ROCKLAND, Maine — Maine State Ferry officials along with friends and family gathered next to the water at Rockland's ferry terminal on a warm fall morning to celebrate and honor Charles Norman Shay with a ferry bearing his namesake.
"He provided lifelines for people in tough circumstances; this boat is going to provide a lifeline for people who live in tough circumstances," MaineDOT Commissioner Bruce Van Note said.
At 19 years old, Shay served as a combat medic during the D-Day invasion during World War II, saving many of his fellow soldiers in the process.
"He's not a big man, but just digging his feet into the water and grabbing these bodies out because they were going to drown," Shay's nephew said.
The ferry will serve Mainers traveling to and from rural Matinicus Isle. According to ferry officials, the ship has the capacity to carry 149 passengers and seven cars over the nearly two-and-a-half-hour trip.
"This boat has considerably more passenger space, so we're hoping that more people will realize if they're coming to the island to visit, they don't need to bring their car," Matinicus Isle Ferry Service Advisor Eva Murray said.
With no stores on the island, Murray said residents of the island rely heavily on the ferry for common necessities like groceries and propane.
"We absolutely depend on the ferry for anything that needs to be delivered either direction and we're hoping that this means that we have a long span of time ahead of us with the State Ferry Service," Murray said.
According to state ferry officials, the ship is the first vessel in Maine's fleet to be named after a member of the Wabanaki Nations, with its location being chosen due to the Penobscot Nation's presence.
A tribute Shay's nephew and fellow Penobscot member Tim Shay says he and his nation are honored to have.
"We're now being recognized for who we really are and how we connect to this land and what we've sacrificed for it," Shay said.
While Shay wasn't able to attend the commissioning celebration, he still sent a message all the way from France where he now lives.
"I feel very proud to have a boat bearing my name right where my ancestors had their summer encampment," Shay said.
Officials with the Maine State Ferry Service say the Charles Norman Shay will be ready for travel by the end of this month.