BEAVER DAM, Wis. (PRWEB)
August 13, 2021

For the first time, visitors will be able to see a live demonstration of a world-class military tank at the Dodge County Fair. A Leopard 1A5 (L1A5) Main Battle Tank will participate in the Badger State Tractor Pull, which will include some of the most high-performing diesel tractors and trucks in the country.

The L1A5 is an improved variant of the Leopard 1, which was designed and produced by Porsche in West Germany in the 1960s. The tank was built in 1982 and upgraded to an L1A5 in 1997. The 45-ton tank is armed with a 105 mm cannon and two 7.62 MG3 machine guns. It has laser sighting, night vision, and gun stabilization. Its 38 liter twin supercharged V10 multi-fuel diesel engine allows it to reach speeds of just over 40 mph. This style tank was used in the gulf wars in the 1990s and is still in use by many nations.

Frank Oetlinger of Grafton, Wisconsin owns the tank, which he’s named “Amelia” after his first-born granddaughter. He uses the tank to demonstrate the strength of the aluminum framing system he produces at his company, Controlled Dynamics. Outside of work, Oetlinger holds fundraisers with Amelia to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which he’s been doing since his youngest daughter was diagnosed with cancer several years ago. When asked if he wanted to partner with Badger State Tractor Pullers (BSTP) at the fair to help support the American Family Children’s Hospital out of Madison he quickly said, “Yes!” Proceeds from their yearly benefit pull and raffle will be donated to the hospital.

The invitation came from Chris Feller, who is a puller himself and helps manage the BSTP event at the fair. Feller owns the Sussek Machine Company, an international precision machining business headquartered in Waterloo, Wisconsin. He and Oetlinger are business associates, and like Oetlinger, Feller has a long history of supporting children’s hospitals.

“The Badger State Tractor Pullers support the American Family Children’s Hospital out of Madison, Wisconsin,” he said. “We perform at about 25 to 30 events during most summers. At one large event we put on every year all the proceeds go to the cause.”

The non-profit organization holds the special event each year strictly to benefit the hospital. According to the BSTP website, the group has donated nearly $550K to the hospital over the past 17 years. Feller says teaming with Oetlinger made perfect sense because, “he likes doing things to benefit children’s hospitals and so do we.”

Feller also thought fairgoers would be interested in seeing Amelia. “People will get a kick out of it because you don’t see a fully functional tank every day,” he said. The men plan to broadcast the national anthem during Amelia’s debut and the tank will display the American flag. At the very end of the event they will have a special demonstration of the tank’s abilities.

Nineteen-year-old Justin Komp of Waukesha, Wisconsin, will drive the tank. Komp, whose father works with Oetlinger as a consultant, is a former Milwaukee Children’s Hospital patient. He was born with a genetic defect that caused an enlarged heart and he spent several months in the hospital. He received a heart transplant there in 2018. Komp was a junior in high school at the time, and despite his extended absence from school the determined teen graduated on time with his classmates. He will begin his second year of college at UWM Waukesha this month.

Komp admits that he’s never driven a tank but says that doesn’t deter him from taking the controls. “I’m very excited,” he said. “I’m a war history junkie, so I’m interested in anything about wars.”

The Dodge County Fair runs from August 18th through August 21st in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. For more information visit: https://dodgecountyfairgrounds.com/

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