The county is now in possession of quite a piece of history. Earl Loy, with the Tri-County Veterans Honor Guard, officially presented an M1Garand rifle, a standard-issue weapon used extensively during World War II and Korea, to County Mayor Jack Daniels and Claiborne County Commission chairman David Mundy last week during the regular monthly meeting of the commissioners.
Touted at the time by Gen. George S. Patton as “the greatest battle implement ever devised,” the Garand rifle was the first standard-issue .30 caliber semiautomatic rifle used in warfare from 1936 until 1957.
The Garand remained a popular weapon throughout the Vietnam War, its popularity eventually dying out around 1976.
Rifle designer John Garand spent a couple decades working at the U. S. Army’s Springfield Armory inventing different versions of his rifle before hitting the target with his M1 prototype.
The rifle is an air-cooled, gas-operated clip fed semiautomatic which is fired from the shoulder.
The former military weapon is used today by honor guards during special ceremonies. The still-popular rifle is also used by hunters and those who frequent target matches.
The Garand is also highly sought after as a prized collectible.
The rifle presented to the county last week by the Honor Guard was used for some 12 years during various functions including funerals and military celebrations.
After the presentation, Loy thanked the commissioners for their faithful support of the Tri-County Veterans Honor Guard. Recent donations by Claiborne and Union Counties, he said, went toward the purchase of a 2008 van that allows the Guard to more easily travel to the various events in which they participate.
In other action, the commission unanimously approved Resolution 2015-095, giving the county the go-ahead to apply for a new Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to extend the District 8 waterline.
If approved, the CDBG funds would be used in portions of the lower end of Powell Valley, in the Speedwell and Forge Ridge communities.
The eight percent matching grant would generate some $570,000. The application calls for funds in the amount of $525,000 with the county’s portion of the match not to exceed $45,652.
Reach Jan Runions at 423-254-5588 or on Twitter @scribeCP.
