Oranienburg, Germany A 550-pound WWII bomb was discovered during routine inspections in Oranienburg, Germany. The town, less than 25 miles from Berlin, is no stranger to munition finds as it is believed to house more WWII UXO than any other town in Germany.

Given its history of such finds, officials knew exactly how to handle the dicey discovery. Over 12,000 people were evacuated as an EOD team worked to render safe the bomb. Once the ordnance was safely defused, residents were able to return to their homes, schools, and places of work.

Kealia, Hawaii For three days, an unidentified metal object was rolling around at Kealia Beach in Hawaii. Fearing the worst, local police contacted the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) and the US Navy EOD team.

Unfortunately, high tides and shifting sands made the unidentified object difficult to locate. Once the tides turned, favorable surf eventually revealed where the 3-foot-diameter object finally came to rest on the beach.

US Navy EOD were then able to identify the object not as an explosive, but as a metal buoy. The PMRF spokesman stressed that in cases of uncertainty, call 911 and stay nearby to help responding teams find the possible ordnance.

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Herm, Guernsey Due to some abnormally strong tides, a British WWII torpedo was unearthed on a beach in Herm. The Guernsey Police bomb squad went out to the island to investigate, and were happy to find that the item did not contain explosives.

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Cambridge, England Things got heated up during the construction of an ice rink in Cambridge as a grenade ignited the bucket of an excavator. Knowing the danger this presented to the job site, EOD technicians were called in to assist in removing other grenades on site.

The Royal Logistic Corps Bomb Disposal team arrived on scene and identified the grenades WWII era likely buried after the war. Due to the late hour, a perimeter was set up and the grenades were safely watched until the following morning when the bomb disposal team was able to safely detonate all the discovered items.

Youngsville, Louisiana During a narcotics raid, the SWAT team responding was surprised to find what appeared to be military ordnance. Identifying the danger potentially present, the SWAT team cleared the area and called the bomb squad.

An EOD team, the ATF, and the Louisiana State Bomb squad all arrived on scene to provide support. EOD identified the item as an M7 WWII military rocket. The item was reported to be empty / inert.

Nobody seems to know for certain how long the Napoleon 12-pounder Civil War Cannon had been placed outside the Tennessee State Capitol before being taken into the state museum (TSM). Neither is it clear exactly when it was actually taken into the shades and warmth of the Museum building, after the rain and shine during its days outside. Even less certain are the circumstances that led to the cannon ball lodged inside the cannon.

What is certain is that this 12-pounder bronze smooth-bore Napoleon cannon was used in Nathan Bedford Forrest's Cavalry and was given to Tennessee by Forrest's artillery chief John W. Morton. While the appetite for civil war artifacts amongst many Americans has remained high, thereby making the cannon itself an important part of the Civil War collection, the uncertainty and therefore the constant worry about the safety of such old weapons is never in doubt.

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