Historic Medicine Hat tank to receive fresh paint after vandalism

Scott Schall, an executive with the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 17, said he’d want to speak to those who graffitied the tank to point them towards other ways of expression.

“I don’t agree with the place that you decided to put that out into public or express it, there’s lots of venues to do that with,” Schall told CHAT News on Sunday.

“I’m not saying going out and graffiti anything else and leave this one alone, I’m just saying you got to find a better outlet for your frustrations and everything else because this is pointless.”

City parks manager Dave Genio confirmed to CHAT News on Tuesday the volunteer group is looking to paint over the graffiti as soon as they can.

He’s not surprised by the enthusiasm.

“It needs to be realized that when it’s something as important as this, it affects a lot of people and that’s why the community response is so high,” Genio told CHAT News on Tuesday.

“A lot of people understand the significance of sacrifices of people, how we gained our freedoms and how we still have them, and who’s responsible for that.”

The new plaque commemorating Duffy the Tank was unveiled on June 2.

It tells the story of Ernest “Duffy” Gendron and William “Danny” McLeod, Medicine Hat High school friends who enlisted and served together.

Duffy was the first southern Alberta soldier to die in battle after his tank was destroyed, and it was said that “Danny” McLeod never had a friend like him again.

The cost of the paint needed to cover the vandalism will be covered by the city, officials said.

by Adrian St.Onge

Historic Medicine Hat tank to receive fresh paint after vandalism

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