thedrifter
05-01-08, 06:35 AM
Battle over monument may end up in court
Thursday, May 01, 2008
By Karen Kane, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A bitter battle over how to recognize World War II Merchant Marines in Butler County -- a battle that has lasted longer than the war itself -- could end up being settled in a courtroom.
Beverly Schenck, of Center, said she will file a lawsuit on behalf of a group of Butler County merchant mariners against the Butler County commissioners, the members of a volunteer World War II monument committee and the chairman of that committee, John Cyprian, who happens to head the county's Office of Veterans Affairs.
"I can't believe it has come to this, but it has,'' said Ms. Schenck after a Butler County commissioners meeting last week.
A suit would be the latest salvo in the eight-year war between the local Merchant Marines and the volunteer committee that raised $450,000 to build the World War II monument that sits in downtown Butler's Diamond Park.
The mariners are angry that what they perceive as their "branch of the military" is not represented on the front of the monument along with plaques for the Army, Army Air Corps, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard. Rather, the Merchant Marines are mentioned along with 27 other groups on the back of the monument.
"This is a disgrace,'' said Nathan DiSantis, of Butler, about an offer of space from the county commissioners for the Merchant Marines to build their own monument in Diamond Park. "You tell us to go out and build your own statue. Well, we served in World War II. We're all in our 80s, and we're going to die any minute now."
Speaking on behalf of the local mariners, Ms. Schenck said they reject the commissioners offer of space, even though Commissioner Dale Pinkerton noted that he personally would help them raise funds for the effort.
Both he and Commissioner Jim Lokhaiser expressed frustration at the inability of the two groups to reach an amicable agreement.
"I don't, for the life of me, understand why this committee is so adamant about excluding the Merchant Marines,'' Mr. Lokhaiser said. But, he said, the county commissioners have no control over who is mentioned on the monument or where.
"It's not our monument,'' Mr. Pinkerton said.
Commissioner Jim Kennedy echoed the sentiment. "It really doesn't matter what I think. It's not relevant. We don't own the monument. We didn't raise money to build it. There's no county dollars in it,'' he said.
But, Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Schenck contended that the county allowed the monument to be built on county property and, one day, will likely spend money to maintain it. Therefore, they argue, the commissioners should hold sway on the issue.
County Solicitor Julie Graham disagreed and said the county has no legal input on the issue, unless called upon to defend itself in court.
Meanwhile, Mr. Cyprian said he regretted that the mariners are upset but he maintained that the committee designed a monument to those who were considered veterans of official branches of the military at the time of World War II. He said recognition of the Merchant Marines by the U.S. Congress didn't occur until the 1980s, when they were given veteran status and awarded the right to be buried in a national cemetery.
Mr. DeSantis, who served in the European Theater with the mariners after the Marine Corps would not accept him due to medical issues, is offended, as are his mariner brothers.
Ms. Schenck said she has sympathy for the men and believe they deserve the same recognition as other World War II veterans.
The Merchant Marines was established to recruit and train sailors to man the cargo ships fueling the war effort in the European and Pacific theaters. Although trained by the Coast Guard, merchant mariners were civilians paid by the owners of the ships they sailed. More than 6,000 perished during the war, 11,000 were wounded and 604 were taken prisoner.
The issue has been debated in other locales across the United States for decades.
The WWII Monument in Butler was dedicated Dec. 7, 2004.
Mrs. Schenck didn't say when a lawsuit would be filed.
Karen Kane can be reached at kkane@post-gazette.com or 724-772-9180.
Ellie
Thursday, May 01, 2008
By Karen Kane, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A bitter battle over how to recognize World War II Merchant Marines in Butler County -- a battle that has lasted longer than the war itself -- could end up being settled in a courtroom.
Beverly Schenck, of Center, said she will file a lawsuit on behalf of a group of Butler County merchant mariners against the Butler County commissioners, the members of a volunteer World War II monument committee and the chairman of that committee, John Cyprian, who happens to head the county's Office of Veterans Affairs.
"I can't believe it has come to this, but it has,'' said Ms. Schenck after a Butler County commissioners meeting last week.
A suit would be the latest salvo in the eight-year war between the local Merchant Marines and the volunteer committee that raised $450,000 to build the World War II monument that sits in downtown Butler's Diamond Park.
The mariners are angry that what they perceive as their "branch of the military" is not represented on the front of the monument along with plaques for the Army, Army Air Corps, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard. Rather, the Merchant Marines are mentioned along with 27 other groups on the back of the monument.
"This is a disgrace,'' said Nathan DiSantis, of Butler, about an offer of space from the county commissioners for the Merchant Marines to build their own monument in Diamond Park. "You tell us to go out and build your own statue. Well, we served in World War II. We're all in our 80s, and we're going to die any minute now."
Speaking on behalf of the local mariners, Ms. Schenck said they reject the commissioners offer of space, even though Commissioner Dale Pinkerton noted that he personally would help them raise funds for the effort.
Both he and Commissioner Jim Lokhaiser expressed frustration at the inability of the two groups to reach an amicable agreement.
"I don't, for the life of me, understand why this committee is so adamant about excluding the Merchant Marines,'' Mr. Lokhaiser said. But, he said, the county commissioners have no control over who is mentioned on the monument or where.
"It's not our monument,'' Mr. Pinkerton said.
Commissioner Jim Kennedy echoed the sentiment. "It really doesn't matter what I think. It's not relevant. We don't own the monument. We didn't raise money to build it. There's no county dollars in it,'' he said.
But, Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Schenck contended that the county allowed the monument to be built on county property and, one day, will likely spend money to maintain it. Therefore, they argue, the commissioners should hold sway on the issue.
County Solicitor Julie Graham disagreed and said the county has no legal input on the issue, unless called upon to defend itself in court.
Meanwhile, Mr. Cyprian said he regretted that the mariners are upset but he maintained that the committee designed a monument to those who were considered veterans of official branches of the military at the time of World War II. He said recognition of the Merchant Marines by the U.S. Congress didn't occur until the 1980s, when they were given veteran status and awarded the right to be buried in a national cemetery.
Mr. DeSantis, who served in the European Theater with the mariners after the Marine Corps would not accept him due to medical issues, is offended, as are his mariner brothers.
Ms. Schenck said she has sympathy for the men and believe they deserve the same recognition as other World War II veterans.
The Merchant Marines was established to recruit and train sailors to man the cargo ships fueling the war effort in the European and Pacific theaters. Although trained by the Coast Guard, merchant mariners were civilians paid by the owners of the ships they sailed. More than 6,000 perished during the war, 11,000 were wounded and 604 were taken prisoner.
The issue has been debated in other locales across the United States for decades.
The WWII Monument in Butler was dedicated Dec. 7, 2004.
Mrs. Schenck didn't say when a lawsuit would be filed.
Karen Kane can be reached at kkane@post-gazette.com or 724-772-9180.
Ellie