Virginia SAR Honors Frank Shatz with Silver Good Citizenship Medal

Williamsburg, VA – August 19, 2024 – The Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution (Virginia SAR), with the support of the Williamsburg Chapter SAR, proudly presented the Silver Good Citizenship Medal Award to Mr. Frank Shatz at the College of William and Mary.

The Silver Good Citizenship Medal recognizes outstanding and unusual patriotic achievement and service at the state or regional level. The medal is presented to persons of prominence in areas of government, military service, religion, education, business, or other endeavors. Mr. Frank Shatz was born in Czechoslovakia in 1927. After the German takeover of Czechoslovakia, he was deported to a slave work camp in Romania. He managed to escape and returned to Czechoslovakia, where he became a member of the anti-German resistance. He began a career in journalism after the World War II and immigrated with his wife, Jaroslava, to the United States in 1958. He currently resides in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he writes a weekly column for the Virginia Gazette and is involved with the College of William and Mary.

Frank Shatz is a distinguished journalist based in Williamsburg, Virginia. Born in Czechoslovakia in 1927, he survived the Holocaust and later became a member of the anti-German resistance. After the war, he pursued a career in journalism and immigrated to the United States with his wife, Jaroslava, in 1958. Shatz has been writing a weekly column for the Virginia Gazette for over 40 years.

Shatz has received several accolades for his work. Recently, he won a first-place award for his "World Focus" columns in the annual Virginia Press Association contest. His columns are praised for their ability to put a local identity on issues of global importance. Additionally, he has been honored by the Virginia General Assembly for his contributions as a columnist and his remarkable life story as a Holocaust survivor.

Pictured L to R – Dr. William Greaf, President, Virginia SAR; Mr. Frank Shatz; John Lynch, President, Williamsburg Chapter SAR; and Dr. Kenneth Hawkins, Chairman, Virginia SAR Awards Committee. 

About the Virginia SAR

The Virginia SAR is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and educating future generations about the nation’s Revolutionary War heritage. Established to honor the memory of the patriots who fought for American independence, Virginia SAR strives to keep the spirit of the Revolution alive through various educational programs, historical commemorations, and community service initiatives. The society welcomes members who are lineal descendants of those who supported the cause of American independence, fostering a deep connection to the nation’s founding principles and the legacy of its forebear.