SHUMAN, EDWIN ARTHUR III

RIP  3 Dec 2013

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 30 April 1990 from one or more of
the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence
with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W.
NETWORK.  2019 with information from Justin Jackson-Mann. 2023

REMARKS: 730314 RELSD BY DRV

SYNOPSIS: When nuclear powered USS ENTERPRISE arrived on Yankee Station on
December 2, 1965, she was the largest warship ever built. She brought with her
not only an imposing physical presence, but also an impressive component of
warplanes and the newest technology. By the end of her first week of combat
operations, the ENTERPRISE had set a record of 165 combat sorties in a single
day, surpassing the KITTY HAWK's 131. By the end of her first combat cruise,
her air wing had flown over 13,000 combat sorties. The record had not been
achieved without cost.

When the ENTERPRISE was again on station in the spring of 1968, two of its
pilots were LCDR Edwin A. Shuman III and LCDR Dale W. Doss, an A6 "Intruder"
team. The Intruder pilots were known to have, in the words of Vice Admiral
William F. Bringle, Commander Seventh Fleet, "an abundance of talent, courage
and aggressive leadership", and were sent on some of the most difficult
missions of the war.

On March 17, 1968, Shuman was the pilot and Doss his Bombardier/Navigator (BN)
when they launched in their A6A Intruder on a night, low-level strike into
North Vietnam. A radio transmission was heard indicating that they were
proceeding to execute their assigned mission. They had requested that other
aircraft keep radio transmission to a minimum. At this time they should have
been over land.

Shortly, another aircraft assigned to support the mission in an anti-missile
role attempted to establish radio contact since no "bombs away" call was
heard, and receiving no answer, the aircraft supporting the mission proceeded
to the pre-briefed lost-communications rendezvous point. Contact with Doss and
Shuman was never regained.

Radio Hanoi announced the capture of LCDRs Shuman and Doss on the following
day. Both men were placed in a Prisoner of War status. The two were held in
the Hanoi prisoner of war system for the next five years. They were both
released, along with 589 other Americans, in the spring of 1973 in Operation
Homecoming.

Since the war ended, nearly 10,000 reports relating to Americans missing,
prisoner or unaccounted for in Southeast Asia have been received by the U.S.
Government. Many authorities who have examined this largely classified
information are convinced that hundreds of Americans are still held captive
today. These reports are the source of serious distress to many returned
American prisoners. They had a code that no one could honorably return unless
all of the prisoners returned. Not only that code of honor, but the honor of
our country is at stake as long as even one man remains unjustly held. It's
time we brought our men home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Edwin Shumann III retired from the United States Navy as a Captain. He and
his wife Donna resided in Maryland until his passing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Edwin Shuman III
SHUMAN III, EDWIN ARTHUR, CAPTAIN, USN ( RET), 82, husband, father,
patriot, naval aviator, sailor, sportsman, and well-found friend to
many, passed on December 3, 2013. His death occurred in Annapolis,
Maryland from complications due to a fall on his boat on his way to a
goose hunt. Ned was a U.S. Naval Academy graduate class of 1954, served
for 34 years and was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for five years. He was
awarded the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross
with 2 Gold Stars, the Bronze Star with (V),
http://www.legacy.com/memorial-sites/bronze-star/?personid=3D1683898=31&affiliateID=3D282
and the Purple Heart
http://www.legacy.com/memorial-sites/purple-heart/?personid=3D168389831&affiliateID=3D2822
He was a member of the New York Yacht Club,
Annapolis Yacht Club, The Storm Trysail Club, the Cruising Club of
America, and the Golden Eagles. He is survived by his wife of 35 years
Donna H. Shuman and his children Robert C. Borte III, and spouse Helen
Y. Borte; first wife Eleanor Sue Shuman, and his children Edwin A.
Shuman IV, and spouse Nancy H. Shuman, Mary Dana S. Giardina, and spouse
Tom Giardina, and J. Brant Shuman. He is survived by grandchildren:
Michael Shuman and spouse Meredith, Renee Shuman, Robert Shuman,
Nicholas Van Wagoner and spouse Caroline, Helen V. Rosemont and spouse
Hugo, Hannah Shuman, Sophie Shuman, Lila Borte and Kelly Borte; and
great-grandson Robert Thomas Shuman. He is also survived by his siblings
Mary S. Russell, Sally S. Smyth, Ann S. Mills, William Boeckeler, John
Boeckeler. He is predeceased by Frank Hamlin. A Memorial Mass will be
offered by Reverend Patrick Flynn at St. John Neumann Catholic Church,
620 N. Bestgate Rd., Annapolis MD. 21401 at 11 am Tuesday December 10th
followed by Inurnment at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery with Military
Honors. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to The US Naval Academy
Foundation, 247 King George St, Annapolis, MD 21401 or the Anne Arundel
County SPCA. 1815 Bay Ridge Ave, Annapolis, MD 21403 Online condolences
may be placed at www.hardestyfuneralhome.com<http://www.hardestyfuneralhome.com/>


Published in The Capital on Dec. 8, 2013

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