I called the person listed on the Army letter as the point of contact, but he's out until 8/18, so I left him a voicemail. I'm sure when the Army looks at the pictures of their Spanish rifled 4-pounder that's had the engraving stirpped off of it, and the intact weapon of the same model in the side-by-side photos, they'll be asking themselves how all that bronze was removed from the gun. Hopefully they'll wonder what they can do to prevent the rest of their priceless bronze trophies from suffering the same fate.
Of the fine French short 4-pounders they have outside, I'd say none have corrosion damage as great as that seen on the rifled Spanish gun, although I didn't photograph the pair in the General's front yard this trip. When I was taking pictures at that spot in '83, the entire MP force rolled up in several cars and asked me to go away, so I did.
The French short 4-pounders at Fort McNair now or since I've been checking on them consist of:
2 ea. painted black, at Inter-American Defense College, excellent condition
2 ea. in front yard of General Officer's quarters, condition uncertain but appear from a distance to be corroding.
1 ea. near flagpole (pictured in this discussion), fair condition, ongoing corrosion
2 ea. in front of academic building near Nat. War College, one in shade in very good condition, one in sunlight in fair conditon with ongoing corrosion.
2 ea., were in front of officer's club ca. 1980, since replace by two US 24? pounder field howitzers, M1841. Present location of the two French 4-pounders unknown.