Sean C. Morgan
An Oregon State Police Explosives Unit “rendered safe” a World War II-era hand grenade at Husky Field Friday afternoon.
The grenade, an American Mark II “pineapple,” had no explosive material in it and had likely been at its location for many years.
A man looking for soda cans located the grenade in a ditch behind the back fence of the baseball field and reported the find at 1:20 p.m.
Officers responded and contacted the caller, who said he had found the grenade half-buried, said Police Chief Bob Burford. “He picked it up and then realized what it was.”
He set it down on the gravel nearby.
“Officers photographed the item and sent the picture to the OSP bomb squad, who in turn, responded,” Burford said. “Officers secured the immediate area. School officials were advised of the situation.”
The Explosives Unit responded, and a police officer and member of the unit dug a hole in the grass nearby, southwest of the grandstands. A member of the unit suited up and picked the grenade up with a pole device. He carried it to the hole and covered it, so it could be detonated safely and rendered safe.
Photo by Sean C.
Morgan
District 55 Supt. Don Schrader accepted an invitation to trigger the explosion that would detonate the grenade.
The grenade was cut in half, and no filler, or explosive, material was visible inside the shell. The fuse was deteriorated and nonfunctional.
Another grenade of the same type was discovered in the 2200 block of Main about 20 years ago, Burford said. Grenades are discovered most likely because of ditch work, construction or leveling followed by high water cleaning it off.
Police don’t have any theories about how the grenade may have ended up there in the first place, but it was likely there for a long time, Burford said.