Sherman tank missing from parade ground
On
September 11, the M-4 Sherman tank that has rested on the southwest corner
of Summerall Field since 1956 was hoisted onto a trailer and taken away
to be refurbished. Th
e
South Carolina National Guard is giving the tank a face-lift.
The M-4 Sherman tank, a memorial to those who fought in World War II, was donated to The Citadel by an act of Congress that declared the tank a surplus weapon.
According to an article in the December 1956 Alumni News, the tank was the result of talks between General Mark W. Clark and Chief of Staff General Maxwell Taylor. General Clark wanted certain wartime weapons to be put on The Citadel campus as part of a memorial plan he developed. The Sherman tank was the first to arrive.
The M-4, considered a medium tank during World War II, mounts a 75mm cannon, two 30 calibre machine guns and one 50 calibre machine gun. It required a crew of five men.
According to The Brigadier of October 6, 1956, the tank was driven from Ft. Bragg on September 14 and 15 by Tac Officer Lt. Col. Stutler and Sgt. Sojourner. The trip down included a stop at a gas station at Kingstree to get the gas tanks filled and get a grease job according to the paper.
