Veteran ties discovered, servicemen and women honored at annual veteran’s program
by Dan Holland
City officials, organizations and community members came together at Independence Civic Center on Nov. 1 to honor the city’s military veterans with a luncheon and special program.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Councilperson James Trakas, Major, Ohio Military Reserve, Retired, which was followed by the National Anthem played by the Independence High School Marching Band section leaders.
Vodrazka Funeral Home then provided lunch for hundreds of attendees.
Resident Ronald Shadrach was the keynote speaker for the event. Shadrach narrated a slide show highlighting the actions a relative of his five generations removed – Philip Shadrach – took during the Civil War. Shadrach was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on July 3, 2024, by President Joseph Biden during a White House ceremony.
Shadrach and George Wilson, who both served in the 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry regiment during the Civil War, took part in a raid known as the Great Locomotive Chase in April 1962. During the raid, the two Ohioans, led by James J. Andrews, captured “The General,” a Confederate train in northern Georgia, and drove it to Tennessee, causing as much damage as possible along the way in an effort to disrupt the rail line.
The 1956 Walt Disney Productions film, The Great Locomotive Chase, is based on the event.
Shadrach and Wilson were both captured by Confederate forces and later hanged.
Ronald was first made aware of a possible tie to Philip in 1964, after seeing his name listed on a memorial plaque.
“My family had not connected him as family, as the lore was that he may have been a traitor and spy, so they distanced themselves from him,” said Ronald. “Then, in 2007, I saw a newspaper article that there was an effort to have these two men receive the Medal of Honor. I started doing some research and realized that we were related, and I am descended as a cousin from him.”
When a 150th anniversary celebration of the event took place in Georgia in 2012, Ronald noted that his relative was not included in the list of those receiving the Medal of Honor for the daring raid.
“I realized that if that wasn’t going to happen at that time at such a monumental anniversary event, then these men weren’t on anyone’s radar,” Ronald recalled. “So, then I decided to begin this quest to see these two men be honored.”
City officials also presented retired Hometown Hero banners to local families.
“We’re unique in that we have the Hometown Hero program that represents all the different branches of the military, and we’ve been very blessed to be able to have a program like this that brings us all together,” said Mayor Greg Kurtz. “We’re all united in this effort, and we have a great staff that puts it together every year, and we really recognize and honor the people who have made our country safe over the years.”
All U.S. military veterans received a commemorative pin, and stood to be recognized.
The event concluded with those in attendance singing God Bless America led by local singer Leonard DiCosimo. ∞