Assateague, Maryland UXO discovered on the beach at Assateague Island National Seashore has been safely disposed in a controlled detonation by Dover Air Force Base EOD.
The WWII-era ordnance was found near the parking lot closest to the entrance. Lifeguards assisted in clearing the area, and a cordon was established.
Following WWII and into the 1950's, the War Department Office of the Chief of Engineers TSU Detachments which included "Bomb and Shell Disposal Teams." The Dets would be assigned to clear, mostly surface clearance, UXO and munitions debris from ranges.
UXOInfo.com was contacted by a Mr. Perry Cradin, a 92-year-old veteran of the 9800th TSU-CE Det 8, Engineer Range Clearance Team, who served 20 months (April 1953 Nov 1954) expressing interest in sharing his experiences and some select photos from that time. Please enjoy the read below.
"At the end of basic at Ft Belvoir about 10 if us were called out for interview with Capt. Dallas R. Lynch to join his TSU team, it was voluntary, he chose me Perry Cradin and another trainee Fred Hille. We were sent to Southern Pines, NC where we joined the team of: Sgt Logan Adams, Sgt Gene Huddleson, Sgt Bob Coffey, Sgt Grant Coburn, Sgt Robert Dupuy, Pvt Tom Terry, and Pfc Billy Walker. We cleared ranges at Camp Mackall, Ft Jackson, Camp Shelby, Pine Castle Florida, and others. From there we were sent to Albuquerque NM. For 6 months we cleared Kirtland bombing ranges."
"From NM we went to Midland, TX where we stayed for 6 months clearing bombing ranges. We surface cleared mostly 100lb sand filled practice bombs, dug most out of ground with special long handled picks, loaded scrap into our dump truck for disposal. This was 70 years ago, I'm now 92 years old, most of the team were older than me so, I may be only one left. Hope this gives a little insight into what these teams were doing. Our contribution was to make these grounds safer for others. I'm proud of the service we provided to the country."
Images below
UXO construction support project at Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Seal Beach, CA - scheduled to start August 2024 with a duration of approximately 20-30 days.
Navy project, OP-5 requirements include a SUXOS and UXO Safety Officer on-site to make safe to move determinations. Multiple shifts require multiple positions. These are "working level" positions on-site providing UXO construction support.
Paid Mob/Demob and generous flat rate available.
Candidates must be DDESB TP -18 qualified for their position and have a current OSHA physical.
Employment contingent upon receiving DBIDS access and meeting all ATF explosives possessor requirements.
If you are interested in applying, please email your resume and certifications to HR@ordnanceholdings.com for consideration.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Yep, you read that right! The UXO fairy strikes again at Pittsburgh International Airport. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported that a passenger's checked bag was flagged after it was found to contain two inert grenades.
In a social media post about the incident, TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein wrote, "The traveler said his friend told him that he could take them on a plane. With friends like that, . . ."
And these are not the first munitions TSA agents have found at the Pittsburgh airport this summer. Last month we reported that TSA intercepted another inert grenade at a checkpoint, the same day a smoke grenade was found in a carry-on bag.
Hilo, Hawaii Hilo International Airport was temporarily evacuated after the discovery of two grenade-like items were found during an x-ray screening of a passenger's carry-on luggage.
According to a spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), agents were conducting routine screening of the bag when they spotted the suspicious items. Hawaii Police Department Capt. Brian Prudencio said, "It temporarily inconvenienced the travelers due to the evacuation and securing of the airport."
Warwickshire Village, England Construction workers uncovered a suspicious looking item and promptly notified the authorities who responded and evacuated the area in order to safely examine the device. After some investigating, the responding British Army EOD unit was able to determine that the device did not contain explosives (the exact identification of the item was not reported). After EOD gave the "all clear", the nearby residents were allowed to return to their homes and construction safely continued.
Although the item did not turn out to be hazardous, the workers were thanked for doing the right thing and practicing safety first.
Lymington, Hampshire England 100-year old retired Royal Navy officer Mr. Boyd Salmon, was awarded "replacement medals" for his service clearing UXO during WWII. Mr. Salmon is one of the last survivors of an elite unit who were responsible for disposing of enemy mines and shells on British and European shores.
Salmon joined the British Royal Navy at the age of 17 and worked his way up to become an officer. Unfortunately, his military career was cut short when he was injured from an explosion as he and his team were attempting to clear an area of mines on a Dutch island that was blocking the Allied forces' route to Nazi Germany. Reportedly, as his team approached a large bomb, it exploded leaving him with severe injuries that resulted in years of treatment and recovery. He was awarded medals for his service and sacrifices.
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