birth to Joseph Orono.

- From this union of French and Penobscot heritage emerged Charles Shay's forefather, Joseph Orono, a chief who understood that survival lay not only in battle, but in forging new alliances.

On June 21st, 1775, as the American Revolution ignited, Chief Orono pledged the Wabanaki Confederacy's military support to the rebel forces under General George Washington.

Penobscot and other Wabanaki warriors fought fiercely alongside the rebels, helping to secure American independence.

- And that contribution has been almost completely forgotten.

So even you have here Maine historians who are specialized on the American Revolutionary War and if you read their work, you don't see anything about the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet and Mi'kmaq and yet their participation was essential in the victory of the rebels, the revolutionaries.

- [Narrator] Despite their sacrifices, the promises made in wartime were quickly forgotten.

The very settlers they had fought to protect soon resumed their relentless expansion, leaving the contributions of the Wabanaki tribes to the cause of liberty to fade into the margins of history.

(door knocking) - [Narrator] But centuries later, when a new enemy threatened, Wabanaki warriors once again stood side by side with their American and Canadian allies.

- To liberate Normandy, France and Europe.

- [Narrator] Despite generations of conflict with settlers, Native Americans across the continent answered the call in World War II.

Some, like Charles Shay, were drafted and yet denied the right to vote back home.

- Soldiers, sailors and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force, the tide has turned.

The free men of the world are marching together to victory.

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle.

We will accept nothing less than full victory.

Good luck and let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

- Charles Shay displayed incredible bravery, rescuing numerous wounded comrades from the rising tide under relentless enemy fire.

His heroic actions earned him the silver star for valor.

- Later on, I was able to walk up and down the beach and I came across a fellow medic.

He had a stomach wound, bleeding to death, he was dying.

So I bandaged him up as best I could.

I gave him a shot of morphine, we said goodbye to each other.

- [Narrator] According to research by Dr.

Prins, over 500 American and Canadian Indian soldiers participated in Operation Neptune, the D-Day invasion on June 6th, 1944.

(speaker speaking in French) In 2017, the Charles Shay Indian Memorial was created to honor these Native American soldiers.

The memorial features a turtle, a symbol of longevity carved by Penobscot sculptor Tim Shay.

- Charles Shay typifies the bravery of the First Infantry division, as well as the service and sacrifice that Native Americans displayed at Normandy and beyond.

- [Narrator] Standing on the far left of this iconic photograph of the flag raising on Iwo Jima is Ira Hayes, a Pima from Arizona, one of many Native American contributions quietly tucked away in the margins of history.

Native American culture and symbols also played a vital role in galvanizing Allied forces.

- Many regiments and many battalions and many airplanes, squadrons were making use of the image of the American Indian as the warrior.

So the American Indian became almost like an icon for the military, but also to get the American public behind it.

And so people today have forgotten the propaganda value of these mascots in wartime.

And many American Indians were very proud of it.

- [Narrator] At home, they faced systemic racism.

Yet in the military, many found a sense of equality that was rare in civilian life.

This newfound acceptance, however, came with a darker side.

Hollywood movies of the era had perpetuated stereotypes of Native Americans as natural fighters, endowed with extraordinary skills like night vision.

These myths influenced military perceptions, leading commanders to frequently assign native soldiers to the most dangerous roles.

As a result, Native Americans suffered disproportionately high death rates, their sacrifices shaped as much by courage as by damaging stereotypes.

(suspenseful music) (indigenous music) After landing on Omaha Beach with the first wave on D-Day, Charles Shay embarked on one of the most grueling campaigns of World War II.

As a combat medic with the 16th Infantry regiment of the First Infantry division, he participated in nearly every major battle in the European theater.

From the brutal hedgerows of Normandy to the liberation of France, Shay witnessed the relentless Allied push into Nazi-occupied territory.

Shay's journey continued through the ferocious Battle of Aachen, the dense and deadly Huertgen Forest and the frozen battlefields of the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge.

Each step forward brought new challenges, but Shay's mission remained unwavering, to save lives amidst the chaos of war.

After crossing into Germany, Shay's mission took a perilous turn.

