Sgt. York Aerial Combat Tank Arrives

The Veterans National Memorial Shrine and Museum has a new additionto share. It is a M-247 Sergeant York aerial combat tank. The M-247 was a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun developed by Ford Aerospace in the late '70s. Based on the M48 Patton tank, it replaced the Patton’s turret with a new one that featured twin radar-directed Bofors 40mm rapid-fire guns. The vehicle was named after Sergeant Alvin York, a famous World War I hero. 

"The M-247 tank will be displayed permanently at the north end of the memorial grounds just behind the Vietnam Memorial Wall," Greg Bedford, Commander of the Veterans Memorial Shrine and Museum said. "We have been on the Department of Defense waiting list in Warren, Michigan for a couple of years. I was notified three week’s ago that this tank was available and I immediately told the museum in Virginia that we wanted it. Our Board put the word out and we found donors to help us with the cost of shipping. Donors who assisted with the project were Ron Turpin, Chuck Surack Foundation, David Long and Bill Bean. American Legion Post 97 in Auburn and Post 31 in Angola have also donated. Warrior Breed has also pledged their support of the project”.