Honoring those who served

Mayor Tom Rist, city planner Bonnie Harper and Dr. John Goodrich from the local Rotary Club pose in front of an M-1 Abrams tank on display near Hot Creek Road on Monday. Soldiers from the Idaho Army National Guard donated the as part of a permanent display along Highway 20 in honor of service members that have served in the Persian Gulf since Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
Nearly 10 years in the making, the static display effort represents a team effort between city leaders, the local Rotary Club and representatives from Gowen Field, Goodrich said. Built in 1983, the tank was assigned to the 116th Cavalry Brigade in Boise. Fitted with a 105mm main gun, the tank became obsolete when the Idaho Guard fielded the newer M1A1 version of the mainline battle tank. Used as a training platform for years, it participated in a variety of combat training exercises but never saw actual combat. Photo by Brian S. Orban