Boy Scout leads effort to restore WWII canon

Perhaps it is not often that many of us would think that something from the WWII era would catch the eye and attention of a modern-day teenager, but that is exactly what happened when soon-tobe 16-year-old Boy Scout Luke Robinson saw the deteriorated condition of the old WWII cannon that sits on static display on the northeast corner of the Liberty County Courthouse.

Scout Robinson has been a Boy Scout for four years and now holds the rank of Life Scout and also serves as a Patrol Leader. He was looking for an important project to earn his Eagle Scout rank, which is the highest rank a Scout can attain, when he spotted the old cannon and immediately knew this would be both a worthwhile project in restoring the old cannon for not only his Eagle Scout ranking but for the community as well.

Luke is obviously not a young man that is hesitant in reaching his objectives, so his first stop was to visit County Judge Jay Knight to gain Commissioners Court permission to clean and paint the age-old cannon. On April 12th, Commissioners Court did give permission, so the next step was to ask for volunteers to help in this endeavor. That next step involved Scout Robinson contacting Liberty County Sheriff Bobby Rader to see if volunteers could be secured through that agency. Sheriff Rader quickly authorized Cadet volunteers from the in-progress Police Academy class, the LCSO Mounted Posse members, and the Sheriff’s Citizen Auxiliary Network (S.C.A.N). To further assure a proper approach to this cleaning and painting of the cannon, Luke contacted City of Liberty Fire Chief Brian Hurst, who eagerly authorized his volunteer firefighters to power wash the old cannon in preparation for the new paint job.

This three-day project of cleaning, sanding, and painting the old cannon began on Thursday with Scout L u k e Robinson leading and directing the volunteers. While all this work was being done, wellknown City of Liberty resident Charles Wiggins was on hand as he proudly watched the cannon that he, personally, brought from the Baytown area in 1969 to the Liberty Court House to be displayed on the courthouse square. Wiggins said he recalls receiving many “thumbs up” and honking of horns from drivers as he pulled the military cannon down the highway and into Liberty. This very worthwhile project

This very worthwhile project was no easy accomplishment for Scout Luke Robinson in his effort to earn his Eagle Scout rank. After the cannon is repainted, he must write a report to the Sam Houston Area Council, which then must go to the Scout Master Conference. From there, it is forwarded to a Review Board for approval and then finally to the Court of Honor, which will then present the Eagle rank to Scout Robinson. The time frame for this process varies but can be quite lengthy for many younger Scouts such as Luke because, quite often, older Scouts are reviewed first before they must “age out” at age 18. Again, however, it is clear that Luke is

Again, however, it is clear that Luke is not content to rest on his laurels in earning his Eagle rank by leading the charge to restore the old military cannon because he is continuing in the scout organization to earn extra achievement awards while he awaits the outcome of his Eagle rank. It is also clear that with young men like soon-to-be Eagle Scout Luke Robinson, the future of our country is safe and secure. So, the next time you pass the Liberty

So, the next time you pass the Liberty County Court House, take a minute to view the newly painted old WW2 cannon that once again sits proudly in silent vigil over the Court House Square and be more aware of the vision of Scout Luke Robinson to make it that way.