WWII Ordnance Detonated at Assateague Island National Seashore

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.

According to Park Superintendent Hugh Hawthorne, the Navy used Assateague for missile testing from 1945 to the early 1950s. "When the Navy left in the early 50s, they picked up most of the scraps or fragments of rockets and bombs and buried them in two big pits. Now, this is a barrier island that moves naturally, and one of those pits is now offshore the north beach area," Hawthorne said.

After a major nor'easter in 2022, the pits have been slowly dispersing fragments. There have been two found already this summer. There is a procedure in place for handling the discoveries which involves the local fire marshal and the Dover Bomb Squad.

Hawthorne advised visitors to report any findings and avoid touching them. "It's not a high danger  it's 99% that they aren't dangerous at all, but 99% is not 100%. When we deal with unexploded ordnance, we have to be 100% sure before we treat it as something other than a UXO," he said.