American Notes Baltimore

Many obscure imports have made their way through Baltimore's port, but this one was a true rarity: a Soviet T-54 tank. It was discovered last week near Pier 10, perched on top of a flatbed trailer in the parking lot of a farm- supply company. Not quite sure just why the tank was there, a specially equipped unit of the Baltimore police force dismantled the T-54's two .250- cal. machine guns and carted them off for safekeeping while they searched for the owner. A call to nearby Fort Meade did nothing to clear up the mystery. Eventually, the truck driver responsible for the tank called the police to report two stolen machine guns.

The tank, of 1950s vintage, belonged to the Egyptian army and had been transported to Baltimore on the U.S. barge Lash Atlantico on its way to Teledyne Continental Motors in Muskegon, Mich., for repairs and rebuilding. The driver parked the T-54 for more than a week while he went off in search of a special permit to transport the overweight load on Maryland's roads. In the end, police returned the guns, and the tank continued its decades-long voyage from Moscow to Muskegon.