Attached to a reconnaissance squad, he crossed the Sieg River over a railroad bridge into a village where they were welcomed by a group of Nazis.

- In my mind, I knew myself that they could see us, because we were out in the open.

But they let us come and, of course, they were waiting for us.

- [Narrator] Back home, his family received a telegram declaring him missing in action, plunging them into uncertainty.

At the same time, Shay's family was leading a battle in Maine, advocating for a bridge to Indian Island that promised greater opportunities for the reservation's inhabitants.

Shay endured weeks in a POW camp, facing harsh conditions before finally being liberated by the Allies.

(somber music) Charles Shay's story is one of countless heroic Native American contributions during World War II.

- I went home and I knocked on the door and my mother opened the door and it was a complete surprise for her.

- She must have almost fallen over.

- Almost fell over, I think.

(chuckles) - Well, that's a very happy ending to your experience.

That's fantastic.

(gentle warm music) - [Narrator] Despite Charles Shay's remarkable contributions to his country during World War II, Native Americans living on reservations in Maine were still denied the right to vote.

Florence Shay, Charles's mother, was an outspoken advocate for justice and equality.

- [Florence] I have four sons and I feel the government has not the right to draft my boys without giving us the right to vote.

We are a segregated, alienated people and many of us are beginning to feel the weight of the heel that is crushing us to nothingness.

- [Narrator] Florence's words reflected the deep frustrations of her community, yet her determination was unwavering.

This resilience and fight for justice were hallmarks of Charles Shay's family legacy.

Lieutenant Governor John Neptune, Shay's forebear, played a key role in preserving Penobscot sovereignty while navigating relations with the newly established state of Maine.

As a highly regarded shaman, Neptune was reputed to possess powerful spiritual abilities, enabling him to interact with the spirit realm and act as a bridge between the physical and metaphysical worlds.

His role as both a political leader and a spiritual guide showed how deeply connected leadership and spirituality were in Penobscot culture.

(gentle warm music continues) Neptune's grandson and Charles Shay's maternal grandfather was Joseph Nicolar.

In 1893, he published Life and Traditions of the Red Man, critiquing the use of Native Americans as pawns in colonial wars.

The book also preserves ancestral stories, such as The Tale of Two Chiefs Locked in Bitter Conflict, Wielding Ultimate Power and Destroying the Earth, parables meant to guide future generations.

Just six months after being held captive by the Nazis, Charles Shay felt the need to escape life on the reservation.

- The alcohol was a problem.

There was no work for the young people.

I had found security in the military service, so that's why I decided to go back.

- [Narrator] Charles Shay was sent to post-war Vienna as part of the army, tasked with helping to rebuild a fractured Europe.

There he found love and married Lilli, a Viennese woman.

Yet duty called him once more and he was sent to the battlefields of Korea.

For Shay, it was another chapter of sacrifice in a global struggle for ideological dominance.

When the war ended in a stalemate in 1953, Shay chose to leave the army, but not the uniform.

- General Clarkson, task force commander.

- Operation Castle was concluded on the 14th of May, 1954, a test basically of devices in the megaton range.

- [Narrator] Serving as a medic with an Air Force weather squadron aboard a B-29, Charles Shay witnessed firsthand the rapid technological advancements that defined the nuclear age.

During the Castle Bravo test, the bomb's unexpectedly massive yield caused radioactive fallout to spread far beyond its intended zone.

- The winds were within the area of acceptable fallout.

However, the unexpected high yield across significant fallout to occur.

- [Narrator] Exposing US military personnel, including Shay, to dangerous levels of radiation.

For the indigenous Marshallese people, the consequences were even more devastating.

Their ancestral lands rendered uninhabitable and many residents suffered long-term health complications from radiation exposure.

For the Marshallese, the Wabanaki story of chiefs wielding ultimate power and destroying the Earth had become a stark reality.

(elegant music) After more than 20 years in the US military, Charles Shay retired to Vienna, where he worked at the International Atomic Energy Agency for two decades.

