John Haines

Renovo, Pa.

In the beautiful remote town of Renovo, Pa., there is the most extraordinarily magnificent Veterans War Memorial. It stands at the entrance of town. The citizens of the community should take great pride in their memorial because it commemorates victory on the field of battle. It also honors the veterans, and war(s) they fought. The “16th Street Memorial” is important because it exhibits the history that enables visitors to remember and understand the war(s).

The unique thing about the Renovo monument is the placement of a M4 Sherman tank. The ability to place your hands upon an artifact really gives you a sense of connection with history. But how did the M4 Sherman tank happen to be in Renovo, Pa.?

At the Renovo American Legion Post in the late 1950s, there was talk of building a war memorial. The discussions at several legion meetings led to the formation of a committee, and John Curcio was appointed chairman. John was a lifelong resident of Clinton County and a WWII veteran. Curcio had served as a staff sergeant in the 8th U.S.A.A.F. bomber group, completing 35 combat missions as a tail gunner.

The first order of business was the solicitation of donations, and the people of Renovo and the surrounding area showed their generosity as $4,000 was collected. Romolo Malizza kindly donated property across from his business establishment on the east end of town near the original “Memorial Bridge.”

It was Vincent Vendetti, who likewise was a committee member and a pharmacist in the Philadelphia area, who knew of the VFW Post at Willow Grove, Pa. The post was moving and had no place to display their M4 Sherman tank, and so they decided to donate the tank for the Renovo Memorial.

However, the American Legion committee then encountered a significant obstacle — how to transport a 30 ton tank from an area just north of Philadelphia, approximately 250 miles, to Renovo. Funds in the committee treasury were insufficient for such an expensive operation.

Luckily, another committee member, Charles Poleto, happened to know the Lieutenant Governor, and he was happy to help. With clock-work-like precision, the plan to move the tank was soon implemented. The tank was loaded onto a “low-boy” trailer and the journey began. Because of weight restrictions certain roads were off limits. Nevertheless, three days later, they finally arrived in Renovo. Fittingly, the memorial was dedicated on Nov. 11, 1963.

Originally the location of the Sherman tank was on the other side of the road (Route 120) between the road and the river, at the bottom of the old bridge. However, in the early 1980s, Harrisburg made plans to replace Memorial Bridge — although their plans neglected funding for moving the tank. Nevertheless, this oversight was quickly corrected and arrangements with the Pennsylvania National Guard of Lock Haven were made, and they moved the tank — using a tank retriever — over to the site you see today. Likewise, the Eagles and name plates were also moved and placed on the pillars honoring those veterans.

If you get the chance to visit the 16th Street Memorial Park in Renovo, you now know the whole story of its history.