In local news from Austin, Texas this week, a customer attending an estate auction was shocked to discover explosives from World War II in a box of purchased items. Concerned about the potential public safety hazard, the customer immediately alerted the authorities.
According to the Austin Police Association, on Tuesday, October 13th, local law enforcement received a call from a resident who found what appeared to be grenades dating back to the WWII era while sorting through items bought at the auction.
The bomb squad confirmed that these grenades were still live explosives, posing a threat of detonation at any moment.
The police association stated that the bomb squad successfully relocated and dismantled the explosives, “swiftly securing the area, setting up a perimeter, and ensuring the safety of the neighborhood” with a display of utmost professionalism and composure.
The association expressed, “Handling explosives from 80 years ago with unknown stability is a dangerous and meticulous task, but they completed it with the professional spirit that this city relies on!”
Authorities emphasized that the incident serves as a reminder to the public: do not touch or move any military ammunition, including grenades, shells, or mortar rounds, even if they seem inactive. Anyone encountering such devices should promptly hand them over to trained professionals.
The discovery of unexploded military ordnance in vintage items is not uncommon.
The FBI has previously noted cases where relatives of American veterans found these dangerous “souvenirs” among their loved ones’ belongings, with most devices tracing back to WWI, WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, or the Gulf War eras.
During WWII, Texas was a significant military hub for the United States. According to records from the Texas Historical Commission, the state housed 142 major military installations, with over 1.5 million military personnel trained in Texas and over 750,000 Texans serving in uniform.
Generally, it is illegal for military personnel to take home live grenades as “memorabilia” upon discharge. However, some individuals may unlawfully hoard such items or inadvertently remove military gear from camps after the end of wars. Some veterans or collectors preserve military memorabilia like shell casings, helmets, bayonets, and even grenade casings.
In 2025, a 3-year-old boy in central Washington state found an unexploded WWII-era grenade on his family’s property. Authorities expressed relief that the child was unharmed, as bomb disposal experts swiftly removed the grenade and disposed of it in rural areas outside the town where the family lived.
Reference: This article references reporting from CBS NEWS.