>Cool. I rode on an elephant once. ... Not an Elefant tank
>destroyer, an actual elephant.

Just as cool!

>What? Don't judge me, it was 30 years ago. It wasn't considered
>morally indefensible back then. Besides, he didn't seem to mind.

Why would I judge? I'm not suffering the modern PC affliction. Considering that the eledphant is still used as a working animal in the East, today, and considering the size and strength of an elephant, I sincerely doubt that he was in any way strained, or minded even the slightest.

>I remember getting a ride on an armored vehicle at a state fair once,
>but I was a very small child at the time and don't remember what it
>was. WWII-vintage American, I'm pretty sure, but I don't think it was
>an actual tank; I vaguely recall it didn't have a turret. Maybe a
>self-propelled gun - M7 Priest
>or the like.

ALSO cool. I've had rides in, and on, a variety of armored vehicles, but nothing like that.

>There used to be a junkyard in a town not far from here (I may have
>mentioned this before) that was full of WWII tanks, trucks,
>halftracks, and so forth. The proprietor had used the wide range of
>parts available to keep a few examples running, and would bring them
>out for the Memorial Day and Independence Day parades in neighboring
>towns. So I've seen a Sherman tank and an M18 Hellcat tank TD on the
>move, but never got a ride on either one of those.

>I'd quite like to have a Sherman. Just park it outside and maybe run
>it to the store once in a while. Possibly get a dozer blade for it
>and use it to plow the driveway in the winter. It would make a nice
>conversation piece. Knowing this town, the code enforcement office
>would get after me for untidy yard infractions.

Which is the notable...lack? around here. There aren't all that many US-origin vehicles of that sort, old OR modern. There are a bunch of others, Brit Centurions and Soviet/Russian BMPs among others, but no US ones.

Though, there IS a Futurliner! Number 8, to be exact. I've seen it, though it isn't by far fully restored.

...!
Gott's Leetle Feesh in Trousers!