You know those old grenades you see at the antique stores?

[Jstpssng]

^^^^
That must be the bomb which was found in Stephen King's book "The Stand."

A friend was stationed in Germany and told of moving dirt, which often turned up live munitions.

 

[Richard]

Years ago, my Aunt died. Her son & myself went to the house to clean things up. I was in an upstairs closet (that the kids used when we/they were kids...)

I found what for all reasons, was a mortar round. Didn't know what to do with it. House was going to be put up for sale....I didn't want to leave it and someone find it having to call out the bomb squad.

Long story short, seems my Aunt had a boyfriend. He gave this to my cousin when he was something like 10 years old. Though it was a genuine item, it wasn't a mortar round. It was a practice round so it was essentially a dead weight that as I understand, got attached to something else and when it thumped to the ground, it was reused.

I think it was painted blue as I recall and the blue (might have been red) color is what distinguished it as a practice (dud) round.

I might still have that out in my garage (near 15 years ago) Thought it was cool at the time....but frankly, since it "is" real (looks real) I'm nervous about simply tossing it out somewhere lest again, someone see it and panic about it causing a scene.

 

[Jstpssng]

I was out in the woods years ago, back when we had an active Air Force base which did a lot of low level treetop practice flights. Running down my cruise line I started noticing hardware hanging from the trees; wires with electrical connections attached. Then I came to the back section of a bomb, with the front torn off. I wrote down the numbers on it then like a dumb a** I picked up one end. All of a sudden I heard
Tick._____Tick.___Tick.___Tick_Tick_ticktcktktc...
I didn't even have time to bend over and kiss myself goodbye.
Of course it wasn't a live round, I doubt they would use those for practice over US air space. More likely there was a piece of hardware which rolled down the fuselage when I moved it.
Yet I still had to buy myself a new pair of shorts.

 

[Peter 315]

It happened at Fort Devens years ago....Teen Trespasser Who Apparently Picked Up Grenades Killed at Army Base

 

[dmccarty]

"
[h=2]12-Year-Old Boy Killed After Grenade Bought at North Carolina Antique Mall Explodes[/h][FONT=DDG_ProximaNova]

People|26 minutes ago
[/FONT]
[FONT=DDG_ProximaNova]A child from Virginia is dead after a World War II-era hand grenade believed to be inactive exploded, according to authorities. The child was killed on Dec. 23 by a MK2 grenade that was likely purchased at the Fancy Flea Antique Mall in Shallotte,"


[/FONT]

Scary thing is that there might be more live grenades out there....

Later,
Dan

 

[stuckmotor]

The local army surplus store used to sell dummy grenades made from one chunk of what looked like cast iron. Even the simulated lever was a part of the casting. The pin and ring were the only moving parts.

 

[dmccarty]

Years ago, my Aunt died. Her son & myself went to the house to clean things up. I was in an upstairs closet (that the kids used when we/they were kids...)

I found what for all reasons, was a mortar round. Didn't know what to do with it. House was going to be put up for sale....I didn't want to leave it and someone find it having to call out the bomb squad.
...

I might still have that out in my garage (near 15 years ago) Thought it was cool at the time....but frankly, since it "is" real (looks real) I'm nervous about simply tossing it out somewhere lest again, someone see it and panic about it causing a scene.

My father in law was in Special Forces, he did not like the term "Green Berets." I did not find out until his funeral, that not only was he in the Special Forces but he was in the 1st Special Forces Group. This actually has two meanings. He was IN the 1st Special Forces Group but he was also in the FIRST group of soldiers the formed/created the 1st Special Forces Group. :shocked: He never said much of what he did in the Special Forces though one of his skills was in small arms repair.

When he died, family members were cleaning out his house and were in the attic. They found a box with what looked like a tank mine, dynamite and a grenade. They *** eased *** on out of the attic and called the bomb squad. It was the right thing to do. Now, from my talks with him, he knew how dangerous dynamite can be and how it has to be stored safely. One of his SF skills was in making thing go boom. I suspect including mushroom cloud booms. :shocked: Story dynamite in a hot attic is not safe, old dynamite is not safe, so old dynamite store in a hot attic is very unsafe. He just would not have put dynamite in the attic.

Having said that, it was the right thing to do calling the bomb squad. Everything in the box were practice devices.

My father in law grew up on the coast of NC and lived a life style that is impossible to do now. He hunted, fished, swam, crabbed, boated, and dug up ordinance at a major Civil War battle field. :shocked::laughing: I think this is one of the reasons he was selected to be in Special Forces. At the time, the Civil War battle field was in private hands and he had written permission to go dig on the land. He found rusted rifles, swords, bayonets, etc, along with at least one belt buckle still "attached" to a dead Yankee skeleton. The belt buckle had the solider names etched on the back and he remembered the name. He also would dig up LIVE shells, including some balls feet in diameter. He had quite a collection which I think he donated to a museum. There is a cannon he found in the Cape Fear river that is now at a museum in the center of the state. He "lent" it to them, so I suppose it is know "ours", but I don't have a clue how we could prove it. :laughing:

Sure do miss him...

Later,
Dan