A two block radius in Fond du Lac was blocked off yesterday after a man found a WWII rocket propelled grenade in his home. Authorities say the man brought the round to the Fond Du Lac County Sheriff's office yesterday after discovering it. Two hours later the bomb squad determined it was a training round and not the real thing. But today authorities are saying there are lessons to be learned for everyone in his story.
That Fond du Lac man was trying to do the right thing according to authorities. He brought the rocket in to make sure it wasn't dangerous. But after speaking with police and military surplus experts, he put more than just his life in danger.
When a World War II rocket was said to be in the trunk of a Fond du Lac man’s car just outside of the Government Center, police were forced to deal with it as if it could still pack a punch.
"When you're talking about a rocket propelled grenade that is designed to take out enemy tanks, you can definitely have a lot of damage and death and destruction with those devices," says Assistant Chief of Police Steve Klein of Fond du Lac.
After the bomb squad showed up, they determined it was a training round and it wasn’t a danger.
"We had to treat it as though it was the real deal until we knew otherwise," adds Asst. Chief Klein.
And just head to a military surplus store and most will tell you about experiences they've heard about, involving war items showing up on their counters.
"A little old lady's husband passed away and she was going through his military stuff and took it to a local sporting goods store and asked what is it worth," says Bob Dodson the Owner of the Great Army-Navy Surplus store in Green Bay.
Before examining items like grenades or oversized ammunition rounds, Dodson makes sure explosives or ammunition is marked with a blue paint. If present that would indicate it's a dummy round. He also checks this out grenades for a tell tale hole that is drilled in the bottom.
"The hole in the bottom shows that it's drilled and that there is nothing in it," adds Dodson.
But bottom line, there is no guarantee every item from generations ago will have the blue paint on it if it is safe to handle. So if you do encounter something you're not sure about police urge you not to touch it. Dodson admits there is no way that he would touch something unknown like that and neither would the police without a bomb squad.
Old war chests often are not opened up until a loved one has passed away which is a very common time to find items like these. If you do find old war items that are designed to blow up or cause serious damage, police hope you give them a call rather than transporting it or touching it in the least.
