OP-ED: Making Marshall Plaza great again
It’s hard for me to talk about the George C. Marshall Memorial Plaza in Uniontown without wincing a little. We – the non-profit Friends of Marshall, of which I was a member – planned and built the memorial tribute to the region’s greatest native son with the hope and expectation that it would help revitalize downtown Uniontown.
Additionally, we were hopeful the plaza would attract a substantial number of tourists to our sleepy hometown.
The plaza has failed on both counts.
Downtown Uniontown, while showing signs of life, has never bounced back fully from the blow it sustained with the emergence of the Uniontown Mall back in the 1970s. (Today, the mall is itself a forlorn relic of a bygone era.)
Nor does it attract legions of tourists. I think it attracts some curious types, but not many. The thousands we had in mind have never materialized.
It’s not surprising. It seems the now defunct Friends group was so exhausted from making the plaza a reality that we failed to follow up with a robust publicity campaign to make the plaza known to a wider audience.
However, it’s not certain even a lavishly financed PR effort would have helped. For all his prominence during World War II and afterward, today Marshall’s name and profile are decidedly low-profile, unlike several of his contemporaries (and subordinates). Think Eisenhower, Patton, and MacArthur.
In any event, World War II is long ago now. It and the immediate post-war years, during which Marshall served as both secretary of state and secretary of defense and won the Nobel Peace Prize, are fast receding into history. In no time soon, the world will observe the 100th anniversary of that most devastating of all conflicts and the onset of the Cold War.
Besides which, the internationalism of the Marshall era is out of favor today. The transcendent role for good which the United States once played in world affairs seems a thing of the past.
At least three times in recent years, the plaza has been vandalized at a cost of thousands of dollars. In the first case, the perpetrator was evidently animated by the “America First” political environment fostered by President Trump.
The immediate cause of the latest two acts, small as they were, remain murky. Were they purposely or mindlessly done?
Without casting blame, it’s fair to observe that the backend of the plaza has become a hangout for a small cohort of individuals who may or may not be homeless.
On a visit to the plaza the other evening to see the latest damage, I came upon an individual talking to himself. The man needed help. At the very least, he needed a place to live and professional counseling.
What does the plaza need? Lighting, and plenty of it. Bright lighting, in my opinion, especially along the tree-lined lane east of the plaza’s arching bridge.
It also requires a general refurbishing. While the narrative plaques telling the Marshall story are in excellent shape, six or so of the engraved historical photos attached to the plaques are partially defaced with scratches from a pen knife or another sharp object.
The plaza flooring needs a once over. Coal Lick Run, which flows beneath the plaza, needs cleared of debris.
Despite everything, am I proud of the plaza? Absolutely. Dinged though it is, it’s still stunningly attractive. Thanks to the Uniontown Garden Club, it’s especially inviting when planted with summer flowers.
The World War I soldier, on guard at Five Corners since 1937, is as resolute as ever.
George Marshall changed the nation and world. He earned the right to be honored in his hometown by the virtue and scope of his many achievements.
President Harry Truman called Marshall “the great one of the age.”
Marshall Plaza, which regularly hosts civic and religious gatherings, has emerged as a gathering place for the community. It’s a trend that should continue, and grow. The more the plaza is used, the healthier and more essential it becomes.
Neglect suggests indifference, which in turn breeds mischief.
As an entry point to the city, Marshall Plaza heralds a community of great achievement, both actual and potential.
Richard Robbins lives in Uniontown. He can be reached at dick.l.robbins@gmail.com.