Turlock puts historic cannon on display downtown
As a centerpiece to this year’s Veterans Day celebration, the city of Turlock rededicated the historic War Memorial cannon in Central Park and honored local veterans on Veterans Day. The newly installed display is located in Central Park in downtown Turlock.
Mayor Gary Soiseth and Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, led the event, which featured the Pitman High School Band.
“The War Memorial Cannon has occupied a central place of distinction in our Turlock community for more than 50 years. It's an honor to be mayor as we rededicate this piece of our military history that will pay tribute to veterans for decades to come,” said Mayor Gary Soiseth.
Veterans of California State University, Stanislaus, and the local chapters of the American Legion, the Disabled American Veterans, Korean War Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign Wars took part. The city retained ownership of the cannon with the sale of the War Memorial and former police facility to the Turlock Irrigation District. A community vetting process in conjunction with the city’s Parks, Arts and Recreation Commission was utilized to determine the design and new location of this special public memorial.
The city added one green light in the lighting of the cannon memorial saying it is meant to spark a national conversation regarding the recognition of veterans, and “green-light” them forward as valued members of our communities.
The 105 mm Howitzer Artillery Cannon weighs 5,000 pounds and spans 19 feet in length. It was the standard U.S. light field howitzer in World War II, though the history of this particular canon is unknown. This type of cannon saw action in the European and Pacific theaters.
It was cutting-edge technology when its production began in 1941 and quickly gained a reputation for accuracy and a powerful punch. The M101A1 fired 105 mm high-explosive semi-fixed ammunition and had a range of 11,270 meters, or 12,325 yards, making it suitable for supporting infantry.
This story was originally published November 11, 2015 at 4:40 PM with the headline "Turlock puts historic cannon on display downtown."