It's not everyday you see such a grand war machine out in the wild.
The one at the Jerry Skrivanek Post 8185 is an M48 Patton Combat Medium Tank and was previously on display along "Tank Row" on APG, MD. It was donated by Aberdeen Proving Ground and dedicated November 10, 1991.
Designed in 1950 and produced from 1952 to 1961, it was intended as a replacement for the M26 Pershing, M4 Sherman, M46 and M47 Patton tanks to serve the U.S. Army and Marines. As you can guess, the name is in homage to General George S. Patton from WWII.
About 12,000 of these were built. They had an air cooled, gasoline engine, a ground clearance of 16 inches and weighed nearly 50 tons. A crew of 4 would man this machine (Commander, Gunner, Loader, Driver). The main gun is 90mm and its top speed was 30 mph.
Serving in the Vietnam War and the Cold War, these tanks remained in service until 1987 when the last of the Armed Forces - the National Guard - retired them. To give you an idea of cost, in 1961 one of these machines cost $309,090 USD. In 2024 dollars, that is $3,259,410.91!
Please feel free to stop by the Port Deposit Post 8185 and take a few photos, then perhaps stop inside for a bite to eat after signing the guest book, as they are open to the public, and sponsored this entire tour for the Port Deposit Heritage!