A Legacy Rolls Back to Town
A piece of Barnesville’s educational heritage and American history now has a new home.
A World War II Sherman tank and artillery gun, both once familiar fixtures on the campus of Gordon Military College, are now on display at Lamar County Schools in honor of local history, military service, and as lasting symbols of inspiration. This project was completed at no expense to the school system and was paid for by an anonymous donor.
The tank, an M4A3(76) Sherman, was manufactured by Chrysler. For decades, it sat near what was the armory building on Gordon’s campus. Alongside it were two artillery guns—one from World War I and the other from World War II. In 1972, when Gordon Military College became Gordon Junior College and joined the University System of Georgia, then-President Jerry Williamson sought to remove much of the institution’s military culture as anti-Vietnam War sentiment grew. So, longtime VFW member Troy Turner ensured these pieces were not lost to the Lamar County community. A survivor of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, Turner arranged to have them moved to the local VFW post on Old Highway 41, where they remained until July 18, 2025.
After the recent closure of the Barnesville VFW post, the United States Army had plans to relocate the tank and adjacent artillery gun for display in another community. The potential loss of these fixtures of local history mobilized a small group determined to keep them in Lamar County. School board member, Danny Turner, began conversations with local leaders to come up with a plan. He spoke with other Board of Education members and Superintendent Dr. Jessica Watson about the possibility of placing the artifacts on school grounds. Turner got Jimmy Matthews involved with the project, who secured the support from a few members of Congress. Afterward, the U.S. Army granted permission for Lamar County to retain possession of the tank and artillery gun.
Moving a Monster
The next challenge was transporting a 70,000-pound tank from Old Highway 41 to the school campus, as it was heavier than most tow operators can manage. After speaking with local tow companies, Danny Turner was referred to Arthur Edge, owner of A.B. Edge Enterprises, who gladly agreed to help with transport.
On the morning of July 18, Edge Trucking arrived with a plan to load the tank, but the tank fought back with a vengeance. The tracks wouldn’t budge, and after a broken hook and the arrival of a second tow truck, it became clear the tank was simply too heavy to be pulled onto a flatbed. That’s when Danny Turner called Mitch Buice of Mitch’s Automotive and Towing, who in turn called his cousin, Eddie Buice of Buice’s Towing in Forsyth. Eddie brought in a pair of heavy-duty rotator tow trucks. Working in tandem, the rotators lifted the tank into the air, allowing Edge to back the flatbed trailer beneath the 70,000-pound steel war machine. “The Nazis couldn’t beat the Sherman tank, but Eddie Buice and Arthur Edge did!” Turner joked.
Within a few minutes, the tank was delivered in the green space between Georgia Highway 18 and Burnette Road. A grand memorial will later be built near the tank to honor America’s veterans of war, the cadets of Gordon Military High School and College, and the ongoing legacy of Lamar County High School’s AJROTC program, founded by Major Paul Stinson.
The artillery gun proved to be a much easier task. It was hauled without issue and is now on display at the new AJROTC training facility behind LCHS.
Former Gordon Military student Truman Boyle was present to get drone footage of the big move. School board member Ron Smith was also present at transport. Both men have fond childhood memories of the tank when it was at Gordon. Smith, an early and instrumental supporter of the project, recalled riding his bike from Piedmont to Barnesville with friend Jim Adams at age 12 to climb on and play in the tank.
Locals Reflect on the Tank’s New Home
Longtime LCHS history teacher Scott Turner spoke about the tank and artillery gun now on display at the school. “History that is tangible increases student interest and engagement. We want history to come alive and be real to students.”
Jimmy Matthews, a proud graduate of Gordon Military High School (Class of 1962) and Gordon Military College (Class of 1964), sees the tank as a powerful symbol of “our beautiful history.” He explained, “Gordon was designated an honored military school by the Department of the Army. This was not an easy achievement. There were a lot of criteria to be ROTC certified.” He recalled requirements such as grade point averages, the total number of cadets, and rigorous physical inspections by the Army. “But the school blossomed under the leadership of Colonel C.T.B. Harris, who came in the 1950s.”
