BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — A Korean War era tank near the entrance to a Bluefield park turned bright lemon-lime yellow thanks to a mix up with paint colors.

The Bluefield Daily Telegraph reports city officials were initially unable to explain the color change. Then the sponsor of a Bluefield State College science fiction club sent a letter to the paper.

Jerry Conner said the U.S.S. Yeager Chapter of Starfleet International has been cleaning and painting the tank for about 20 years.

“We took a sample of the color to a Bluefield merchant and purchased two gallons which was supposed to match our sample,” Conner said in the letter. “We were worried when we opened the containers and found something nowhere near our sample.”

Club members assumed the paint would turn olive drab once it dried, Conner said. It didn’t.

City Manager Dane Rideout said the M41 Walker Bulldog tank is owned by the National Guard.

“We are working with them to acquire historically accurate paint and the paint scheme,” Rideout said. “We want to be as historically accurate as we can be.”

Rideout said the city obtained a copy of the receipt from the paint sold to the college club. It listed the color as “tank green.” He also said the city will reach out to the club, which was trying to obtain replacement paint.

“At least the yellow of the tank is a nice match for the red of our faces,” Conner said.

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