WWII-era mortar shells found on Bay Area
beach
SAN FRANCISCO “”mdash; A woman walking her dog at a local beach
last weekend discovered two unexploded mortar shells, police
said.
The woman discovered the rust-covered shells at Fort Funston on
Sunday morning and immediately contacted police.
The World War II-era mortar shells lay within 50 yards of the
fort’s main parking lot, said Golden Gate National Recreation
Area ranger Eric Beckert.
That area of the park was closed off as the San Francisco Police
Department bomb squad detonated the devices. They canvassed the
area but found no other ammunition and reopened the park before
noon.
“˜”˜It was an extremely dangerous
situation,” U.S. Park Police Sgt. Tom Hart said. A
mortar shell “˜”˜is very unstable. You don’t know
if it’s active or inactive.”
Beckert said his office gets called about twice a year from
residents reporting old ammunition dug up by a dog or unearthed by
strong winds, he said.
The former military base is now frequented by hang-gliders and
families who enjoy the sandy beach and dunes.
Fort Funston was constructed as part of the United States’
coastal defense system employed from the post-Civil War era into
the Cold War era.
Reports from Bruin wire services.