TheGraphicOnline

Have you ever wondered why those two Army tanks were sitting on the lawn at the Wayne County Courthouse? You’ve had plenty of time to wonder, because they’ve been there 62 years, since 1947, two years after the end of World War II. They replaced two World War I cannons that sat on the lawn for many years. Anybody old enough to remember the cannons?

Placing discarded war equipment somewhere on a courthouse square is an ancient custom worldwide, honoring local heroes returning from the wars — and those who didn’t. But years later, there comes a time… The lawn will look nice without the armament. If you’ve ever traveled down south, you’ve probably noticed the display in their courthouse square — usually a Confederate hero mounted on horseback and immortalized in stone. They have more of a problem than we do with old tanks. It’s hard to relocate, much less destroy, a Confederate general mounted on horseback.

Speaking of Confederate generals…the tanks transferred to Veterans Memorial Park are named Stuart tanks — after the swashbuckling Confederate general, J.E.B. Stuart, a master of cavalry warfare. The Army’s tanks have sometimes been called the successors of the Civil War cavalry.

May the ghost of J.E.B. Stuart and his tanks live in memory down in the burgeoning Veterans Memorial Park. And since the park is really all about memories, maybe the boys can gather there at sunset and join in singing Bob Hope’s theme song, TANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!

–Vic Jose

Vic Jose :: Sep.03.2009 :: Uncategorized ::

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