Late, he moonlighted as a chauffeur, even driving director Steven Spielberg, whose film Saving Private Ryan played a supporting role in Shay's rise to recognition by vividly embedding the D-Day Landings in the public's consciousness.

Despite enduring the perils of two wars and exposure to radiation, Charles Shay emerged without physical wounds.

However, it would take decades for him to share his story, finally, opening up after returning to Indian Island with his Viennese wife at nearly 80 years old.

- I said Omaha and he said yes.

And then I didn't further ask any questions, because I knew what the blood bath Omaha was and I didn't know, because he'd never mention it, whether they would bring up memories that he had carefully buried.

- [Narrator] After extensive research into Charles Shay's military experiences, Dr.

Prins saw an opportunity to shed light on the often overlooked contributions of Wabanaki warriors during World War II.

He wrote to the French government to nominate Charles Shay for France's highest honor, the Legion of Honor.

- Which helped propel Charles into a stardom, if you will.

- [Narrator] Prins envisioned this recognition, not just as a tribute to Shay's heroism, but as a means to amplify the legacy of other Wabanaki soldiers whose sacrifices had faded into obscurity.

Shay, stoic and unflinching as ever, agreed to shoulder the mantle.

- I'm thankful that many more survived.

Among them, my Penobscot friend, Melvin Neptune, who went and already fought in North Africa and Sicily before landing here on D-Day.

- You honor us with your presence and you continue to remind us all of the bravery and sacrifices made by all who landed on these beaches.

- 1944, I landed on these beaches and we thought we would bring peace to the world that is not possible.

- [Narrator] As media attention and military honors brought Shay the recognition he long deserved, Dr.

Prins began to realize that Shay's commemoration extended beyond a tribute to his personal valor.

It also highlighted the economic dynamics of military tourism.

- So the French have a staggering financial interest in keeping that show going.

That's why when Charlie now lives in Normandy and you look at it from a economic point of view, it's multiple millions of dollars that gets into the coffers of all these hotels, all these airfares, all these buses, so these monuments attract people.

- [Narrator] While Dr.

Prins was pleased with the well-deserved recognition bestowed upon Charles Shay, he felt the spotlight was too narrowly focused on one man, overshadowing the individual stories of Wabanaki sacrifice that he had hoped to highlight.

- And I regret that because the idea about Charles celebrated, I'm very grateful for that.

But the focus has always been on Charles and Charles as a means to an end, which was to shed light on all the forgotten ones, all the ones who perished in the mud.

So a lot of people latch themselves to Charlie and hope to be photographed and then they can go home, just like having seen the Pope.

- All the credit belongs to the men that are laying up in the cemetery.

Those men, they are the real heroes.

- [Narrator] In 2024, the Charles Norman Shay Ferry was commissioned in Rockland, Maine.

- A number of islanders were hopeful that there might be some way to recognize or remember the Penobscot history in connection with Matinicus Island.

- [Narrator] As a step toward reconciling the island's complex and often turbulent history with the Penobscot people, but also as a tribute to Charles Shay's extraordinary legacy to his people and nation.

- His presence is really a strong humility with a strong pride as well, of who he is and where he comes from.

- [Narrator] Fate wove a remarkable tapestry for Charles Shay, culminating in his twilight years with a wave of media attention celebrating him as a hero, a tribute made possible by Dr.

Prins's dedicated efforts to honor forgotten Wabanaki warriors.

Now at 100 years old and casting his vote, Charles Shay stands as a living testament to resilience and justice, a right finally secured in 1954, thanks in part to the unwavering determination of his mother, Florence Shay.

History is full of forgotten heroes, but Little Muskrat's life and ancestral legacy reveal an epic tale of resilience and heroism, offering a powerful glimpse into the darkest corners of our past to help guide us forward.

♪ Guided by the prayers of his mother ♪ ♪ He fought to save strangers and brothers ♪ ♪ From the land of the dawn to the Normandy shore ♪ ♪ Made his Penobscot people proud in 1944 ♪ ♪ After a lifetime withholding memories ♪ ♪ Of the red rising tide ♪ He returned to Omaha Beach for ritual by the fireside ♪ ♪ Ritual by the fireside