Jun 3, 2010 By Steve Ferris 5 min read

A group of veterans landed in Uniontown City Hall on Wednesday, demanding the return of Americanism Day on May 1. However, City Council was prepared to acquiesce and unanimously agreed to rescind part of a resolution adopted last month that named May 1 as George C. Marshall Day in the city.

Louis Giachetti, commander of the United Veterans Association of Uniontown and a member of American Legion Post 51, recited the history of how Americanism Day was founded in Uniontown 76 years ago and said the annual Americanism Day parade wouldn’t be held next year unless council rescinded the name change.

He and several other veterans who addressed council stressed that they meant no disrespect to Marshall, but Americanism Day was created in Uniontown to celebrate all Americans and veterans.

“Our Americanism Day has set a pattern for all American to follow,” Giachetti said.

Veteran Frank Voytek echoed those remarks.

“Americanism Day is about America and Americans,” regardless of race, Voytek said.

Resident Ron Metros read a letter he said was written by the daughter of Mason McLaughlin, one of the five Post 51 members credited with coming up with the idea for Americanism Day in 1934.

Changing the name of Americanism Day hurt her because it would mean the efforts of her father and the four other Legionnaires would be forgotten, Metros said, reading the letter.

Several council members apologized to the veterans.

Mayor Ed Fike said council’s intentions were to incorporate an honor for Marshall into Americanism Day and no one meant to offend the veterans.

Councilman Philip Michael apologized, saying he thought all parties agreed to the name change.

Councilman Blair Jones Sr., a World War II veteran who reluctantly voted in favor of the name change at the May 5 council meeting, apologized to the veterans and said his late father, a World War I veteran, can resume resting in peace.

Last month, he said if his father knew what he did, he would roll over in his grave.

“When I go to the cemetery tonight I’ll tell my dad he can roll back over,” Jones said Wednesday.

Councilman Gary Gearing, who voted against the name change, said a motion was needed to transfer ownership of the Marshall Memorial Plaza at Five Corners from the Friends of George C. Marshall Inc. to the city.

He said rescinding the name change would also rescind the transfer. Both actions were included in the same resolution council passed last month.

Michael said Gearing’s motion wasn’t needed because the resolution approved Wednesday rescinds only the name change and not the property transfer.

A memorial program honoring Marshall’s 130th birthday, which his two of his great grandchildren from Maryland attended, was added to this year’s Americanism Day celebration on May 1.

Marshall, a Uniontown native, was a five-star general and chief of staff of the Army in WWII. After the war, he was appointed Secretary of State and wrote the Marshall Plan for reconstructing Europe. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for the plan.

Americanism Day also has a long history.

The five Post 51 Legionnaires, city Police Chief A.W. Davis, recruiting Sgt. James Smith, Matty Bain, Allen Parke and McLaughlin, suggested an Americanism Day celebration with speeches and a parade as a compromise between striking coal miners and a group of communists who wanted to hold a parade to coincide with the annual May Day parade in Moscow.

The police department was facing a dilemma. If the department allowed the communists to march, there might have been a riot due to the tensions caused by the coal strike. However, not allowing the communists to march could have caused a controversy.

In 1937, state representatives from Fayette County secured passage of a resolution naming May 1 as Americanism Day in Pennsylvania.

In unrelated business, Fire Chief Charles Coldren said he hopes to find out when the five laid-off firefighters can be recalled in a couple days.

Last week, the city received a $632,835 grant from the U.S. Homeland Security Department to recall those firemen who were laid off last year.

Coldren said Homeland Security assigned a liaison to work with the fire department on the details of the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant.

“The red tape is astronomical,” Coldren said, adding that the city has received the only SAFER grant awarded in the state so far.

He said he was happy for the grant and commended firefighters for working in the grant application.

“It’s a great day,” Coldren said.

Gearing made a motion to accept the grant, but the motion failed because no one offered a second.

Michael said the grant agreement should be reviewed before council considers acceptance.

Councilman Francis “Joby” Palumbo said council supports the grant, but the document should be reviewed.

Gearing’s motion to authorize the fire civil service commission to begin testing to establish a firefighter’s eligibility list also failed because no one offered a second.

Michael said the commission should submit a proposal for council to consider.

In other business, council:

n Adopted an ordinance requiring inspections of commercial and some residential building facades.

n Adopted an ordinance vacating an alley at Uniontown High School for the school’s renovation and expansion project.

n Opened two bids for actuarial services for the police, fire and non-uniform employees’ pension plans, but tabled action pending a review of the proposals.

n Hired Matthew Macar of South Union Township as a part-time, temporary summer worker in the parks and recreation department to replace Chris Cunningham, who resigned due to a medical problem.

n Agreed to pay retired police officer Harvey Dennis Field $13,320 for his unused sick days.

n Reinstated laid-off sewage billing office employee Barbara Pukl. She will work until she uses all of her compensated absences including sick days and vacation or until she retires.