An archeologist located what appeared to be a UXO (Unexploded Ordnance), possibly a World War I Stokes Mortar, during construction at Pearson Airfield, Vancouver, Wash. U.S. Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel were called in to assist, and came up with a plan to safely detonate the item on site. They dug a hole in the ground and the device was safely detonated. (Vancouver Police Department via Facebook)
(Tribune News Service) — An archaeologist at a construction site in Vancouver, Wash., reported finding unexploded military munitions, Washington police said.
The explosives found on Tuesday appear to be mortar shells dating back to World War I, the Vancouver Police Department said in a Feb. 26 news release.
They were found during construction at Pearson Field, a municipal airport, police said.
A police bomb squad responded to assess the situation, cops said. They safely exploded the first mortar shell with the help of a U.S. Air Force explosive disposal team.
More mortar shells were found and destroyed on Wednesday police said.
A mortar is a “portable, short-barreled, muzzle-loading artillery piece that fires explosive projectiles at low velocities, short ranges, and high, arcing trajectories,” according to Britannica.com.
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