posted by Mike Madison at 7:35 AM /
I, along with the rest of the Commission, was contacted by a World War II veteran before Memorial Day. In his email he asked us why Mt. Lebanon had no war memorial for those who fought and died in World War II. I thought he was surely mistaken. A Municipality with our gifts and blessings must have a suitable memorial to our heroes. However, when I looked into this sure enough this gentleman was correct. Not only was there no memorial for World War II, but no memorial for Korea, no memorial for Vietnam (absent the Bird Park marker), and no one had any idea whether a Mt. Lebanon resident had fallen in either of the Gulf Wars, Afghanistan, or anywhere else.
At the last Commission meeting I brought this issue up during citizen comments. I wanted to share with the other Commissioners what I considered to be a great injustice. To me, this situation cannot stand.
As a volunteer firefighter I march with the rest of the department in the Memorial Day Parade. All day long I asked people if they knew where the WWII memorial was. Like me, most people assumed there was one. This served as entry into other related questions. The Memorial Day Parade barely touches Mt. Lebanon. While some guessed this is because of the ceremonies in the cemetery, most participants believe it is because of a lack of interest. The parade was not even promoted on our Municipal website until after I received the veterans email. As much as I enjoy our Halloween Parade, is the sharp difference in support between the two really the legacy we want to be known for? Mt. Lebanon puts on a great Halloween Parade- but just don’t bring up veterans?
In the cemetery there is a small memorial to World War I soldiers as well as a veteran’s grave that is not dedicated. I asked the cemetery to look into this to find out where these came from. The Mt. Lebanon Police and Fire Departments have a memorial in the cemetery. Each year the Fire Department does a sparsely attended service to remember those who have fallen. Yet the veteran who contacted me has no place to honor his friends and, as he reminded me, each day that passes means there is fewer and fewer of them around.
I have asked the Commission to add this important item to our agenda. I believe we need to address this wrong quickly and suitably so that Memorial Day 2009 will be different. I have asked the Commission to consider forming a taskforce to develop ideas. Perhaps we can reach out to the volunteer group that works hard to organize the Memorial Day Parade to consider whether the route should be redesigned to go through more of Mt. Lebanon. What can we do to increase Municipal and citizen participation in Memorial Day? Can we brainstorm together with the School District to design appropriate activities and support them? What kind of war memorial would be appropriate? Where would it be located? Should we consider dedicating a park- like Main Park- to be Mt. Lebanon’s Memorial or Veterans Park?
I have reached out to several groups who I believe would be of assistance. A taskforce can pull together representatives from the Historical Society, the Historical Preservation Board, the Parks Advisory Board, the local American Legion/VFW, the Public Information Office, and the School District just to name a few. We can hold public meetings inviting Mt. Lebanon veterans from all conflicts to help us understand what would be appropriate. We can talk to towns like Bethel Park who have memorials and parks already in place to understand what worked for them. I am sure that we can talk to Senator Pippy or State Representative Matt Smith for help with funding. There are a lot of options and a gaping hole to fill, but time is short.
We need to get support from the public who agree that this is a priority. I would love to be able to contact that veteran and let him know that help is on the way and that there are many people who want to fight for him on this issue. I don’t have all the answers on this so I am looking for help. Please feel free to contact me directly with your thoughts and ideas and be sure to contact your individual Commissioner to let him know this is a priority to you too!
Labels: memorial day, veterans
2 Comments:
What about the Civil War, the remembrance of which was the original point of Memorial Day? Mt. Lebanon (then "Mount Lebanon") wasn't formally established until just before WWI, but the area was settled long before then and was part of St. Clair. Did any local men or women die in the Civil War? A war memorial would be a good thing; remembering the full historical record would be good, too.
Here is a page of Western PA Civil War Resources.
If we do a memorial, it should be in a location that allows for public access, ease of viewing (where lots of folks pass by on foot in their daily lives) and longer reflection (by having a bench or two). You can find veteran memorials all over the South Hills and compare. Some are on the side of a busy road not allowing for much access and others are "grander" or were grander in days gone by (Brookline's canon).
Clearview Common seems like a place built for such a memorial (my opinion). Or maybe up around the library?? Along with the historical society, would the Veterans Affairs and Vet groups have the information on all of Mt. Lebanon's war dead. I agree with Mike it should go back to a full historical record.
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