Mystery Mortar Found Buried in Iowa Yard

Dubuque, Iowa The Dubuque Fire Department responded to a home after reports of a potential UXO find. Melissa Williams reported that her husband came across the device while digging a hole for a new fence post in their backyard.

"I looked it up online, and it said it was like an aerial dart from World War II or whatever. So I sent a picture to my father and he said, no that's, you need to call the police on that one," she said.

According to news release from the fire department, they were called to the home for "what is believed to be an unexploded WWII-era mortar round/ordnance." Approximately 25 homes in the neighborhood were evacuated while explosives experts examined the ordnance. Officials confirmed that UXO had been removed from the area so it could be safely detonated.

Following the removal action, residents were allowed back into their homes. "I was shaken for probably a couple hours," Williams said, "didn't sleep a whole lot well last night. So you know other than that it was just not something you'd think you'd ever find, you know."

She described the mystery discovery as a "one-in-a-million thing." While speaking to reporters she said, "First off, why is it here? This is Dubuque, Iowa. It's not like anything happened here in WWII." Still no word as to how the mortar ended up in the yard.