ROCKLAND — The new Maine State Ferry Service vessel being built to serve Matinicus Isle will be named the Charles Norman Shay after the heroic Maine veteran and member of the Penobscot Nation who served as a combat medic during the D-Day invasion.

Shay was 19 years old and living on Indian Island when he was drafted to serve in World War II. He served as a combat medic during the D-Day invasion and saved many lives on Omaha Beach. Shay is believed to be the last living Native American who stormed the beaches of Normandy. His heroic efforts on D-Day earned him the Silver Star and the French Legion of Honor. He also served in the Battle of the Bulge. After World War II, he served in Korea.

Shay is 99 years old and living in France. He will turn 100 in June.

The route is currently being served by the Everett Libby – a ferry that dates to the 1960s and needs to be replaced, according to MDOT. In August 2022, MaineDOT awarded the ferry vessel construction contract to Steiner Shipyard in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. Construction began in November 2022. This new diesel ferry will be 104 feet long. It will have the capacity to carry 149 passengers and seven cars. The cost of construction is approximately $10 million.

Selecting a name for a new Maine State Ferry Service vessel is done through consultation between the MSFS Advisory Board and the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation, according to MDOT, in a news release. Earlier this year, the residents of Matinicus recommended to the MSFS Advisory Board that the island's new vessel be named after Shay. Members of the Matinicus community wanted to recognize the Penobscots because of their presence on the island for centuries prior to the arrival of European settlers. Shay has deep family roots in the areas that will be served by this vessel. This will be the first MSFS vessel named for a Native American.

Earlier this week, the Maine Department of Transportation contacted Shay in France to update him on the construction of the vessel that will bear his name.

The Charles Norman Shay is expected to arrive in Rockland in the first half of 2024.