Shaker Heights
Veterans
About Us
Shaker Veterans was established by Joseph Degenfelder, Army Veteran who served during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Robert Byrne, WWII Navy Veteran. The purpose of the Shaker Veterans is to recognize, capture, document, and preserve the memories of our Veteran’s experience. While it is titled Shaker Veterans, it also captures other veteran’s experiences. Another key aspect includes the spouses commemoration.
Robert Madison at 75th Anniversary of the end of WWII
Robert Madison Commemoration of WWII peace Treaty Signing and experience being a black officer in WWII. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1940, he entered the School of Architecture at Howard University, but interrupted his studies to serve as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a member of the U.S. Army's African-American 92nd Infantry Division and served in Italy, receiving three combat ribbons and the Purple Heart.[4] In 1946, he resumed his architecture studies at Case Western University, despite experiencing racial discrimination from the dean of architecture,[5] graduating with a bachelor's degree in architecture in 1948. He was the first African-American to graduate from Case Western's School of Architecture. After the war he was unable to find work as a African American in his field so he started his own Firm.
