Redmond VFW post receives decommissioned tank to display

Deschutes VFW Post 4108 received a special delivery Wednesday evening, just days before Independence Day.

A truck hauling an Army tank pulled into the Redmond parking lot around 6:30 p.m., and veterans on hand said they’re thrilled to have a new piece of American history to display on the High Desert.

“The tank is just one more addition to remind our community that we have a lot of people who have served our country,” said previous Post Commander Judith Burger.

The veterans have been working on acquiring the tank to add to their museum for more than five years. Through fundraising efforts and donations from the community the post was able to pay for the historic tank to make the long nine-hour journey from joint base Lewis-McChord to Redmond.

The tank is an M60A3 and is more than 30 feet long and 10 feet high, and weighs more than 100,000 pounds. The M60’s various generations were used by the Army from 1960 to 1997.

“This one specifically, we don’t have the full history yet, but it could have been used in any number of places,” Burger said.

The tank is now demilitarized, so it can’t run or fire ammo, but Post Commander Mike Trammel said it still serves as a piece of living history.

“It’s a representation of the sacrifices that have been given, the history and the future,” Trammel said.

The tank will be displayed in front of the VFW next to a Korean War-era ambulance. On Thursday, the VFW will be unloading the tank off the track and placing it in its new home. They’re hoping to get more historical pieces over the coming years.

The VFW is planning to hold an event where people can take photos on the tank after the Redmond Fourth of July parade, but it is still to be determined.

For more information on the tank and future events visit, www.vfw4108.org.