Under Harris’s leadership, military memorabilia began appearing across the Gordon campus in the late 1950s, including not just the tank and artillery, but also other weaponry, a missile among them. These displays became lasting reminders of the school’s military heritage and the discipline it expected of its cadets.
Matthews said the tank’s return has rekindled a deep sense of pride for Gordon Military’s alumni, but also for the community at large and its veterans. “It’s sparked something good and warm in our people,” he reflected.
Other Gordon Military alumni jumped at the opportunity to share their favorite memories involving their alma mater and its beloved tank.
Claudine White, a 1958 graduate of Gordon Military High School and 1960 graduate of Gordon Military College, worked in the office of Colonel C.T.B. Harris. “He was a PR person if there ever was one,” she remembered.
White praised the tank’s relocation to the Lamar County High School campus. “It’s excellent, especially with the great ROTC program we have here,” she said. “When I see them marching in the parades, like at Buggy Days, it takes me back to those days at Gordon. It’s really great to see that program’s success, especially after attending a military school myself.”
Bill Hewitt, a 1968 graduate of Gordon Military High School and 1970 graduate of Gordon Military College, credits the school with helping him find direction during his young life. “It was one of the best things I needed,” he said. “I was rebellious, and I needed a fairly closed environment. If I hadn’t gotten started at a place like Gordon, I would’ve ended up in big trouble.”
Tradition or Trouble? Hewitt Recalls “Painting the Tank”
Hewitt, however, remembers the tank not just as a symbol of Gordon’s military heritage, but as the center of an unofficial student “tradition.”
“It kind of became a ritual,” he laughed. “A rite of passage, almost. Somebody would paint the tank. Sometimes just parts of it, sometimes almost the whole thing. Anybody who went to Gordon in the late 60s and early 70s was very aware of what it meant to ‘paint the tank.'”
Hewitt recalled one night in particular when he and a group of fellow students decided to make their move around 3:00 a.m. The tank sat on a plateau near the old military building.
“Everyone brought brushes and cans of paint,” he said. “You had to sneak across the drill field and get down low. It was flat and wide open. So, you could be seen from anywhere.”
Once they reached the tank, it was a matter of painting as much as you dared before retreating. “I was scared to death we’d get caught,” he said. “Some students did get caught and got demerits, maybe even sent to the Bull Ring. But not many.”
“Usually, the paint was white because it was the cheapest,” Hewitt said. “But some of the college guys and underclassmen were pretty ingenious. They used all kinds of colors—yellow, pink. Pink even became a favorite for a while.”
Despite the mischief of the act, Hewitt believes the tradition added something valuable for Gordon. “It helped school spirit in a tough military school. When someone said, ‘The tank got painted,’ it was a big deal for the student body. When a classmate suggested, ‘Let’s paint the tank,’ there wasn’t any real rhyme or reason to it. There was just a battle plan and the guts to go through with it.”
A Symbol of Freedom
Though the tank once stirred laughter in the night, it now receives respect in the light. Those traditions—both famous and infamous—belong to the past. But with the tank back in town, there’s hope that the legacy surrounding it will continue to live on in the annals of Barnesville’s history. For all of Lamar County, it now stands as a bridge between generations of Gordon’s past and Lamar County High School’s present and future. For all Americans, it is a symbol of liberty and victory. For the world, a monument to the power of heroes rising against tyranny.
It is a reminder to all of Lamar County of who we’ve been, who we are, and the values we embody together.
A gallery of photographs from the transport can be viewed below. The following YouTube link includes Truman Boyle’s drone footage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s2DAFhprjw
Grant Turner is the editor of the Barnesville Buzz and an educator, coach, and writer based in Barnesville, Georgia. He shares stories that bridge community, faith, and personal growth. In addition to teaching and coaching, Grant is Director of Musical Worship and a Sunday School teacher at New Hope Baptist Church in Zebulon, Georgia. He lives in Barnesville with his wife, Haley.
