Yes, it serves as a warning to us all.
Seems it was built with specific purpose in mind, and I dont think any quarter was given to what they were doing to a piece of history. I find that astonishingly irresponsible, BUT thats only my viewpoint. Guess the builder had a different perspective, and they have certainly created something unique and fun for the user/s. Farmers had done worse to military vehicles, yes? At least its closer to restorable as a result of being made into this tank, as opposed to getting the guts flogged out of it, then cut up and put on a farm dump.
As Maxwell Smart would put it, "If only they had used their skills for good, instead of evil"
The one thing that breaks my heart is the selling of military medals, by whatever medium. Especially heart rending is seeing medals sold individually, when they were obviously part of a set. I have even heard of WWII medals being thrown out when families clear out the belongings of deceased relative who earned them. That should be a crime, a genuine, legally punishable crime. With my elder brother passing away some months ago, I am now the temporary custodian of my fathers WWII medals. I have already had the talk with my son, expressing my wish that the medals can NEVER be sold or given outside the family. They are an award, not a commodity! Fortunately, my son holds the same reverence as I, and has promised that he will respect my wishes. Should no one in the family wish to have the medals, they and the accompanying wall display must only be disposed of by donating them to an RSL (Returned Services League, for those o/s) club or the Australia War Memorial, in Canberra.