The city of Soddy-Daisy is planning to acquire a tank to be displayed at Veterans Park.
During his final meeting as a city commissioner, Vice Mayor Robert Cothran on Thursday presented the commission with three tanks available at Fort McClellan, a decommissioned U.S. Army base in Anniston, Alabama.
"You don't buy them," Cothran said, explaining that the tanks are available for static display at a veterans park. "The military, they own them from now on."
The cost to demilitarize the tanks ranges from $21,000-$22,000, and there would be an additional cost to transport whichever tank the city chooses, he said.
Commissioners agreed the best option of the three tanks was an M48A1 Patton II, circa 1952, with a 90 millimeter gun.
"That's what I vote for, because we're the same age if it's 1952," Mayor Rick Nunley said. "I hope it's in better shape than I am."
(READ MORE: South Park in Soddy-Daisy gets needed upgrades, more planned for fiscal year)
Commissioners unanimously approved spending up to $30,000 to demilitarize and transport the tank, which was used in the Korean and Vietnam wars, Cothran said.
A report must be submitted annually to the military to show the tank is painted and in good condition for display, he said.
Soddy-Daisy-based Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 942, of which Cothran is a member, will submit those reports for the tank, as it does for the Armored Personal Carrier the organization helped bring to Veterans Park in 2014.
Veterans Park is also home to a UHI-B model helicopter, a Wall of Honor dedicated to honoring veterans and first responders and World War I, World War II, Korean and Vietnam war memorials.
Contact Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6508. Follow her on Twitter @emcrisman.