On Oct. 8, the U.S. Army disposed of two grenades found in the Haines Borough.
One was in Alaska Wildlife Trooper possession and the other was turned in to police by a local contractor, police chief Heath Scott said.
Scott said after receiving the grenade, he notified the Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage, as is required under federal law.
“We have what’s called the Military Munitions Rule, which basically outlines that any military ordnance (weapons or ammunition) discovered outside of designated areas, the U.S. military has to take care of it,” EOD team leader staff sergeant Dylan Fowler said. He said the purpose of the rule is to reduce the number of unexploded ordnances lying around since these have the potential to go off, especially as they age.
The grenade turned in by the contractor was a Mk 2 Fragmentation grenade, the classic pineapple one commonly used during World War II. The other was a 40 mm practice grenade, typically used for signaling or training, but Fowler said it’s still dangerous because it has the ability to take off a hand at close range.
Fowler said disposal of the two grenades went smoothly. The grenades were detonated at the Southeast Road Builders’ quarry. They were placed in a divot in the ground, and C4 plastic explosive was used to penetrate the grenade shells, detonating the explosives within.
Fowler estimates his team deals with similar situations about 20 times a year. A lot of the devices they dispose of date from World War II.
“We usually get notified by local law enforcement,” Fowler said. “How they find (the ordnances) really varies. A common one with World War II veterans dying off, they brought home trophies from the war, and after they die, relatives go through their possessions and find the grenades.”
Fowler said it’s important for people to follow proper safety procedures if they come across a grenade or other military ordnance.
“At the first visual sight of the ordnance, stop and look around. Don’t turn back and run,” Fowler said. Where there’s one ordnance, there could be more. If it’s safe to take a picture, do so, as that can provide the EOD team with valuable information. If not, take mental notes about the ordnance and where it’s located.
“That should be done rather rapidly,” Fowler said. After that, people should walk away from the ordinance, leaving using the same path they approached, and call 911. They should try to keep others away from the ordnance until the police arrive and cordon off the area.
Scott said he’s not sure how the contractor came to possess the grenade and declined to give the name of the contractor. “I don’t want to discourage people from finding objects and bringing them forward,” he said. Wildlife trooper Colin Nemec could not be reached for comment by press time.