Recognized for service: Local Civil War veteran once saved life of Nixon's great grandfather
CHILLICOTHE— It is important to remember those who have served their country as they risked their lives for the freedom of others, some even paying the ultimate price. To help remember Ohio veterans the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor inducts several new members each year.
The Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor was established in 2000 to recognize Ohio servicemen and women who were decorated for heroism while in combat situations by earning medals of valor. This year’s inductees have connections to the following counties in Ohio: Athens, Butler, Clark, Columbiana, Darke, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Logan, Montgomery, Morgan, Ross and Shelby.
From Ross County, Richard Enderlin of the United States Army will be inducted posthumously for his service, he is one of 11 in this year's class to be inducted after death. Enderlin was born in 1843 in Germany but moved to America and grew up in Chillicothe.
He would enlist in the Union Army months after the start of the Civil War, becoming part of the 73rd Ohio Infantry, Company B. He was a musician who would help cheer up soldiers and encourage them for battle but he would also later become an infantryman when he was needed.
During a fight in the Battle of Gettysburg Enderlin voluntarily went to Cemetery Ridge where Confederate soldiers were trying to break through the Union line. When Pvt. George Nixon, the great-grandfather of future president Richard Nixon, was laying, hurt, on the battlefield at night Enderlin is said to have grabbed a rifle and ran into the enemy's lines to retrieve Nixon. He was then able to drag him back to safety despite being under fire from the enemy.
This act of saving Nixon would get Enderlin promoted to sergeant the next day. Later it also helped him earn a Medal of Honor in 1897.
After that battle, Enderlin continued serving as a musician until he was injured in 1864. He would then transfer to the Veteran Reserve Corps where he was discharged after the war was over. He would return to Chillicothe to manage and preside over several local businesses and give back. He was known to support the community by giving back through several organizations. Enderlin would eventually die in 1930 and was buried in Grandview Cemetery. A statue of him is still displayed outside of Yoctangee Park.
Enderlin was nominated for the Hall of Fame by Melody Lapczynski Hatfield who has been working on a book of stories about those in the Hall of Fame. She has worked hard trying to showcase the inner strength of those who have won. She said Enderlin's story is important because not only was he not meant to be in battle but risked his life anyway to help others.
Enderlin will be inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor Class in May. This year's class has a total of 24 honorees and includes veterans from the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Air Corps, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy. These veterans served in the following conflicts: Civil War, World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Shelby Reeves is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. You can email her at SReeves@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @Shelby_Reeves_
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Recognized for service: Local Civil War veteran once saved life of Nixon's great grandfather
