Renovating a Tacoma home is supposed to uncover outdated wiring and questionable wallpaper, not World War II era tank rounds. Yet that is exactly what workers found on Wednesday, bringing construction to a screeching halt and drawing in bomb technicians.
After the crew spotted two suspicious, heavy metal objects on the property, Tacoma police and military ordnance teams responded and treated them as potential unexploded munitions while specialists worked out exactly what they were.
Explosive ordnance disposal technicians with the Tacoma Police Department first identified one object as military ordnance, then found a second similar item nearby. Army explosive ordnance disposal personnel later took custody of both pieces, according to KING 5. Officers cleared the immediate area while the specialists examined and removed the rounds.
What the rounds were
According to Tacoma police, the items turned out to be M77 90 millimeter armor piercing rounds that date back to World War II. U.S. Army technical guidance for 90 millimeter ammunition describes the M77 as a solid steel, armor piercing projectile used in 90 millimeter tank and anti tank guns. That lines up with what technicians observed on scene: the projectiles were solid steel and not hollow explosive shells (U.S. Army technical manual TM 9-374).
How authorities handled it
Tacoma police reported that each round weighed about 23.4 pounds and that initial checks suggested they did not contain explosive filler. Army EOD personnel removed the projectiles for secure transport, according to KING 5. Officials reminded neighbors that even ordnance that appears inert can still be dangerous and urged people to clear the area and call authorities instead of trying to move anything themselves.
Federal interagency guidance offers the same advice: do not touch suspected munitions, keep others away, and contact emergency responders so trained EOD teams can handle the object safely (Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations).
Not an isolated find
While it is unnerving, Tacoma’s surprise discovery is not unique. Across the country, aging munitions keep turning up in places where people expect to find tree roots and plumbing. Earlier this week, a World War II mortar round discovered in an Enfield, Connecticut, home brought out the state bomb squad, according to NBC Connecticut. In another case, a Durham homeowner had a mortar round removed from a crawl space beneath the house, a response handled by specialists and reported by WRAL.
Tacoma police said their investigation into how the tank rounds ended up on the property is ongoing. They repeated a familiar warning from past unexploded ordnance calls: if you find something that looks like a bomb, stop work, move to a safe distance and dial emergency services so the experts can take it from there.
