An excerpt from the 1945 Bomb Disposal Technical Information Bulletin No 53 issued by the Ordnance Bomb Disposal Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD published on 1 June 1945. The excerpt below is from the section of the bulletin titled "New Grenades Found On Luzon."

"The majority of the new type grenades found on Luzon were improvised grenades that could readily have been made up in the field. New types recovered are:"

• 25mm shell case hand grenades
• 30mm hollow-charge rifle grenades
• Incendiary rifle grenades
• Gas pipe hand grenades

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Washington, D.C. Rep. Duffy, Sean P. [R-WI] introduced HR 2097, 'Legacies of War Recognition and Unexploded Ordnance Removal Act' to recognize the Hmong, Khmer, Laotian, and other ethnic groups commonly referred to as Montagnards, who supported and defended the Armed Forces during the conflict in Southeast Asia and to authorize assistance to support activities relating to clearance of UXO and other explosive remnants of war.

The Bill mentions the tragic legacy of the conflict in Southeast Asia and the UXO which continues to "litter forests, rice fields, villages, school grounds, roads, and other populated areas hindering development and poverty reduction efforts" in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

The proposed Bill states that, "Since 1993, the United States has provided more than $3,400,000,000 in assistance to more than 100 countries, including more than $132M in Vietnam, $200M in Laos, and $140M in Cambodia.

To honor the Montagnard Freedom Fighters with recognition for their support and defense of the Armed Forces, it calls on Congress to "continue to support activities to clear UXO and other explosive remnants of war in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and strengthen people-to-people ties and reaffirm America's long-standing commitment to Southeast Asia."

The draft Bill proposes an authorization and appropriation of $250M over a five year period (i.e., $50M for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024).

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Click the banner above to view the April 2019 edition of the UXO E-Newsletter brought to you by Ordnance Holdings, Inc. (OHI).

Denver, Colorado the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) issued a warning for hikers to be aware of UXO as they traverse many trails and pathways through the mountains. Due to the record avalanche season across the state, over 1,500 explosives were deployed statewide in avalanche control efforts. Of those, 22 failed to explode and were recorded as duds.

Although CDOT has dispatched a team to look for the UXO, there is a chance that members of the public may encounter the items before CDOT finds them. CDOT is warning hikers to stay clear of any suspect items and report findings to law enforcement for proper follow up.

Outer Banks, NC Park rangers at the Cape Lookout National Seashore contacted the U.S. Marine Corps after a civilian found a munition related item on the beach. EOD responded and identified the item as a canister for a marine marker. The item did not present a hazard but was removed from the area by EOD for proper disposal. Park Rangers reportedly shared photos on Facebook of the find.

Isle of Wight, United Kingdom A suspected UXO item found along a path in a nature preserve between Chale and Whale Chine was reported to the Needles Coastguard Rescue Team (CRT). An exclusion zone was established as the CRT awaited for a Royal Navy EOD team to respond.

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Gaya Island, Malaysia Grave diggers at the village cemetery in Sabah found a UXO while preparing a grave site for a recently decreased village resident. The workers called the police to report the find.

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Telarah, Australia A real estate agent inspecting a vacant property found a motorcycle and an unmarked box left the property. The agent suspected that the motorcycle may have been stolen and was about to contact the police when they looked inside the box and found a variety of munitions.

The agent called the police who responded with technical support from a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) EOD team. The munitions were inspected and reported to be inert shell casings (type not reported). The items were removed from the house for proper disposal. Police also seized the motorcycle for further examination.