May 26, 2002 By Jennifer Harr 3 min read

During a beautiful afternoon, amidst a crowd of revelers, a statue commemorating Fayette County native Gen. George C. Marshall was dedicated in downtown Uniontown on Friday. The statue shows Marshall riding his horse, Applejack, and accompanied by his dog, Fleet.

The statue depicts Marshall the morning of Sept. 1, 1939, when officials seeking to swear him in as the Army Chief of Staff went to the mountains of Fayette County and found him, according to state Rep. H. William DeWeese, D-Waynesburg, who served as master of ceremonies.

“It’s the embodiment of that moment,” said DeWeese.

Gen. Edward C. Meyer, chairman of the George C. Marshall Foundation board in Arlington, Va., called Marshall, “the greatest American of the 20th century.”

“Everyone today understands the importance of economics in warfare. They know because of George C. Marshall,” said Meyer. “He realized the future of the world was at state and initiated the Marshall Plan, as it is known today”

The plan helped Germany and Japan rebuild after the countries were devastated by World War II. The hope was that aiding the nations, rather than keeping them economically depressed, would prevent the rise of communist parties there. The plan was also lauded for helping to establish close ties between Western Europe and the U.S. and to make the world a safer place.

In a commencement speech at the time the plan was established, Marshall told a group of Harvard graduates such assistance by the U.S. was necessary to keep political stability and peace.

Meyer said that Marshall, born in Uniontown on Dec. 31, 1880, often regaled his days as a youth in Fayette County and maintained an attachment to the area.

“He continued to be proud of his hometown,” said Meyer.

Ultimately, Meyer said that Marshall is a man of greatness whose vision and compassion have set an example for future leaders.

“I can tell you that George Marshall is not forgotten by the world, he’s not forgotten by the nation and he’s not forgotten by the people of his hometown today,” said Meyer.

At life-size plus a third, the statue was designed by Washington County sculptor Alan Cottrill. It was placed in the Heritage Garden at the corner of Main and Pittsburgh streets in downtown Uniontown. Although the bronze work has been unveiled since December, bad weather postponed an official dedication until now.

The work was funded by the Eberly Foundation, Mr. And Mrs. Robert E. Eberly, the Robert E. and Elousie R. Eberly Foundation and Charles Cluss.

“Some of the battle captains may be forgotten, but the things George C. Marshall did … will endure,” said DeWeese.