Pearl Harbor remembered on 71st anniversary
Area residents assembled at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8543 in North Union Township Friday to remember the 71st anniversary of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese attack that plunged the United States into World War II.
“Today, we are here to pay tribute to those who paid the ultimate price at Pearl Harbor,” said Lou Giachetti, commander of American Legion Post 51 in Uniontown. “For those men and women and their families, we are gathered here today.”
Lou Giachetti, who also served as master of ceremonies for the memorial program, recalled some 2,400 people died while nearly 1,200 lay wounded in Hawaii when the Japanese launched a Sunday-morning military strike at 7:55 a.m. Dec. 7, 1941 that heavily damaged the U.S. Pacific fleet.
“May almighty God bless them,” he said. “May they rest in peace.”
Lou Giachetti noted the United States emerged from the war as the world’s peacekeeper and a symbol of freedom. He also saluted veterans who attended the event.
Most of the program took place indoors with Carl Stockton, post commander, issuing a call to order. An honor guard posted flags for the ceremony. Laurel Highlands student Michael Giachetti, grandson of Louis Giachetti, sang several songs, including “The Star Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America.”
James Clark of Vietnam Veterans Incorporated served as officer of the day and also offered an invocation, recalling a biblical verse from John, saying, “There is no greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Uniontown Mayor Ed Fike gave a welcome, noting the impact of Pearl Harbor and saying, “It’s up to us to share the story with our children and grandchildren. Freedom is not free.”
Members of local veterans organizations attended the program, including Allen Jones of Dunbar, a past state commander for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He recalled he was a paper boy living in Uniontown when news of the attack reached Fayette County.
“We ran to the newspaper,” Jones said of the paperboys. “I was on the corner of Morgantown and Fayette streets and I got rid of 200 newspapers. I had five brothers serving in World War II and one paid the supreme sacrifice.”
Elected officials also attended and expressed their appreciation to veterans and their families, including Fayette County Commissioners Angela M. Zimmerlink, Vincent Zapotosky, Al Ambrosini and state representatives Deberah Kula , D-North Union Township, and Timothy S. Mahoney, D-South Union Township, as well as Uniontown City Treasurer Joseph N. Giachetti, an Army veteran whose son, Col. David M. Giachetti, is in his 26th year in the Air Force. David M. Giachetti, a graduate of Uniontown Area High School and St. Vincent’s College, near Latrobe, flew 31 missions in Desert Storm and is now stationed at the Pentagon. He was there when terrorists attacked America on Sept. 11, 2001.
“I think it was an outstanding program,” said Joseph Giachetti, nephew of Lou Giachetti.
The participants moved outside where a light rain fell and the program ended as an honor guard fired a salute, taps was played and a wreath laid at the memorial to fallen comrades.
“I was very pleased,” said Anna Rose Muzika of North Union township, who is a past national president of the Catholic War Veterans Auxiliary USA and a member of the Father Dunn Post 1669 of Uniontown. “This is a way of reminding our young people what happened in the past.”