Bill Benson, a member of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 977, said a brick honoring Emsire Shahan, will be placed in the Memorial Walkway prior to the dedication ceremony set for 11 a.m. Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
The dedication is a tribute to veterans, deceased military and POWs. The public is invited to attend.
Shahan, who was born and raised in Preston County, was one of the first Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. He was awarded the medal on May 3, 1865, for actions performed at the Battle of Sailor’s Creek in Virginia.
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society (CMOHS), describes the Medal of Honor as “the United States’ highest award for military valor in action.”
“And while over 150 years have passed since its inception, the meaning behind the Medal has never tarnished, ” the society writes. “Etched within are the very values that each recipient displayed in the moments that mattered—bravery, courage, sacrifice, integrity. A deep love of country and a desire to always do what is right. It’s a distinguished award presented only to the deserving.”
Shahan, also known as Amaziah Shahan, was the son of Samuel and Rebecca Wolfe Shahan. He was born on Aug. 14, 1843, in Preston County, one of three siblings and three half-siblings. He married Rebecca Miller in 1864 and Melvina H. Knight in 1894, and fathered a total of nine children, according to Find-A-Grave.
Shahan enlisted in the Army as a corporal on July 1, 1861, and was mustered into Company A of the First West Virginia Cavalry. On April 6, 1885, at the Battle of Sailor’s (or Sayler’s) Creek, Shahan captured the flag of the Confederate 76th Georgia Infantry.
The Battles of Sailor’s Creek (there were three) were fought on April 6, 1865, part of the Appomattox Campaign on the fourth day of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s retreat from Petersburg during the American Civil War.
According to CMOHS.org, Shahan’s Medal of Honor Citation reads: “The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Cpl. Emisire Shahan, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 6 April 1865, while serving with Company A, 1st West Virginia Cavalry, in action at Deatonsville (Sailor’s Creek), Virginia, for the capture of the flag of the 76th Georgia Infantry (Confederate States of America).”
Shahan is buried in the Masonic Cemetery, Elma, Grays Harbor County, Washington state, in Block 134, lot 4, according to Find-A-Grave.
Jim Savage, president of VVA Chapter 977, said the coins placed on the monument were put there by other veterans, friends and family. He said the coins let the deceased soldiers’ families know somebody stopped by to pay their respects.
Savage said a penny means you visited, a nickel means you and the deceased veteran trained at boot camp together and a dime means you and the deceased veteran served together in some capacity. The tradition of leaving coins on the headstones of military personnel dates back to the Roman Empire.
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