M60 Patton battle tank finds new home at Indiana Veterans’ Home
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) — The Indiana Veterans’ Home has a new permanent resident and it weighs several tons.
American Legion Post 368 in Van Buren, Indiana, donated an M60 Patton battle tank. It traveled 90 miles from northeast Indiana Tuesday to its new home in Tippecanoe County.
The Cold-war era tank rolled in on the back of a semi and now lies on a concrete slab built for it at the Veterans’ Home.
Seeing the tank brings back memories for Indiana National Guard veteran Donald Slaven. He said the first time he heard it fired was back in the 1970s.
“It scared me half to death. When they fired it, they shook the whole ground,” Slaven said. “My feet came up off the concrete. It’s really something.”
American Legion Commander Mike Bottom is happy the M60 Patton found a new home.
“We want to thank our veterans,” Bottom said. “Because without our veterans, we don’t have our freedom to do these things we’re doing now – to be sons of the American Legion. To see all of these people here, it’s an American Legion family.”
The Veterans’ Home is building a plaza around the new battle tank, where residents can sit and relax.