Diablo Canyon & SLO Veterans Museum Partner To Restore Army Tank Display

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – A group of Diablo Canyon employees recently restored an M60A3 tank outside the Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum in San Luis Obispo.

The volunteer project saved the museum an estimated $20,000 in restoration costs.

The effort required 125 volunteer man-hours following approximately six months of coordination.

Led by a Diablo Canyon security supervisor, who also serves as a National Guard tank commander, the volunteer initiative allowed the museum to avoid hiring a contract curator for the restoration.

The restoration was conducted across three workdays that focused on pressure washing and prepping, masking and priming and applying the final coat.

Volunteers utilized two pressure washers connected to 350 feet of hose, five gallons of primer, six gallons of top coat, 300 square feet of aluminum foil and paper for masking and hand-cut stencils.

Many of the Diablo Canyon employees who participated are military veterans.

The initiative brought together veterans, non-veterans, museum supporters and community members to help preserve local military history.

The piece of equipment, an M60 battle tank model M60A3, weighs 53 tons and measures 22 feet long, 12 feet wide and 11 feet high.

The tank was in military service from 1960 to 1991 and has been installed outside the museum since 2006.

The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With The Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.