T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK The World War II era cannon at the junction of Sugar Street and Legion Road in St. Clairsville has gotten a new setting and paint job as part of an area Boy Scout’s Eagle project. In front, from left, are Troop 212 Scouts Grant Murray, 17, of Belmont, and Jason Duvall, 17, St. Clairsville. Behind them, from left, are St. Clairsville American Legion Commander Larry Barnes, Auxiliary Cheryl Barnes and Adjutant Rick Johnson, Four Seasons Garden Center owner Paul Boczek, Robert Flanagan of Bethesda who painted the cannon and Duvall’s father, Tom Duvall.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE ­– The World War II era cannon at the junction of Sugar Street and Legion Road in St. Clairsville has a new setting and paint job as part of an area Boy Scout’s Eagle project.

Jason Duvall said the total project time was 187 hours. He will learn if his Eagle Scout application is approved in a few months.

“It was a lot of work. A lot of digging and a lot of lifting,” he said, adding the project called on some of the skills he learned while scouting. “It was a lot of measuring, and we had to lift a lot and shovel. It was a lot of spreading rocks.”

Working around the historical cannon also taught him some important lessons.

“If you get too close to the end of it, you can hit your head on it,” he said, adding he learned that quickly.

“I’m just grateful I had as much help as I did,” Jason Duvall said. “I appreciate everybody who was rooting for me, and I’m just really thankful.”

His father, Tom Duvall, said his great-great uncle Emile DeLeau earned a Congressional Medal of Honor during World War II and was laid to rest at Linwood Cemetery in Blaine.

“Jason was always involved. They made a new memorial for him, and Jason was involved in that. He was around and we took him many times to cemeteries and said: ‘This is a real hero here.’ I asked Jason: ‘What do you want to do for your Eagle Scout project?’ He said: ‘I want to give something back to the veterans.'”

He added that his son has been involved in the Scouts since age 6.

American Legion Adjutant Rick Johnson said Scouts have often worked on projects for the legion. He pointed out that a nearby flag pole was also an Eagle Scout project completed by Kyle Timko in 2008.

He spoke about the current project.

“It took a little bit of time. We’ve been working on this for about four months and we had to get permission. The Army actually owns the gun. We’re responsible for it,” he said. Robert Flanagan of Bethesda volunteered to repaint the cannon, and the legion designed the layout and acquired the material.

“It just turned out really good,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the cannon is on city property and that St. Clairsville approved of the project.

Legion Commander Larry Barnes commented on the improvements.

“It used to be you couldn’t see the gun. There were hedges,” Barnes said, noting the city removed the hedges and ground down the stumps.

Johnson said the cannon is an M-5 72-millimeter gun that was used in World War II to support ariel forces in Europe.

“It was made in the early 1940s,” he said. “It wasn’t in service too long because it was too heavy to move around.”

Barnes added the cannon was designed as an anti-tank weapon. Johnson said the cannon eventually made its way to St. Clairsville.

“The legion’s had it for years. I don’t know how long we’ve been responsible for it, but it’s been here at least 20 years if not more,” he said.

Paul Boczek, who owns Four Seasons Garden Center, donated the decorative stones around the canon.

“I thought it was appropriate being Veterans Day was so close,” he said. “I wanted to contribute a small part to help out. … I thought it would be a good opportunity to donate, help a young man with his merit badge and honor our veterans. This is beautiful what they’ve created.”