ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Tuesday for a World War I-era military tank Mark VIII at the Rock Island Arsenal.
The tank displayed at the Rock Island Arsenal Museum is one of three of these tanks remaining in the world. The other two are housed at The Tank Museum in Bovington, England, and the other at Ft. Moore, Georgia as part of the U.S. Army Armory and Cavalry Training Support Facility's collection.
The Mark VIII Liberty was produced at the Rock Island Arsenal between 1919 and 1920. It was originally planned during WWI as a joint British/French/American-produced tank for the anticipated Spring 1919 offensive.
The end of the war on November 11, 1918, ended production plans for the tank.
This particular tank returned to the Arsenal in 2021 to begin restorations in preparation for this event. This included stabilization, repair, painting, and the construction of a covered pavilion. The work was accomplished by the Rock Island Arsenal's Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center.
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