Cannons Will Stay Put Across From Wright Park
Here’s a brief update on a fascinating little story we wrote about earlier this year:
The Karpeles Manuscript Library in Tacoma has won its legal battle against a local American Legion post over a pair of antique cannons.
The 80-year old guns were out front of the Karpeles museum building when the museum bought the property from the Legionnaires more than 20 years ago. Then last winter the Legionnaires ‘reclaimed’ one of the guns from the museum – without permission, taking it back to their current post in Parkland. The matter went to court, and the judge ordered the Legionnaires to return the gun, but the court fight continued.
Now it’s decided. Not only will the guns remain in front of the Karples building across from Wright Park, but the American Legion post has been ordered to pay $10,000 in damages.
Read more from The News Tribune.
Read the earlier story from Exit133: 80 Year-Old Cannon Sparks Feud and Cannon Back at Karples Museum.
Filed under: History, Tacoma Landmarks
2 comments
J John October 23, 2012
Oh, hells yeah! A bunch of volunteers and curators, (and the spirits of David and Marsha Karples) kicked the collectives asses of a bunch of old vets. No disrespect intended to the guys of American Legion (thanks for the service you provided prior to this little incident), but it wasn’t your gun! Check the place out… it’s amazing. We’ve seen the actual writings of people like Einstein, Freud, and Darwin over the past couple of years.
And the cannons are pretty cool, too.
T Tim Smith October 25, 2012
The Judge is wrong. Equipment donated by the Department of the Army to American Legion Posts remain the property of the United States Army. Transfer of any equipment obtained through the Surplus Program is unauthorized without the written permission of the United States Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM). No one, not even the American Legion can OWN the cannons. In fact, the Legion, as a congressionally chartered organization is the only entity of the two that have even the legal authority to have the display cannons. I don’t agree with how they took them but the cannons should either go to the legion, or go back to the Army.