The tank is in Somerset -- but needs work before it can be placed in Veterans Park

Apr. 5—There's a tank aiming its sights towards the Somerset Veterans Memorial Park — and that's a good thing.

Ever since a veterans park was announced to be going in at the corner of North Main Street and Oak Street in Somerset, the public has been promised that a tank would eventually the park's centerpiece.

Now, it seems, the tank is at least in the city's possession, even if it will take a few more months to get it in place.

At Thursday's meeting of the Somerset-Pulaski Economic Development Authority (SPEDA), President/CEO Chris Girdler updated board members by simply stating, "We do have the tank."

The M109 tank with a 155 mm howitzer weapon was delivered to the area a few weeks ago.

Girdler said it is currently being stored in a warehouse, and work needs to be done on it before it can take its final home atop the plinth at the park.

Girdler said SPEDA currently is getting estimates for sandblasting and repainting the tank, adding that the hatches need to be welded before going on display, "to make sure nobody gets down in there and gets caught."

The hope is to have a ceremony program "in the next several months," but Girdler said he couldn't put an exact timeline down for when the tank will make it to the park.

Girdler thanked U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers and U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell for their aid, saying that without their assistance the community wouldn't have the tank.

"Congressman Rogers in particular, after the Veterans Park unveiling back in April 2023, specifically instructed — and was very adamant to his staff — 'Get this community a tank,'" Girdler said.

He also thanked Donna McClure, field representative with Senator McConnell's Office, whom Girdler said checked in on the progress monthly.

Girdler also thanked Rick Cable with CCI Industrial Services, saying CCI was instrumental in transporting the tank "on very short notice" from the U.S. Arsenal in Detroit, Mich.

He noted that while it took about three years to work through the process of securing the tank from the Army, SPEDA was given two weeks to transport it to Somerset.

"(Cable) did a phenomenal job and donated a large majority of the transport of that. The community Foundation did pay money to have that transported, but at a very, very discounted rate," Girdler said.

On the subject of the Community Foundation, Girdler mentioned that it was recently announced at a community event that the foundation was given sizable donation by Horse Soldier Bourbon.

The founders of the distillery announced during the retirement ceremony for Somerset Police Chief William Hunt that they would donate $30,000 — $1,000 for each year Hunt served as a police officer — to the foundation.

Girdler said that money would go towards the Veterans Park.

"It's coming in at the right time, when we do have an expense like this on our shoulders, to make sure we get this tank done," Girdler said.

Carla Slavey can be reached at cslavey@somerset-kentucky.com

___

(c)2024 the Commonwealth Journal (Somerset, Ky.)

Visit the Commonwealth Journal (Somerset, Ky.) at somerset-kentucky.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.